Encyclopedia for Epics of Ancient IndiaA - B - C - D - E - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - P - R - S - T - U - V - Y |
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KABANDHA. [Source: Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology]
A monstrous Rakshasa slain by Rama. He is said to have been a son of the goddess Sri. He is described as "covered with hair, vast as a mountain, without head or neck, having a mouth armed with immense teeth in the middle of his belly, arms a league long, and one enormous eye in his breast."
He was originally a Gandharva, and his hideous deformity arose, according to one account, from a quarrel with Indra, whom he challenged, and who struck him with thunderbolt, and drove his head and thighs into his body. According to another statement, his deformity arose from the curse of a sage.
When mortally wounded, he requested Rama to burn his body, and when that was done he came out of the fire in his real shape as a Gandharva, and counseled Rama as to the conduct of the war against Ravana. He was also called Danu.
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Modern Languages MLLL-4993. Indian Epics. Laura Gibbs, Ph.D. The textual material made available at this website is licensed under a Creative Commons License. You must give the original author credit. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one. No claims are made regarding the status of images used at this website; if you own the copyright privileges to any of these images and believe your copyright privileges have been violated, please contact the webmaster. Page last updated: October 16, 2007 12:22 PM |