The Story of Kabandha (Sarga 69-73)

Kabandha is a demon, as the story says, and we read his description across four or five chapters. A week has passed since we studied it, so let me give a very brief recap.

The story says that when Rama and Lakshmana were searching for Sita in the Dandakaranya forest, their eyes suddenly fell on a gigantic demon. He had neither a head nor a neck—only a trunk. That’s why he was called Kabandha, meaning “just a torso.” He would stretch out his one-yojana-long arms to seize wild animals and birds; those he didn’t want, he would push away. With those long arms, Kabandha also caught hold of Rama and Lakshmana, throwing the two brothers into great distress. But very quickly they cut off both his arms with their swords. After losing his arms, Kabandha grew humble and asked them who they were. Lakshmana then narrated the whole story of Rama’s coming to the forest, and they asked Kabandha to tell his own story.

Kabandha said that once his form had been very beautiful, renowned across the three worlds. But because of certain actions of his, that beautiful form turned into a grotesque one. What were those causes?

He gave three reasons, which we’ll discuss. First, there was a sage named Sthulashira. Kabandha used to assume a demonic form and frighten him. The sage became angry and cursed him: “May you remain in this despicable, ugly form.”

Second, Kabandha said that once he attacked Lord Indra in a demonic form. Indra, enraged, struck him with his thunderbolt. The blow shattered his thighs, smashed his head, made his arms very long, and placed his mouth and a single eye in his belly—so he could still eat. Indra also said, “When Rama along with Lakshmana cuts off your two arms, you will ascend to heaven.”

So Kabandha pleaded with Rama and Lakshmana: “I beg you, burn my body. If you cremate me, I’ll be endowed with divine knowledge and will help you.” As he asked, they dug a pit, placed Kabandha in it, and burned his body. When his body was consumed, Kabandha appeared in a beautiful form, mounting a splendid chariot drawn by swans. He said to Rama, “Now I can help you. Make friends with Sugriva, who lives on Rishyamukha Mountain. Sugriva will surely help you find Sita.” Saying this, the demon Kabandha—his body burned away—took on a divine form and departed for the supreme abode. In one place it’s also said that Kabandha is the son of Dhanu—Dhanu being the mother’s name. The story isn’t very long, but what does it really mean? What are they trying to tell us?

Let’s understand every word of the story and, based on that, try to grasp the whole. As we always do, let’s first look at the word “Kabandha” itself. The Puranas are symbolic by nature; they hide the meaning inside the very words. These are Sanskrit words, and the reality to which this “demon” points is tucked inside the term itself. If we understand the word, the whole story will open up.

“Kabandha” is made of two parts: “ka” and “bandha.” “Ka” has many meanings. If you open a dictionary, “ka” can mean Brahma, Vishnu, Agni, Vayu, “mind,” and even “king.” Here, “ka” is taken to mean “mind.” “Bandha” means “to bind” or “bondage.” So, in very simple terms, “bandha” is bondage, and “ka” is mind. “Kabandha” therefore means: that element which binds the mind—whatever it is that puts the mind in bondage.

Now we have to ask: What is it that binds the mind? From a very basic perspective, it’s the mind’s own negative aspect—negative thoughts, negative feelings, negative outlook. When a person’s mind turns negative, that negative mind is what the story calls Kabandha. It binds the mind’s positive side. So we interpret “Kabandha” as the mind’s negativity, because it shackles the mind’s positivity. But is that interpretation correct?

The story gives us a line to check our interpretation: it says Kabandha is the son of Dhanu. A “danava,” a demon. Let’s understand “Dhanu”: in proper Sanskrit, the word is “Danu,” which means “giving”—“daan,” donation.

Who are Aditi, Diti, and Danu that we often hear about in the Puranas? The Puranas say that Sage Kashyapa had thirteen wives: Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kala, Arishta, Surasa, Surabhi, Vinata, Tamra, Krodhavasa, Iravati… and so on—these names appear in the texts. Kashyapa represents the individual soul (jivatma), and these thirteen “wives” are thirteen powers of that soul—or of the mind. We’ve discussed Aditi often: Aditi means unbroken consciousness—the state where we live as a combination of body and consciousness. From this “Aditi-consciousness,” the gods are “born.” In contrast is “Diti,” which denotes broken consciousness: identifying only with the body and forgetting the soul. From this “Diti-consciousness,” demons—our inner vices—arise.

Now we must understand “Danu,” the one whose “son” is Kabandha. “Danu” means donation—specifically, the wasteful expenditure of consciousness. What does that mean? When we sit around gossiping, spinning useless thoughts, indulging in criticism—pouring our awareness into things of no use—that squandering of consciousness is what the Puranas call “Danu.” One of the powers of the jivatma is that it can waste its awareness.

This waste has three typical forms: pointless chatter, negative thoughts, and slander. So when our consciousness keeps generating useless, unhelpful, or negative thoughts, Kabandha is “born.” That’s why the story says Kabandha’s mother is Danu: from the waste of awareness arises Kabandha. Therefore, Kabandha is not just negativity; it’s also the creation of vain, unproductive thoughts.

Now back to the story. Kabandha appears when Rama and Lakshmana are roaming the Dandakaranya, searching for Sita. What does that mean?

It doesn’t mean that Rama and Lakshmana themselves have negative or useless thoughts in their conscious mind. “Roaming in the Dandakaranya” signifies this: impressions we ourselves have created lie buried in the subconscious. From there they surface and trouble the conscious mind. Kabandha meeting Rama and Lakshmana means that the negative or wasteful energy stored in our subconscious is coming out, and they see it.

“Seeing” here means: when a self-aware person—one who recognizes, “I am the conscious self, not the body”—looks within, he examines the subconscious to see what lies there. He notices the sanskaras from former lives—negative energies once created by himself—rising up to disturb him.

Earlier we read about Surpanakha emerging; she too symbolized a force rising from the subconscious—a defect surfacing. Later, Khara and Dushana appeared—again, inner vices coming to the surface. Now Kabandha arises—another negative force.

So, Kabandha is a negative thought-force emerging from the subconscious. He seizes Rama and Lakshmana with his long arms—meaning negativity also attacks the noble mind. We’ll come back to that.

First, note that our negative energies attack us in three situations. Kabandha’s own telling includes three episodes: with Sage Sthulashira, with Indra, and with Rama-Lakshmana. These indicate three levels at which negativity attacks: (1) the ordinary person, (2) the pure-minded person, and (3) the self-realized person.

1. Attack on the ordinary person (Sthulashira).
   “Sthula-shira” literally means “thick-headed”—coarse thinking. An ordinary person’s thinking is not subtle. The story says Sthulashira didn’t destroy Kabandha; he cursed him to live long. This means: when negativity attacks an ordinary person, it stays a long time. Why? Because he doesn’t have the strength or skill to destroy it. His thoughts, feelings, and outlook remain negative and unproductive; he can’t quickly expel them. So in symbolic terms, the curse “live long” means negativity lingers within the ordinary person for a long time.
   
   

2. Attack on the pure mind (Indra).
   Indra here doesn’t mean a deity somewhere; it stands for a purified mind. Even we think, “Once the mind is pure, negativity won’t attack,” but the story says it does. The difference is in the response. Indra strikes with the thunderbolt—meaning, by the power of firm resolve and strong sanskaras, the pure mind cripples negativity: it smashes the head and thighs—leaving only the torso. In other words, the pure mind renders the negative tendency weak and helpless.
   
   

But the story adds that Indra made Kabandha’s arms even longer. What does that imply? Even a pure-minded person, when faced with a severe life situation, may still be gripped by two residual negative thoughts: “I can’t do it” and “It’s not possible for me.” He doesn’t fully destroy these two; he leaves the “arms” intact—and even “lengthens” them. So although the negativity is largely neutralized, those two disabling beliefs can still reach out and grab him in crises.

1. Attack on the self-realized (Rama-Lakshmana).
   “Rama” symbolizes one who abides in the true Self and has become the conscious maker of his thoughts. “Lakshmana” symbolizes the power that recognizes: “I am the soul-force; I create my own thoughts. No one else enters my mind to create them. Circumstances are not to blame; if a wrong thought arose, it is my responsibility.” A self-knowing person does not blame others; he takes full ownership.
   
   

The benefit is this: established in the Self, he cuts off negativity’s two long arms—“I can’t” and “It’s not possible for me.” No matter how tough the situation, he faces it and finds a solution. He never harbors those two thoughts. That’s the third response.

So, the same negativity attacks all three: the ordinary, the pure-minded, and the self-realized. But their responses differ: the ordinary lets it linger; the pure mind cripples it but leaves two doubts; the self-realized destroys even those.

Next, Kabandha asks to be burned in a pit. Rama and Lakshmana dig a pit and cremate him. This symbolizes that a person established in Self-knowledge, who has become the author and governor of his thoughts, burns the negativity completely—even when it has surfaced from the subconscious as an old sanskara. Only in Self-knowledge can it be utterly reduced to ashes.

When negativity is burnt away, the mind’s positive nature, which had been covered, reveals itself. Positivity and negativity both exist in us; negativity is an outer sheath over the positive. The “burning of Kabandha’s body” does not mean literally setting a physical body on fire; it means ending the negative tendency entirely. Kabandha then appears in a beautiful form—that is, the mind’s positivity manifests. Only then do we move toward knowledge and solutions. With negativity present, we don’t move toward solutions; once it’s gone, positivity leads us forward.

That is why Kabandha says, “Go ahead; you will meet Sugriva, who will help you find Sita.” The hint is: now that the mind is positive, knowledge will lead you on. The lost purity—Sita—carried off by the ego in the form of Ravana, can be recovered. “Sugriva” isn’t some king on a mountain; it symbolizes knowledge itself: “su” means excellent, “griva/gri” here signifies knowledge—excellent knowledge. As we move toward higher knowledge, our purity—Sita—stolen by our own ego, will be rescued.

Thus the Kabandha episode concludes. “Kabandha” means our negative tendency. It attacks everyone. The ordinary person cannot end it, so it lasts long. The pure-minded person cripples it but leaves two thoughts—“I can’t,” “Not possible for me.” The self-realized person burns it completely. Then the path of knowledge opens on its own; such a person doesn’t weep over problems or look outside for direction. Great ones are said to be self-directed because they are positive; a positive mind naturally advances toward knowledge and finds solutions by itself.

That is today’s Kabandha episode.