Kamba Ramayana 26, Vibhishana and Kumbhakarna contd.

Thanks to his love for Rama, Vibhishana finds a place in the vaishanava catalogue of saints and bhaktas. The auhtor opines,  Kumbhakarna due to his loyalty to his nation and to his king makes him more interesting and lovable of the two brothers. For, though he upbraids Ravana for his crime in carrying off Sita and retaining her in Lanka, he would not leave his side and betray his secrets to his enemy though he comes to know that the enemy is god himself in human form.

Kamban describes a meeting, not seen in VR, between the two brothers as Vibhishana tries to win Kumbhakarna over to Rama's side, bringing out beautifully the contrast between loyalty to a loosing cause and loyalty to dharma but which is coupled to disloyalty to ones king and brother.   

Kumbhakarna misunderstands the visit and thinks that his brother has planned to come back to the rakshasa fold and advises,  'Who will be there to offer sacrifice to our Manes? Go back to Raghava', as he is sure none of them would be alive after a war with Rama.

 Vibhishana corrects this impression and asks him to join Rama and offers,'The crown he has offered me, I'll place at thy feet, and serve thee as my king and lord, for thou art elder born.'...'The righteous care not whe'r it's father, mother or child, but cut themselves away, if they persist in mortal sin..

And urges him not to throw away his life and says, thou has not tasted the joys of sovereign power, but wasted thy youth and manhood in unbecoming sleep,....Perhaps though thinkest it a disgrace to owe thy crown to Ram. He is the god of gods himself, who's born as a man to 'stablish dharma.'

Kumbhakarna agrees with his brother but sends Vibhishana back, as he cannot see himself as a deserter. 'This day doth break for ever the tie that bound us from our childhood days.  He fights a brave war causing immense damage to the vanaras and is finally killed by Rama. Defeated he requests Rama to take care of his younger brother and pleads that his head is severed with so much power that it flies into the ocean and sinks. Rama complies with his request.

The war is described in detail, a verbal slug fest in addition to many heroic incidents. The author concludes,  'So ended the mighty Kumbhakarna. Instead of remaining very little more than  a sleepy and gluttonous giant as Valmiki has left him, the mighty rakshasa has become in the hands of Kambhan, a seer and a bhakta, a tender-hearted brother, and a stern pursuer of duty. He reminds us of Bhishma and Karna.