Chapter 63 - Kumbhakarna consoles Ravana

Hearing the lament of the King of the Titans, Kumbhakarna said with a mocking laugh:—

“As an evil doer falls into hell as a result of his misdeeds, a swift retribution has followed on the error of judgment we saw you commit formerly in council through lack of trust in your ministers! Firstly, O Great King, you didst not reflect on what might happen and, in the pride of thine own strength, overlooked the consequences. He, who trusting in his own power, leaves until last that which should be done first or who does first, that which should follow, is unable to distinguish between what is wise and what is foolish. As offerings poured into an unsanctified fire so are those actions disastrous which are performed without regard to time and place or in opposition to them. He goes straight to the goal, who, in consultation with his ministers, has examined the three kinds of action and their five aspects. A king who makes his decisions according to the traditional laws, and allows himself to be advised by his counsellors and consults his friends, pursuing duty, profit and pleasure at the proper season or following two of them or all of them combined, is a wise monarch and has a sound understanding, O Lord of the Titans.

“But the sovereign or heir-apparent, who, having heard what is best for the cultivation of these three means and yet does not comprehend them, has spent his time listening to instruction in vain. The king who consults his ministers regarding the bestowal of gifts, conciliation, sowing dissension, taking action or uniting himself with the foe as also the consideration of what should or should not be done and the questions of duty, profit and pursuit of pleasure, dealing with them in conformity with circumstances, and is master of himself, is not visited by misfortune!

“He verily is a king, who, with experienced and sagacious counsellors, having studied the advantages he desires to reap from an undertaking and the wisdom of entering into it, takes action.

“One should never follow the advice of those admitted to council who are not conversant with the meaning of the scriptures, whose intelligence is equal to the beasts and who, in their conceit, prate continuously! Neither should one follow the advice of those who, in their ignorance of the tradition and the works of political science, merely seek to amass wealth. And those counsellors who, in their complacency, hold specious but sinister debates, should be excluded from any deliberation, for they mar every transaction. Those in the pay of well-informed enemies, who, in order to betray their master, advise him to act contrary to his interests, will be recognized by the king when they are in the assembly, and a monarch will soon discover those who, under the mask of devotion hide their treachery, by studying their conduct in their deliberations when they are met together. Those foolish ones, who rush precipitately into action like birds entering a hole in the Krauncha Mountain, are overwhelmed by the enemy and he who, disregarding the foe, fails to protect himself, experiences nothing but reverses and loses his status.

“The advice that the beloved Mandodari and my younger brother, Bibishana, formerly gave you, I now repeat for thine own good; do what you considerest best!”

Hearing Kumbhakama’s words, Dashagriva frowned and replied angrily:—

“One should pay the same respect to one’s elder brother as to one’s spiritual preceptor! Of what interest to me are your counsels? Why fatigue thyself? Consider what is fitting at the moment; whatever has impeded success, whether it has been folly or too great a confidence in the strength of mine army, it is useless to discuss it now 1 Advise me as to what should be done in the present circumstances. Let your valour remedy the evil that mine imprudence has brought about if you are truly devoted to me and hast confidence in thine own prowess and if thine heart is in this great struggle and you considerest it to be of supreme moment. He is a friend who rescues one in distress; a kinsman he, who helps one who has failed.”

Thus spoke Ravana in imperious and harsh accents and Kumbhakarna reflecting within himself ‘he is enraged’, answered him mildly in soothing tones, Looking fixedly at his brother, whose mind was agitated, he spoke comforting words to him in a quiet voice, saying:—

“Listen carefully, O King, O Scourge of Your Foes, O Leader of the Titan Princes, banish your grief, renounce thine anger and be thyself again! There is no reason for thine heart to be troubled as long as I five, O Lord! I will slay him who is the cause of your distress but, in any circumstances, I had, of necessity, to speak for thine own good because of kinship and brotherly affection for you, O Monarch.

“It is on account of this that I will show myself to be a friend and a brother and, in combat, annihilate the enemy under thine eyes. To-day, O Long-armed Warrior, you shalt see me in the forefront of battle, having slain Rama and his brother and put the monkey army to flight. Seeing me bring back Rama’s head from the battlefield this day, you will be happy, O Warrior, and Sita overwhelmed with despair.

“T o-day all the titans of Lanka, whose kinsfolk have perished, will witness the death of Rama who is the object of men’s desires! By striking down the foe in battle, I shall dry the tears of those who are overcome with sorrow and have been rendered desolate by the loss of their relatives. To-day you shalt see Sugriva, the leader of the Plavagas, who resembles a mountain illumined by the sun, lying on the earth. The titans, and I also, are eager to slay Dasaratha’s son; this should fill you with confidence, how is it that you are still trembling, O Irreproachable Hero? Should he slay me, Raghava will assuredly slay you also but I have nothing to fear, O Lord of the Titans! Now command me, O Scourge of Your Foes, do not seek another for this encounter, O Incomparable Hero! I shall destroy your foes despite their strength! Even were it Shakra or Yama or Pavaka or Maruta, I should enter into combat with them or with Kuvera or Varuna themselves; I, who in stature am like unto a mountain, with a sharpened spear as my weapon, my war-cry, my pointed teeth, at the sight of which Purandara himself trembles, throwing away my arms, shall strike down the foe with blows of my fists. None will be able to withstand me, no matter how much they may cling to life, nor have I need of lance, mace, sword or whetted dart; with my bare hands alone, I will kill Raghava, were he accompanied by the God who bears the Thunderbolt himself! If he is able to withstand the force of my fists then mine arrows will drink his life’s blood! O King, I stand here, why art you overwhelmed with despair? Here I wait ready to exterminate the slayers of titans, by whom Lanka has been set on fire, and also the monkeys, in the struggle that is about to take place. I shall confer a rare and great glory upon you! Did the danger come from Indra or Svyambhu or the Gods themselves, I should make them measure their length on the field of battle, O King! I shall overcome Yama, consume Pavaka, hurl down Varuna, pulverize the mountains and shatter the earth! After my long sleep, let those beings I am about to consume, witness the prowess of Kumbhakarna this day! Nay, the Three Worlds shall not be able to glut mine appetite! In order to please you I will slay the son of Dasaratha! Having struck down Rama and Lakshmana, I shall devour all the foremost of the monkey leaders. Rejoice therefore, O King and drink wine, do what you have to do and banish grief; to-day I shall send Rama to the abode of death and Sita will become thine for ever!”