When the rakshasas saw that great Rama had slain Kumbhakarna, they reported the matter to Ravana: “O king, your brother Kumbhakarna scattered the monkey army and devoured monkeys. For some time he exhibited his prowess, like death personified. Tormented by Rama’s arrows, he has met with death. Quelled by Rama’s strength, his dreadful-looking cadaver is half-submerged in the ocean. Shorn of his limbs and head, he looks like a tree scorched by a fire. His head is blocking the city gate and has had its ears and nose cut off, bleeding profusely.”
Tormented with grief to hear that the mighty Kumbhakarna had been slain in battle, Ravana fainted and collapsed. Ravana’s sons, Devantaka, Narantaka and Trishira were stricken with grief and wailed when they heard of their uncle’s death. Mahodara and Mahaparshva, were afflicted with sorrow when the heard of their brother’s death. Then, with difficultly Ravana regained consciousness. Miserable because of Kumbhakarna death, Ravana began lamenting in bewilderment:
“Alas, heroic Kumbhakarna! O crusher of enemies! You have surely abandoned me by the force of destiny and gone to the abode of death. Having tormented the enemy forces and abandoned me, where are you going all alone without extracting the thorn from the side of me and my relatives? Now I surely cannot survive since my right arm, under whose shelter I feared neither gods nor demons, has fallen. How was Rama able to kill such a warrior who could crush the pride of the gods and Danavas, and who was like the fire of universal devastation? How is it that you, whom even lightning could not injure, are afflicted by Rama’s arrows and lying asleep on the surface of the earth? Hovering in the sky, the host of gods accompanied by sages are rejoicing after seeing you killed in combat. Overjoyed by the present opportunity, the monkeys will surely scale the gates of Lanka, though difficult to do.
“Of what use is a kingdom to me, and what shall I do with Sita? Deprived of Kumbhakarna, I have no desire to live. If I do not kill Rama, the murderer of my brother, in combat, then certainly my death would be better, not this useless life. I shall now go to where my younger brother Kumbhakarna is. Sending away my other brothers, I cannot bear to live for another moment. Seeing me, who previously flaunted them, the gods will indeed laugh. O Kumbhakarna, how will I defeat Indra when you are death? This has happened because I did not accept Vibhishana good advice due to my ignorance. Since the death of Kumbhakarna and Prahasta, Vibhishana’s dire warning is embarrassing me. Because of expelling the virtuous and glorious Vibhishana, this reaction has come which is causing me grief.”
Thus, when the ten-headed Ravana learned of his brother Kumbhakarna’s death, he lamented miserably and became manifold distressed in mind.
Thus completes 68th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate
