Kabandha’s Redemption

After travelling two leagues (about 11 kilometres), Sri Ram and Lakshman leave the Krauncha forest behind. As they continue further, Lakshman senses certain omens that alert his instincts to imminent danger. The forest thunders with a roaring sound, breaking the princes’ dreary solitude, causing them to draw their swords in anticipation of what is to come.They are confronted by a weird-looking demon named Kabandha, who is as big as a mountain. The demon is shaped like a tree trunk, with no head or neck, and with a fiery red eye on its chest. The abstract-looking demon has a large, grotesque mouth in its stomach, with arms that extend eight miles long. Sri Ram and Lakshman look on as he devours bears, lions and many other beasts with discernible ease.On noticing the princes, the demon reaches out with his long arms and seizes them tightly in his grasp. Lakshman struggles, but is unable to wriggle free from the demon’s grip. Nearly giving up, he turns to Sri Ram, who is calm and composed. Sri Ram assesses the demon’s weakness and tells Lakshman to aim his arrows at his arms. Timing their arrows perfectly, they aim at the joints of Kabandha’s arms and bring him crashing to the ground. As Kabandha lies defeated, blood gushes in a stream from his dismembered body.After learning of Sri Ram and Lakshman’s identity, Kabandha is humbled and admits that his hideous form and actions are a result of curses from the sage Sthulashir and Indra. He declares that Lord Ram is the only one who can break the curse and that he must be cremated. After cremation, he will return to his original form and be able to aid the lord in his quest to find Sita.Upon completion of the cremation, Kabandha soars out of the fire and regains his magnificent and dazzling form. He is delightfully clad and once again aware of his super sensory intelligence. Thanking the eternally generous princes, he directs them towards the location of the chief of monkeys and son of Lord Surya, Sugreev. He directs Sri Ram to a cave where Sugreev can be found and guarantees that with his vast knowledge, he will be able to assist in their search for Sita..Ram, who severed the hands of the demon Kabandha

Kabandha’s Redemption

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