Meanwhile Sugriva also recovered from his swoon and slipped out of Kumbhakarna’s clutches who had taken him for dead (and consequently loosened his grip). Kumbhakarna discovered his escape only when Sugriva bit off the monster’s nose and ears and with a roar flew up into the air.

But he caught Sugriva by the foot and, having thus secured him, dashed hi to the ground. Sugriva, however, got up with the utmost agility and hit his adversary back. Then the valiant monkey betook himself to the presence of the Lord, crying ‘Victory, victory, victory to the Abode of all grace!

When Kumbhakarna realized that his nose and ears had been slashed, he turned back in an access of remorse and rage; and when the monkeys saw him, his already dreadful form looking more frightful now with no nose or ears, they were filled with panic.

Raising a shout of ‘Glory, glory, all glory to the jewel of the house of Raghu!’ the monkeys rushed forward and rained upon him all at once a hall of mountains and trees.

Maddened with the lust of battle, Kumbhakarna marched against the enemy like Doom himself furious with rage. Myriads of monkeys he seized one after another and devoured them like swarms of locusts entering a mountain cave.

Many more millions he caught and crushed against his body, and millions he levigated between his palms and mingled them with the dust of the earth. Multitudes of bears and monkeys escaped through his mouth and nostrils and cars, and fled.

Drunk with the frenzy of battle, Kumbhakarna stood in a challenging mood as though God had made over to him the whole universe and he would swallow it. All great champions darted off in flight and nothing could rally them again; they could neither see nor hear any call.