Shloka 6.62.18

कुम्भकर्णस्य प्रबोधनम् — The Awakening and Commissioning of Kumbhakarna

Devanagari script

तदेतद्भयमुत्पन्नंत्रायस्वेमांमहबल ।नाशयत्वमिमानद्यतदर्थंबोधितोभवान् ।।6.62.18।।

Transliteration

tad etad bhayam utpannaṁ trāyasvemāṁ mahābala |

nāśaya tvam imān adya tadarthaṁ bodhito bhavān ||6.62.18||

Translation

Thus this fear has arisen. Protect me, O mighty one. Destroy them today—this is the very purpose for which you have been awakened.

Context

"Mighty strong I am, but such is the fear that has been created in me from them. You have been awakened, to destroy them. Reported Ravana."

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Kumbhakarṇa
• vānaras (implied as ‘these’ enemies)
• Rāma (implied as the cause of fear)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

A negative lesson in Dharma: fear and self-preservation can push a ruler to treat others as instruments; righteous leadership instead protects subjects through justice, not desperate violence.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa confesses fear and urgently commands Kumbhakarṇa to destroy the enemy forces, stating that this is why he was awakened.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not virtue but dependency: Rāvaṇa’s reliance on Kumbhakarṇa’s strength shows weakening resolve and strategic desperation.