Shloka 5
Pṛthā’s Atithi-Sevā and the Gift of the Deva-Āhvāna Mantra (पृथायाः अतिथिसेवा तथा देवाह्वानमन्त्रप्रदानम्)
नानाप्रहरणैर्भीमै राक्षसेन्द्रमताडयन् । कुछ वानरोंने कुम्भकर्णसे प्राप्त होनेवाले महान् भयकी परवा न करके उसको नखोंसे पीड़ा देनी प्रारम्भ की। युद्धकी विभिन्न प्रणालियोंद्वारा अनेक प्रकारसे युद्ध करते हुए वानरसैनिक भाँति-भाँतिके भयंकर आयुधोंद्वारा राक्षसराज कुम्भकर्णको चोट पहुँचाने लगे |। स ताड्यमान: प्रहसन् भक्षयामास वानरान्
nānāpraharaṇair bhīmai rākṣasendram atāḍayan | sa tāḍyamānaḥ prahasan bhakṣayāmāsa vānarān ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Striking the lord of the rākṣasas with many dreadful weapons, the vānaras—heedless of the great terror that came from Kumbhakarṇa—began to torment him even with their claws. Yet as he was being beaten, he only laughed, and in the midst of that assault he devoured the vānaras.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts fearless effort with the brutal reality of war: courage alone does not guarantee victory when confronted by overwhelming force allied with cruelty. Ethically, it highlights the horror of adharma—mocking violence and predatory appetite—within a battlefield context.
Vānaras attack the rākṣasa king Kumbhakarṇa with many weapons and even their claws, disregarding fear. Despite being struck, Kumbhakarṇa laughs and devours the vānaras.