King Dasharatha on his deathbed. Folio from an edition of the Ramayana (c. 1605). Link.
In "Kumbakharna," one of the minor characters of the Ramayana is given a more detailed story. Rather than simply being Ravana's brother and minion, Kumbakharna is given a personality of his own and his own motivations. Ravana is presented as being rather careless concerning his brother's "boon" (given to him by Brahma) and rather exploitative of Kumbakharna's enormous size. Kumbakharna is presented as slothful and glutinous, is contrast to Rama's fairness and honorability. In this way, the story provides a moral; that is, it negatively depicts the traits of the Rakshasas and positively protrays those of Rama. In addition, the divine beings are shown as often in conflict with one another, whether directly or indirectly. Brahma's boon to Kumbakharna is made foolish with the help of Saraswati, the goddess of speech.
In "Dasharatha," the king is presented as rash to some degree, but also, in time, fair and truthful. He admits his mistakes. Many of his actions have far-reaching consequences: among them, Rama's fourteen year exile. Dasharatha may be considered virtuous to a fault, due to the fact that his following Kaikeyi's demands led to Rama's exile and the kingdom's downturn. Dasharatha is "avenged" by the fact that, though Kaikeyi did exile Rama, her son was not the ultimate ruler of the kingdom. Instead, Rama eventually takes his rightful place on the throne. Dasharatha is one of the more complex characters. Rather than being purely good, he is shown as usually having the right intentions but, at times, causing hardship across the kingdom.
Bibliography
Chandrakant, Kamala. (2014). Dasharatha: The Story of Rama's Father (volume 570). Amar Chitra Katha.
Rao, Subba, and Das, Nandini. (2015). Kumbhakarna: The Sleeping Giant (volume 528). Amar Chitra Katha.
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