Shloka 35
कुम्भकर्णवधः
The Slaying of Kumbhakarna
बाहुभ्यांवानरान्सर्वान्प्रगृह्य स महाबलः ।भक्ष्यामाससङ्क्रुद्धोगरुडःपन्नगानिव ।।।।
bāhubhyāṃ vānarān sarvān pragṛhya sa mahābalaḥ |
bhakṣyāmāsa saṅkruddho garuḍaḥ pannagān iva |
Saisissant de ses bras tous les Vānaras, cet être d’une force immense—dans une colère ardente—se mit à les dévorer, tel Garuḍa dévorant les serpents.
Holding the Vanaras, the mighty Kumbhakarna started devouring all Vanaras just as Garuda does with serpents.
FAQs
It illustrates adharma’s nature: rage turns strength into cruelty, violating the restraint expected even in warfare and reminding that power must be governed by dharma.
Kumbhakarṇa grabs Vānaras in his arms and begins devouring them amidst the battle.
By contrast, the virtue implied is saṃyama (restraint): the absence of restraint marks the rākṣasa’s conduct as morally degraded.