Kumbhakarna : The Sleeping Giant

Kumbhakarna

Introduction

The powerful rakshasa known as Kumbhakarna was the younger brother of Ravana in Ramayana, a Hindu epic. In Hindu mythology, he is regarded as a great warrior and virtuous character. It is believed that he killed thousands of vanaras during Rama’s efforts to save Sita.

According to Vibhishana, Kumbhakarna was born with immense strength and was able to subdue both Indra and Yama. At the bequest of Indra, Brahma cursed the rakshasa to “sleep like he is dead”. At the request of Ravana, Brahma agreed to commute the curse to allow the rakshasa to sleep for six months and wake up one day to wreak havoc.

Physical Traits

Kumbhakarna was described as being extremely gigantic in size and had a voracious appetite. In Ramayana, Kumbhakarna and his brothers Vibhishana and Ravana carried out a massive yajna to appease Brahma. When he asked for the boon, the goddess Saraswati tied his tongue. Instead of seeking the throne of Indra or Indrasana, Kumbhakarna asked to receive Nidrasana, which was a bed for sleeping.

It’s also believed that he asked for the Nidravatvam, which means sleep, instead of Nirdevatvam, which means end of the devas. The request was granted. However, Ravana also requested that the curse be broken as a boon. He would only sleep for 6 months, and after that, he would once again fall asleep once his appetite was back.

Family

According to the Bhagavata Ramayana, Kumbhakarna is the incarnation of the deity known as Vijaya and his brother Jaya, who were both imprisoned by the Four Kumaras while guarding Vishnu’s sacred realm and cursed with mortality. After appealing to Vishnu, the sentences of the two gatekeepers were reduced to three lives. While his sibling, Jaya, became Ravana, the latter eventually became Kumbhakarna.

The father of Kumbhakarna is Vishrava, and his other siblings are Vibhishana, Shurpanakha, and Ravana. He has two sons, namely Nikumbha and Kumbha, and a wife named Vajrajwala, who was the granddaughter of Bali and Virochana, who were killed in the battle with Rama.

Powers and Abilities

It is believed that no one in the entire Indralok could defeat Kumbhakarna. He was regarded as the most powerful deity in the universe, and Indra Dev was envious of how his indrasena could not conquer him. Kumbhakarna is depicted as a loyal and courageous individual who fought to protect his brother. He also had a grand appetite, and he would sleep for several months at a time.

Prior to the curse, it was known that Kumbhakarna consumed tons of food. Because of this, both Lord Brahma and Goddess Saraswati were worried that his massive appetite would consume the universe. Lord Indra was envious of him, and it is believed that a sage named Narad taught philosophy to Kumbhakarna because the warrior was never interested in violence.

Even though Kumbhakarna disagreed in principle about the war, he fought for his sibling instead of his own interests. During the war between Rama and Ravana, the latter was badly beaten and humiliated. He sought the help of his brother. When he learned about Ravana’s battle with Lord Ram, Kumbhakarna tried to convince his sibling about what he had done. He decided to go to war because he was loyal to his sibling. He destroyed Lord Ram’s army and defeated the Vanars along the way.

Ravana then knocked Sugriva unconscious and injured Hanuman, but he was eventually killed by Lord Ram. Upon learning about the death of Kumbhakarna, Ravana fainted and declared that he was already doomed. It is believed that Kumbhakarna said “Jai Shri Ram” before dying, and he managed to attain salvation.

Modern Day Influence

Despite all his positive attributes, Kumbhakarna has gone down in history as a demon or evil personality because of his decision to side with his brother Ravana even though he knew that Ravana was in the wrong. Today, Kumbhakarna is used as an example of gluttony and laziness even though it was not of his own doing.