Kumbhakabna's Boast.

CANTO LXIII.: KUMBHAKABNA'S BOAST.

Then Kumbhakarna laughed aloud
And cried; 'O Monarch, once so proud,

We warned thee, but thou wouldst not hear
And now the fruits of sin appear.
We warned thee, I, thy nobles, all
Who loved thee, in thy council hall.
Those sovereigns who with blinded eyes
Neglect the foe their hearts despise,
Soon, falling from the their high estate
Bring on themselves the stroke of fate.
Accept at length, thy life to save,
The counsel sage Vibhíshan gave,
The prudent counsel spurned before,
And Sita to her lord restore.'  ¹
The monarch frowned, by passion moved
And thus in angry words reproved:
' Wilt thou thine elder brother school,
Forgetful of the ancient rule
That bids thee treat him as the sage
Who guides thee with the lore of age?
Think on the dangers of the day,
Nor idly throw thy words away:
If, led astray, by passion stirred,
I in the pride of power have erred;
If deeds of old were done amiss.
No time for vain reproach is this.
Up, brother; let thy loving care
The errors of thy king repair.'
   To calm his wrath, his soul to ease,
The younger spake in words like these:
' Yea, from our bosoms let us cast
All idle sorrow for the past.
Let grief and anger be repressed:
Again be firm and self-possessed.
This day, O Monarch, shalt thou see
The Vánar legions turn and flee,
And Ráma and his brother slain
With their hearts' blood shall dye the plain
Yea, if the God who rules the dead,
And Varun their battalions led;
If Indra with the Storm-Gods came
Against me, and the Lord of Flame,
Still would I fight with all and slay
Thy banded foes, my King, to-day.
If Raghu's son this day withstand
The blow of mine uplifted hand.
Deep in his breast my darts shall sink,
And torrents of his life-blood drink.
O fear not, in my promise trust;
This arm shall lay him in the dust,
Shall leave the fierce Sugríva dyed
With gore, and Lakshman by his side,
And strike the great Hanúmán down.
The spoiler of our glorious town.'  ²

p. 476

Footnotes

475:1 I omit a tedious sermon on the danger of rashness and the advantages of prudence, sufficient to irritate a less passionate hearer than Rávan.

475:2 The Bengal recension assigns a very different speech to Kumbhakarna and makes him say that Nárad the messenger of the Gods had formerly told him that p. 473 Vishn'u himself incarnate as Das'aratha's son should come to destroy Rávan.