Kumbhakarna beheld the false image so craftily drawn by the demon king, and though he resolved to stand by his brother Ravana, his awakened conscience stirred within, and truth, like a flame in the dark, compelled his speech. With a thunderous laugh, he exclaimed: “What we once discussed in calm foresight now takes form in dread reality. You, O Ravana, scorned wise counsel and turned away from noble guidance.
The balance of Lanka’s fate now hangs by a slender thread. The sinner runs to hell with open arms, and you have reaped the bitter fruit of unrighteousness. O valiant king, we never paused to reflect on the acts you now pursue, nor did we weigh the dire consequences born of strength intoxicated with pride.
In the shadows of night, you move, blind to the order of deeds, not knowing what must come before or after, and thus the meaning of action is lost. When time and place are unknown, and the fruits of labor are not foreseen, all efforts perish, even as a sacred offering profaned by unworthy hands. A king must deliberate with his ministers, undertake his task with threefold wisdom, and fulfill it by fivefold means.
When fortune smiles and the enemy wanes, that is the hour to strike. When forces stand equal, let the path of negotiation prevail. When defeat looms, the way of truce is wisdom’s voice. Thus, the task must rise on strength, resources, timely place, method to avert harm, and power to gain result—these five eternal ways.
A righteous king moves not alone but in counsel, abiding by dharma’s code. O lord of demons, a wise ruler weaves his path by the triple thread—virtue, wealth, and desire—fulfilled with order and care.
Whether he wins all or one by one, let him marshal his might with discretion. But if the king or council fails to grasp the weight of these, the throne itself slips from grasp. The king must speak fully with his wise on the subtle plays of Sama, Dana, and Bheda—the arts of peace, gift, and division—choosing the hour when strength may shine, considering earthly and divine signs alike.
He who rules by virtue, firm in righteous code, shall not stumble but win enduring fame. Let the king trust his ministers, and know the soul of his deeds, if he seeks the desired fruit. Those with beastly minds, seated in high places, whisper ruinous counsel with gilded words and empty praise.
He who desires virtue, wealth, and glory must shun such flatterers, for they cloak the path to ruin. Some, under guise of friendship, feast on enemy gold and turn heart against the throne. Let the king discern between the mask of loyalty and the eyes of betrayal, for hasty trust serves the foe. Birds that enter narrow clefts meet death in stillness, unable to go forward or flee. Complacency before the enemy shuts the door to salvation.
Take then, O king, the words of Vibhishana, fitting now as they were before. Yet your choice remains. But Ravana, unshaken and irate, curled his brow in disdain and said, “You speak to me as a preceptor! Why waste your breath on counsel born of fear? Do what suits my ambition. What is past, let it be past. If you value my word, then heal the sorrow I wrought.
A true friend stands in peril’s hour; true kin lift the fallen. If you are both, then act. Kumbhakarna, though he knew the cause to be wrong and the king’s wrath unquenched, subdued his fury and offered his service, for the king’s word ruled and the bond of blood must be fulfilled. Softly he spoke: O king, terror of the worlds and dread of heaven, give ear. Cast away rage and sorrow. I swear, I shall destroy your grief. As long as I live, let not sorrow dwell in you. As a brother and well-wisher, I have given honest advice, guided by love and reverence for your might and wisdom.
In all things, I stand as a true ally should. Now, behold—I go to battle. Watch me, O king, when I slay Rama and Lakshmana, and the simians flee like smoke before the wind. I shall bring you Rama’s head, and in his fall, Sita shall find despair. The demons shall rejoice, and the tears of Lanka shall be dried. Today shall be the end of Rama, Lakshmana, and the host of vanaras. Sugreeva, that monkey-king of false sun-like sheen, shall fall, and the host of his mighty kin shall lie dead.
Why should grief hold you, when I rise to revive the spirit of the danavas? Know this—unless Rama ends me, he shall not pass you by. You need no other champion. I shall destroy your foe, even should Indra, Agni, and Vayu ally with Rama. My form is mountain-born, my fangs keen, my voice thunder. My roar shall break the hearts of monkeys. Even without weapon, I shall lay waste to the host. My fists alone shall hurl them to dust. I shall devour them as fire consumes dry reeds.
If Rama withstands my hands, my arrows shall finish what my fists begin. Set aside sorrow. I go to crush your enemies. The insult by Rama shall end in his death. Sugreeva, Lakshmana, all shall perish beneath my wrath. The one who scorched Lanka—Hanuman—he shall meet a fate so dire it shall echo vengeance. This is your battle, and its glory shall be yours. Let the monkeys tremble, for they shall not see another dawn.
Even if fear grips you of Indra, Yama, or Brahma, I shall free you, as Surya drives off the night. Let the gods lie low, I shall silence death, consume fire, darken the sun, and burn the stars. I shall drink oceans, reduce mountains, and crack the earth. Let the cosmos behold this sleeper turned titan. Rama and Lakshmana shall fall, and your agony shall end. The vanaras, famed in name, I shall eat alive. Feast, O king, take pleasure in palace and beauty, for I go to send Rama to Yama’s Hall, and leave Sita with hopeless tears. So spoke Kumbhakarna, whose soul was torn, offering wisdom, yet bound in service. His pride, once chaste in penance, now clad in fury and warlike boast, cast off dignity and moderation.
His tongue poured wrath, forgetting the decorum due to a worthy foe. He, son of Visravas, once noble, now stormed like a beast, exalting Ravana’s path of error. Thus, the demon’s folly deepened, and the root of destruction grew. And so did the gods prepare, for the lord of death was invited—Rama, incarnation of balance, now walked the earth to restore dharma’s measure and end the havoc of danava pride.
