|
Continued from yesterday’s instalment
We have already discussed the splendid qualities of Kumbakarna in fifteen instalments
(See:The two
opposite paths of Dharma to Duty
is the other name of Dharma). As we saw, Kumbakarna, when he comes to the battlefield comes to perform his duty and duty alone, as a soldier, though at heart he disapproves of what Ravana did. He even censures Ravana and advises him to send Sita back and tells him not to take lightly of Rama and Lakshmana, underlining their invincibility. Unable to convince Ravana, he comes to the field giving his last piece of advice to Ravana.
‘vendru ivaN varuvan endru uraikkilEn.’ (I now take leave of you and am on my foot already. But) I would not say I would come back victorious.
‘vidhi nindradhu pidar pidiththu undhugindardhu.’ It is Fate that is pushing me forwards by the nape of the neck.
‘pondruvan.’ I will be killed. ‘pondrinaal,’ and if I die,
‘polan koL thOLiyai nandru ena naayga vidudhi nandru,’
send Sita back for good, and that is the only good thing that would remain to be done (after my death).
Kumbakarna therefore leaves for the battle front with a clear mind, convinced about the defeat and death that is going to confront him for the first time in his trail blazing row of successes. Though he is not blessed with special boons, by the sheer strength of physical might and his valour, he had a number of splendid and glowing victories to his credit. He is the terror of celestials.
‘avan uNarndhu ezhundha pOdhil asurarkaL paduvadhu ellaam,’ says Vibishana, referring to Kumbakarna.
‘ivan uNarndhu ezhundha kaalaththu imayavar paduvar endhaai!’ There is only a minor difference between Lord Vishnu and Kumbakarna. He is immersed in His all-knowing sleep. Kumbakarna has only one boon to his credit, that of a very long spell of slumber. When Kumbakarna wakes up from his slumber, the celestials would undergo all the travails that the asuras would undergo when Vishnu wakes up from his divine-sleep.
Though Kumbakarna is against this war, though he is convinced of the folly of Ravana, though he in the depth of his heart worships Rama and Lakshmana (of which we have already seen in
The last moments) he puts his soul and heart into his duty and fights like the true warrior he is till the very last moment.
 Kamban works his magic in the war scenes detailing the terror-striking sight of Kumbakarna’s enormous frame and the way monkeys get entrapped into his long fingernails and the way he rolls them into bundles of shapeless flesh with a simple slap. Hanuman, the tower of strength, rushed to the spot, challenging Kumbakarna. ‘If you are able to withstand the impact of this mountain that I throw on you,’ roars Hanuman, ‘I promise that I won’t fight with you ever again.’
But lo! Kumbakarna didn’t even attempt to stop the hillock hurled at him by Maruti.
‘kaar udhir vayirak kundram kaathilan.’ He didn’t even raise his hand to ward it off.
‘thOL mEl Etraan.’ Took it on his massive shoulders. ‘Or udhir nUru kUraai ukkadhu.’
That hillock shattered into hundreds of pieces. ‘He is not to be taken lightly,’ said Hanuman to himself. Remembering his vow not to stand against him and fight, he moved away from the place.
This background is to be kept in mind when we see the battle that ensued between Lakshmana and Kumbakarna. It was not an easy war that Lakshmana fought and it was not ‘just another ogre’ that he was confronted with. This was a giant whom the very Hanuman decided not to fight against.
More follows...
Published on 17th
April 2002
Hari
Krishnan
Index
| Next Article
|
