Shloka 57
कुम्भकर्णप्रस्थानम्
Kumbhakarna’s Departure for Battle
विपुलपरिघवान् स कुम्भकर्णोरिपुनिधनायविनिस्पृतोत्मा ।कपिषणभयमाददत्सुभीमंप्रभुरिवदण्डवान्युगान्ते ।।।।
vipula-parighavān sa kumbhakarṇo ripu-nidhanāya viniṣpṛtātmā |
kapiṣaṇa-bhayam ādadat subhīmaṃ prabhur iva daṇḍavān yugānte ||
Mit einer gewaltigen eisernen Keule bewaffnet, war Kumbhakarṇa — zur Vernichtung der Feinde entfesselt — im Vormarsch und wurde den Reihen der Vānaras zum furchtbaren Schrecken, wie ein Herrscher, der am Ende eines Zeitalters den Stab der Strafe führt.
Armed with a huge iron bar, Kumbhakarna stood for destroying the enemies like the great time spirit, deadly God of Death waits at the end of the universe along with Kinkaras, like a king.।। ityārṣēvālmīkīyēśrīmadrāmāyaṇēādikāvyēyuddhakāṇḍēpañcāṣaṣṭitamassargaḥ ।।This is the end of the sixty fifth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic, the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.
FAQs
The verse frames destructive power as ‘daṇḍa’ (punishment) imagery, reminding that force without dharma becomes terror; true righteous authority restrains violence to protect order, not to gratify cruelty.
Kumbhakarṇa enters the battle armed with a massive weapon, becoming a fearsome threat to the Vānara army.
For the dharmic side, steadfast courage is called for; for Kumbhakarṇa, the verse underscores overwhelming might—yet portrayed as ominous and end-of-age destructive.