6.066. Valiant angada rallies his scared mates

Hari Om.

Let us begin the sixtieth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.

To escape the wrath of kumbhakarNa for cutting his sleep short, the demons fed him well and drowned him in copious amounts of wine! He was in a sort of hang over as he walked to rAvaNa’s abode. Yet good sense didn’t desert him. He also remembered his earlier advice before going to sleep and that of kumbhakarNa and blasted his elder brother for his poor strategies. However, he had to give in to some emotional blackmailing in the hands of his elder brother and being only too proud of his prowess, he finally set out to the battlefield. In the meanwhile, rAma spotted him from far and got his details from vibhIshaNa. He recognized that demon was unique in his existence knew it would be a challenging task to face him for his army. He asked the vAnara chief nala to arrange the army strategically to take on the giant. The giant walked in. Onwards…

The mighty kumbhakarNa, resembling a huge mountain crossed over the tall compound wall of the city of lanka swiftly and roared loudly sending shock waves through the oceans and the mountains. The vAnaras sighted the giant who seemed invincible even in the hands of yama or varuNa and ran away. Seeing them flee thus, the valiant son of vAlI, angada said to nala, nIla, kumuda and gavAksha –

“Having forgotten that you are warriors and the valour of your mates, where are you running away in fear like ordinary vAnaras? O gentle vAnaras, return, why are you trying to save your lives? This giant cannot fight, he is propped up to create fear and panic. Let us tackle and negate him with our valour, o vAnaras”.

Having taken angada’s advice the vAnaras returned with trees and mountains in their hands and attacked kumbhakarNa with those like proud and angry elephants. They hurled those on the giant. As hundreds of huge mountains and the large trees fell on him, kumbhakarNa hardly moved and those projectiles fell off ineffectively on the ground. Outraged at their attack, kumbhakarNa attacked the vAnaras like a forest fire that raged. Several warriors fell down bleeding like trees with red flowers as they were pounded by him. As he did so, several vAnaras ran fled without even looking back. Some fell in the ocean, some flew in to the sky and some retraced the path across the ocean through which they came. Some of them lied in low areas in utter panic, some of the Rkshas (bears) climbed on the trees, some of them escaped to the mountains, some sank in the ocean, some took shelter in the caves. Some fell on the ground, some lied down like the dead. Looking at the fleeing vAnaras who were torn and terrified, angada roared –

“O vAnaras, stay where you are, return to the battlefield, let us fight. I do not see that you will be spared no matter where you go to on this earth. Return to your places, why are you trying to save your lives?

कुलेषु जाताः सर्वे स्म विस्तीर्णेषु महत्सु च ।

क्व गच्छथ भयत्रस्ता प्राकृता हरयो यथा ।

अनार्याः खलु यद्भीताः त्यक्त्वा वीर्यं प्रधावत ॥

All of you have irrepressible valour, have high births in great lineages and if you run away in fear like ordinary vAnaras giving up your arms, it is not only ignoble but your wives will sneer at you and that is worse than death. What happened to your tall proclamations that you made the other day in public? If you manage to live, you will be called cowards and fie will be upon you. Come, give up fear and live like honourable men. If we vanquish the enemy, we shall earn fame and if you lose our lives, the world of the warriors shall be ours.

न कुम्भकर्णः काकुत्स्थम् दृष्ट्वा जीवन् गमिष्यति ।

दीप्यमानमिवासाद्य पतङ्गो ज्वलनं यथा ॥

kumbhakarNa won’t go back alive once he sees kAkutstha (rAma), just like a fly can’t escape with life once it is drawn to fire. We might well save our lives by fleeing but so many of us having been defeated by one will ruin our reputation”.

As angada rebuked and recalled them thus passionately, the fleeing vAnaras still didn’t budge and continued to flee citing that their lives are dear to them as they sighted the terrifying stare of the giant kumbhakarNa. However, angada brought them all back, reasoning and pleading with them and all of them cheerfully assembled awaiting further orders for attack. The key warriors Rshabha, Sarabha, mainda, dhUmra, nIla, kumuda, sushENa, gavAksha, rambha, tAra, dvivida, panasa and hanumAn swiftly moved to the battle.