Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 67, Shloka 154
कुम्भकर्णवधः
The Slaying of Kumbhakarna
यैस्सायकैस्सालवरानिकृत्तावालीहतोवानरपुङ्गवश्च ।तेकुम्भकर्णस्यतदाशरीरंवज्रोपमं न व्यधयांप्रचक्रुः ।।।।
yaiḥ sāyakaiḥ sālavarān nikṛttā vālī hato vānarapuṅgavaś ca | te kumbhakarṇasya tadā śarīraṃ vajropamaṃ na vyadhayāṃ pracakruḥ ||
Those very arrows by which the mighty sāla trees were cut down and by which Vālī, the foremost of monkeys, was struck—those thunderbolt-like shafts then failed to pierce Kumbhakarṇa’s body.
Those arrows which had cut down the Sala trees and the Vanara leader, Vali, which were like thunderbolts, did not affect Kumbhakarna's body.
FAQs
The verse teaches discernment: past success does not guarantee present outcomes. Dharma in action requires adapting wisely while remaining committed to the righteous goal.
The narration recalls Rāma’s earlier feats with the same arrows, yet emphasizes that Kumbhakarṇa’s body proves unusually resistant.
Rāma’s proven capability is acknowledged, while the immediate virtue called for is strategic patience and resolve.