326. Kumbhakarna goes to the battle-field with a huge army.

                  Kumbhakarna was not amused by Mahodara's prattle which he, Mahodara, called strategy(!). Kumbhakarna rebuked him suitably. Then he told his brother “My dear bro, Before the sun sets today, I assure you that you will hear the news most heartening to you, to wit, the annihilation of that Rama and his entire army. I will wipe-off your worry and fear today and you will live happily without any enemy for the rest of your life."
           Turning to Mahodara he said "O! Mahodara! Your words may be agreeable to those kings who are confused, who fancy themselves as very learned, but actually are stupid. You and people like you, are all cowards in battle. You always speak pleasantly and go according to the wishes of the king. Intent on conquering the enemy, I sally for the battle forthwith to make our monarch happy."

              Ravana  became very happy to hear his dear brother's words and told him "O dear brother! This Mahodara is frightened of Rama. There is no doubt. O! Kumbhakarna! None is equal to you in friendship and strength.

        "O! destroyer of enemies! You, who was sleeping, was awakened by me, for the purpose of destroying our enemies. Therefore, go like Yama the god of death, by taking a dart and a noose in your hand. Devour the monkeys and the two humans whose splendour is like that of the sun. By seeing your very form, the monkeys will run away. I am sure that the hearts of Rama and Lakshmana will get broken asunder."

          Ravana, knowing the strength and prowess of Kumbhakarna, was sure that he will vanquish Rama and his army. That thought made him so delighted and all his ten faces started to look as bright as the moon on full moon days.

         Taking hold of that large spike tinted with the blood of enemies, shining like Indra's thunderbolt and equally heavy, capable of tormenting Devas, Danavas, Gandharvas, Yakshas and Kinnaras, and donning garlands of splendorous crimson flowers emitting flames by itself naturally, Kumbhakarna of great brilliance told Ravana "Let our army stay back here. I shall go all alone. Being angry with hunger, I shall devour all those monkeys now.”

       Ravana was very happy to hear his dear brother say so. He, however told him "O! my darling brother! Go along with the army, with their spikes and hammers in hand. The monkeys, with their huge bodies, valiant, with a much determination and with their teeth, will destroy anyone who is either alone or off his guard. Therefore, go along with your troops so that you will be impossible to be defeated. Destroy the entire enemy force, which is inimical to our rakshashas."

              Getting up from his throne, Ravana  placed around the neck of Kumbhakarna, a necklace studded with a course of jewels. Not satisfied with that, Ravana then personally decorated his dear brother with armlets, rings, excellent jewellery and a handsome chain. Not satisfied with that, too, Ravana arranged for ornamentation of his (i.e. Kumbhakarna's) limbs with beautiful and sweet-smelling garlands as well as lovely ear-rings.

          Kumbhakarna with large ears, adorned with golden armlets and bracelets worn on his upper arms along with the ornament for his breast, shone like fire, well-fed with oblations. With a large, black and shining string worn around his loins, he was looking like Mount Mandara encircled by a serpent at the time of churning for amrit.

        Well secured with a golden armour and  carrying a great load of weapons, Kumbhakarna shone as a king of Mountains, enveloped by clouds at sunset. Adorned with ornaments to all his limbs and with a spike in his hand, that rakshash shone like Narayana, the all-embracing Lord, enthusiastic to take the three long strides,which were meant to cover the entire universe.

            Embracing his brother and offering him due respects, Kumbhakarna sought the permission (formal) of his brother. Ravana sent off the mighty Kumbhakarna, who then sallied forth with a great sound of drums and musical instruments  and with laudable benedictions.

        With loud sounds of conches and kettle-drums, with an army wielding excellent weapons and mounting on elephants and horses and chariots carrying mighty charioteers accompanied him who was the foremost among the charioteers. Those rakshashas followed that terrific and mighty Kumbhakarna, mounting on serpents, camels, donkeys, lions, elephants, wild beasts and birds.

           Kumbhakarna, whom devas and danavas tremble to see him as an antagonist , wielding a sharp spike in his hand, sallied forth with tremendous confidence. Many rakshashas, possessing a great energy and great strength, with terrific forms and fearful eyes, also wielding fearsome weapons in their hands, accompanied him as foot-soldiers.

         The rakshashas following him were of large colossal bodies resembling a mass of collyrium in hue,  with their eyes red hot, lifting up spikes, swords, sharp axes, javelins, iron rods, maces, mallets, enormous trunks of palmyrah trees to be hurled at the enemies.

         On the way Kumbhakarna assumed a body of a formidable and terrific form, with a breadth of a hundred bows and six hundred bows in height, with his eyes resembling the wheels of a cart, looking like a huge mountain and terrible to look at.

        Kumbhakarna with that colossal body having a proportionately huge mouth, looking like a scorched hill, boasted to the chaps around him "I'm  gonna burn up those troops of the foremost of monkeys in lots today, as a flash of fire would burn up the moths. The monkeys who are in the habit of roaming around in the woods, have not offended me of their own accord. That race of monkeys would be a good embellishment for the urban gardens in a city like ours. Rama, together with Lakshmana, is the root-cause for the attack on our city. If he is killed, all will be destroyed. Therefore, I'm  gonna kill that Rama in battle."

            Hearing that declaration of Kumbhakarna all the rakshashas who heard that applauded with a very terrific noise. However, Kumbhakarna was accosted with omens of terrific patterns appeared on all sides.

            Clouds, ashy in colour like asses, combined with meteors and strokes of lightning appeared. Even the earth trembled, together with its oceans and forests. Jackals of terrific form howled with morsels looking like flames in their mouths and birds twirled in circles from right to left. A vulture descended on the spike of Kumbhakarna, as he was sallying forth along the road. His left eye twitched and his left arm throbbed.

         Then, a blazing meteor fell down with a dreadful noise. Even the sun became lusterless and the wind was not blowing comfortably. Disregarding those great portents which were causing the hair (wherever he had on his body) to stand erect, Kumbhakarna marched on, driven by the power of fate.

          Kumbhakarna, looking like a mountain, traversing the rampart with his feet alone, saw a wonderful army of monkeys, looking similar to a thick coverage of clouds. Seeing that Kumbhakarna, the excellent among rakshashas, looking like a mountain, the vanaras ran away to all directions, as clouds are driven away by the wind.

           Kumbhakarna highly rejoiced seeing that highly fierce army of monkeys running away to different quarters in fright. In a very happy mood Kumbhakarna started roaring sounding like thunder. Hearing his terrific roar, similar to the rumbling of a cloud in the sky, many of the vanaras fell down on the ground, like Sal trees cut-up by the roots. Wielding a large iron rod, that gigantic Kumbhakarna looked like Yama to the frightened vanaras.

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