Ramayana of Valmiki and Kamban- 20The episoded of Ayomukhi and KabanDha

May 15, 2009

20. The episode of Ayomukhi and KabanDha

Rama and Lakshmana went westward in order to proceed to the southern direction and came to the Krouncha forest and saw a cave there and nearby that cave there was a demoness eating the wild beasts. When they went near, The demoness caught hold of Lakshmana and said that she was a rakshasi called Ayomukhi and she wanted to live with Lakshmana for the rest of her life. Lakshmana, quick to anger, took his sword and cut off her limbs and she ran away shouting with pain.

Then the brothers went deeper in to the forest. Lakshmana observed many ill omens and cautioned Rama to be careful. Then they saw a rakshasa with very big body who had no head or neck but had only big stomach with a mouth and an eye in his chest. He had arms 8 miles long spread wide and was grasping many animals in them. He was obstructing the way of Rama and Lakshmana. He was KabanDha, so called because he had only kabanDha, headless trunk. He caught them with his arms. Though Rama was not perturbed at all Lakshmana was agitated to see Rama getting into trouble and told Rama to leave him as a prey to the demon and escape. Rama reassured him and in the meanwhile KabanDha spoke to them in a voice like thunder.

He said that since the two of them had come to him they could not escape but will be eaten by him. He also asked them the purpose for which they had come to that forest. Seeing that there was no escape since he was grasping them tightly with his arms, Rama and Lakshman cut off his arms with their swords. KabanDha armless fell to the ground shouting and realized that they were great personages and asked them their identity whereupon Lakshmana told him the details about themselves and the reason why they were wandering in that forest. Lakshman asked Kabandha about his headless state as a kabanDha with mouth and eye in his stomach. KabanDha remembered the command of Indra and realized that the end of his curse was near and told them about himself.

KabanDha said that he had a handsome body and used to take a terrifying body and torment the rishis in the forest and was cursed by a rshi named sThoola Siras to have the terrible form permanently. Then he did penance towards Brahma who gave him long life and arrogant with the power he fought with Indra who struck him with his vajrayudha on his head and his head along with his legs went inside the trunk. He prayed to Indra to show him a means of getting food as he was blessed to have long life and Indra gave him an eye and the mouth in his stomach and also long arms to catch his food. Indra told him that when he would catch Rama and Lakshmana he would be freed from his curse. Hence KabanDha said that he used to catch every being that came within the region of his arms, not necessarily for eating them but in order not to miss Rama and Lakshmana.

KabanDha then told Rama and Lakshmana to dig a pit and burn his body when he would get back his original form and then he would have the power to tell them the way to search for Seetha. They did as he said and KabanDha told them about Sugreeva who would help them to find Seetha and also told Rama the way to got to Mathanga asRama where Sabari , the aged female disciple of Mathanga was waiting to get liberation by meeting Rama. Then Rama and Lakshmana started towards Rsysmooka parvatha where Sugreeva was, and to the Mathangasrama.

In kamba Ramayana KabanDha got back his previous form even with out his kabanDha body being burnt. Kamban says by the grace of the touch of Ramawhen his arms were cut off, he was freed from curse. The prayed of kabanDha in Kamban o is really beautiful wjhich we shall see next.