Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 60, Shloka 5
कुम्भकर्णविबोधनम्
The Awakening of Kumbhakarna
सर्वंतत्खलुमेमोघंयत्तप्तंपरमंतपः ।यत्समानोमहेन्द्रेणमानुषेणास्मिर्जितः ।।।।
sarvaṃ tat khalu me moghaṃ yat taptaṃ paramaṃ tapaḥ |
yat samāno mahendreṇa mānuṣeṇāsmi jitaḥ ||
حقًّا، لقد صار كلّ ذلك التنسّك الأسمى الذي قاسيته باطلًا؛ إذ إنني، وأنا أعدّ نفسي ندًّا لماهيندرا، قد هُزمت على يد إنسانٍ محض.
" All the penance which I have done, and the asceticism practised by me equal to Mahendra has become purposeless and defeated."
FAQs
It warns against pride born of power and austerity: tapas without humility and righteousness does not secure true victory; dharma, embodied by Rāma, prevails.
A defeated or shaken Rāvaṇa reflects that his austerities feel wasted because he has been overcome by a human opponent.
On the dharmic side, Rāma’s steadfastness is implied; on Rāvaṇa’s side, the vice of arrogance (mada) is exposed through lament.