38 NAMASKAR
MYTHOLOGY KUMBHAKARNA What you can learn from a big bully BY TIA SINHA One of the greatest bullies in Hindu mythology was the asura (demi-god) Kumbhakarna. A giant often compared to a mountain, he was the brother of the tenheaded Lord of Lanka, Ravana, in the epic, Ramayana. Kumbhakarna resorted to more and more cruelty day after day, delighting in and revelling in his wicked ways. Not satisfied by the enormity of their evil deeds, Ravana and Kumbhakarna (along with their brother, Vibheeshan, who was an oddball of a demi-god, being rather sage-like) resorted to severe penance atop high mountains in order to win the favour of Brahma (the creator god) and acquire even more power. Brahma’s favour was won. He granted Ravana’s wish to become the lord of the three worlds. When Indra, the Lord of the Gods learnt of this boon, he had every him if he slept night and day, twenty four seven for the rest of his life. Brahma relented and granted Kumbhakarna a reprieve. For one whole day, every six months, Kumbhakarna would wake up. But if he was woken up before the six months were up, Kumbhakarna’s life would be in danger. Having been granted his boon and his reprieve, Kumbhakarna promptly fell asleep and had to be lifted and carried home horizontal by his two brothers. Ravana was unfazed by Kumbhakarna’s plight, who slept with all his might, convinced that on the day that he woke up, the poor giant would make up for lost time, wreaking more havoc than others who were no match for him in strength or size, could wreak in a hundred years. While Kumbhakarna slept his deep, devilish sleep, Ravana indulged in his own demonic deeds. He abducted the exiled prince of Ayodhya, Rama’s wife, Sita from their hermitage in a forest and in his flying chariot, brought her across high seas to his kingdom, Lanka. While a heartbroken and resolute Sita resisted Ravana’s charms and threats, his dark ruses and stratagems to make her his wife, Rama, with the help of Sugreeva, the king of Vanaras (a part-monkey, part-human species) and the loyal, utterly devoted and immensely powerful minister, Hanuman, amassed a powerful army of Vanaras and bears and marching them over to Lanka on a bridge of rocks that was not rocky but steady, parked them outside Ravana’s fortified city. One giant bully, Kumbhakarna The name Kumbhakarna derives from two Sanskrit words. ‘Kumbha’ means ‘pot’ and ‘Karna’ means ‘ear’. So, Kumbhakarna means one with pot-shaped ears. Not only was Kumbhakarna gargantuan and strong, he was a villain of the first order. Scaring and torturing those unfortunate enough to be physically weaker than him (this number being the rule rather than the exception), was imminently pleasurable to Kumbhakarna. Even gods, ascetics and sages found little respite from Kumbhakarna’s shenanigans. Goaded and lauded by Ravana, reason to shake with fear on his royal, bejewelled throne. Indra appealed to Goddess Saraswati to influence Kumbhakarna’s speech when it was his turn to ask Brahma for a boon. And so she did. When Brahma asked Kumbhakarna his heart’s desire, he replied, much to Ravana’s consternation, “Lord! Grant that I sleep all the time.” And Brahma replied, “So be it. Night and day, twenty four seven, you shall sleep for the rest of your life.” An aghast Ravana appealed to Brahma to revoke his boon on grounds of clemency as Kumbhakarna’s enemies were likely to slay One after the other, Ravana’s trusted followers, each demon more devious and wicked than the previous, fell in the battle with Rama and his allies. When even the Lord of Lanka was sent scurrying off to his city in his chariot minus his ten crowns that were toppled by a crescent-shaped arrow shot by Rama, Ravana remembered Kumbhakarna. A veritable army of demi-gods was sent off to awaken the sleeping giant before his six months of hibernation were up. But neither drum nor trumpet, neither cold sandalwood paste on tummy nor blaring conch at ear, neither heavy logs of stout trees nor giant rocks flung on the snoring giant’s mammoth body, neither rampaging elephants marching over his supine form nor spears jabbing at his flesh could disturb the slumber of the mighty slumberer. When all such ruses had failed, only one worked - the aroma of mountainous amounts of food! Having eaten his fill, Kumbhakarna proceeded to march to the battlefield and carry out his brother’s command, only to be slain that very day by a special arrow shot by Rama. In his despair and haste, Ravana had forgotten the caveat to Brahma’s boon, that if the sleeping giant was woken up before his six months of slumber were up, his life would be in danger. <strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>2015</strong> 39