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Book Vi. Canto Lxi. The V'anars' Alarm

Canto Lxi.: The Vnars' Alarm.


The son of Raghu near the wall

Saw, proudly towering over all,

The mighty giant stride along

Attended by the warrior throng;

Heard Kumbhakarna's heavy feet

Awake the echoes of the street;

And, with the lust of battle fired,

Turned to and inquired:

'Vibhshan, tell that chieftain's name

Who rears so high his mountain frame;

With glittering helm and lion eyes,

Preeminent in might and size

Above the rest of giant birth,

He towers the standard of the earth;

And all the Vnars when they see

The mighty warrior turn and flee.'

'In him,' Vibhshan answered, 'know

Vis'ravas' son, the Immortals' foe,

Fierce Kumbhakaiiia, mightier far

Than Gods and fiends and giants are.

He conquered Yama in the fight,

And Indra trembling owned his might.

His arm the Gods and fiends subdued,

Gandharvas and the serpent brood.

The rest of his gigantic race

Are wonderous strong by God-given grace;

But nature at his birth to him

Gave matchless power and strength of limb.

Scarce was he born, fierce monster, when

He killed and ate a thousand men.

The trembling race of men, appalled,

On Indra for protection called;

And he, to save the suffering world,

His bolt at Kumbhakarna hurled.

So awful was the monster's yell

That fear on all the nations fell,

He, rushing on with furious roar,

A tusk from huge Airvat tore,

And dealt the God so dire a blow

That Indra reeling left his foe,

And with the Gods and mortals fled

To Brahm's throne dispirited.

'O Brahm,' thus the suppliants cried,

'Some refuge for this woe provide.

If thus his maw the giant sate

Soon will the world be desolate.'

The Self-existent calmed their woe,

And spake in anger to their foe:

'As thou wast born, Paulastya's son,

That worlds might weep by thee undone,

Thou like the dead henceforth shalt be:

Such is the curse I lay on thee.'

Senseless he lay, nor spoke nor stirred;

Such was the power of Brahm's word.

But Rvan, troubled for his sake,

Thus to the Self-existent spake:

'Who lops the tree his care has reared

When golden fruit has first appeared?

Not thus, O Brahm, deal with one

Descended from thine own dear son. 1

Still thou, O Lord, thy word must keep

He may not die, but let him sleep.

Yet fix a time for him to break

The chains of slumber and awake.'

He ceased: and Brahm made reply;

'Six months in slumber shall he lie

And then arising for a day

Shall cast the numbing bonds away.'

Now Rvan in his doubt and dread

Has roused the monster from his bed,

Who comes in this the hour of need

On slaughtered Vnars flesh to feed.

Each Vnar, when his awe-struck eyes

Behold the monstrous chieftain, flies.

With hopeful words their minds deceive,

And let our trembling hosts believe

They see no giant, but, displayed,

A lifeless engine deftly made.'

Then Rma called to Nila: 'Haste,

Let troops near every gate be placed,

And, armed with fragments of the rock

And trees, each lane and alley block.'

p. 475

Thus Rama spoke: the chief obeyed,

And swift the Vnars stood arrayed,

As when the black clouds their battle form,

The summit of a hill to storm

Footnotes

474:1
Pulastya was the son of Brahm and father of Vis'ravas or Paulustya the father of Rvan and Kumbhakaina.
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