Shloka 11
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Consolation to the King: Exempla of Rāma and the Efficacy of Allies (मार्कण्डेयाश्वासनम्)
कुम्भकर्ण शारीरिक बलमें सबसे बढ़ा-चढ़ा था। युद्धमें भी वह सबसे बढ़कर था। मायावी और रणकुशल तो था ही, वह निशाचर बड़ा भयंकर भी था
Kumbhakarṇaḥ śārīrike balena sarvebhyaḥ pradhānaḥ atiśayavān āsīt. Yuddhe 'pi sa sarvebhyaḥ śreṣṭhataraḥ āsīt. Māyāvī ca raṇakuśalaś ca āsīt eva; sa niśācaraḥ atibhayaṅkaraḥ api āsīt.
Mārkaṇḍeya dijo: «Kumbhakarṇa superaba a todos en fuerza corporal, y en la batalla también se alzaba por encima de los demás. No solo era maestro de estratagemas y diestro en las artes de la guerra; como rākṣasa que vaga en la noche, era además profundamente aterrador».
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that extraordinary strength and battlefield skill, when coupled with deception and a fearsome disposition, can magnify harm. It implicitly warns that power without dharmic restraint becomes a dangerous force.
Mārkaṇḍeya is describing Kumbhakarṇa’s exceptional physical might and superior prowess in war, emphasizing his cunning (māyā) and tactical expertise, and portraying him as a terrifying rākṣasa presence.