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Kumbhkarn was the younger brother of Raavan and the elder brother of Vibheeshan. (Read about his birth in Raavan - Raavan-1 and Raavan-2.

Once all three brothers went to do Tap, he also did Tap for 10,000 years by burning himself in Panchaagni in summer, standing in torrential rains in rainy season and sitting in cold chilly water in winter season. But when the time came to get Var from Brahmaa Jee, Devtaa requested Him to give him sleep because he was troubling Devtaa and Rishi Muni very much. So Brahmaa Jee looked at Saraswatee Jee and Saraswatee Jee immediately sat on his tongue and she spoke - "Let me sleep for years together." Brahmaa Jee immediately said - "So be it". And after giving this Var Brahmaa Jee left immediately. When Kumbhkarn woke up from his trance he repented what he had asked for Var? Then Raavan requested Brahmaa Jee to change it to 6 months sleep and one day to eat, which he did. Raavan married Kumbhkarn to Virochan's granddaughter, Bali's daughter Vajrajwaalaa.

One day Roopvatee, sent by Brahmaa as his sleep, came to him and he started feeling sleepy, so he said to his brother - "Brother, Get me a beautiful and comfortable house, I am feeling sleepy. So Raavan ordered his architects to build a beautiful and comfortable palace for him. They built a beautiful and most comfortable palace for Kumbhkarn - one Yojan wide and two Yojan long. And Kumbhkarn went to sleep in that palace.

When Raavan had war with Raam, he woke him up with a great difficulty. After he woke up, he also said to Raavan - "Why did you think of fighting with Raam who is the Swaamee of Tri-Lok? Why do you want to destroy the Raakshas community? Even now if you return His wife He will pardon you." Raavan scolded him - "I have not awaken you to hear all this sermon, I have awaken you to fight for me." Kumbhkarn understood that there was no use to say anything to him. So he got ready for war and fought very bravely.

As he arrived in battlefield, Vibheeshan greeted him and asked his forgiveness for leaving Raavan. Kumbhkarn blessed him that it was his good luck that he was in the service of Raam. He was killed by Raam and got Mukti (salvation) from his second life on this Earth. His first incarnation was of Hiranyaaksh and his third incarnation was as Dantvakra. In the first incarnation he was killed by Varaah Avataar, in the second one he was killed by Raam and in the third one he will be killed by Krishn. Read about this incident here in "Raam"

Kumbhkarn's Family
He had two sons - Kumbh and Nikumbh. Both fought in Raam Raavan war and were killed.

According to the Shiv Puraan, Kumbhkarn had another son called Bheem who fled to Daakinee - on the ranges of the Sahyaadri mountains with his mother Karkatee. Once Bheem asked his mother to tell him who was his father and why he had abandoned him here in that dense forest. His mother told him that he was the son of Kumbhkarn, the mighty brother of mighty Raavan. She also told him that his father was killed by Vishnu's Avataar Raam. Hearing this Bheem took an oath to destroy Vishnu and did a severe penance to please Brahmaa Jee. Brahmaa Jee got pleased and gave him immense powers.

Based on the boon granted by Brahmaa Jee he began a campaign of terror based on a boon provided by Brahmaa Jee. He defeated Indra and Vishnu and defeated a devotee of Shiv also Kaamroopeshwar also. He put Kaamroopeshwar in a dungeon and asked him to worship him not to Shiv. When he refused to do so he tried to kill him. As soon as he raised his swoed to kill him Shiv appeared and killed Bheem and manifested himself at that location in the form of the Bheemashankar Jyotirling - one of the 12 Jyotirling in existence.

V-Raamaayan, 7/5/12 says that Raavan married Kumbhkarn to Bali's daughter Vajrajwaalaa. But after reading Shiv Puraan, it seems that he had two wives - Vajrajwaalaa and Karkatee. Who was karkatee and when he was married to her, how she fled to Daa,kinee forest, is not found anywhere.

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