Difficulties and hardships test one’s patience and mettle. The courageous person stands up to them, faces them and wins over them. There is no person who does not undergo sorrows and failure, but what is important is to overcome them and turn them into success stories. The search of Shri Ram for Mata Sita denotes the same attribute.
Shri Ram gets separated from Mata Sita, the one who is dearer to him than his own life. Yet, he does not lose hope or conviction to search for her. Controlling his grief, he sets out in the arduous forests to search for her along with Lakhsman. They meet the dying Jatayu, who tells about Ravan abducting Mata Sita and directs them to go south. With Jatayu’s lead, both the brothers cross the Dandak forest and enter the Krauncha forest, which is the home of the horrific demon Kabandh.
Walking in the dense deep forests where no man dares to wander, the two princes move steadily, with only one aim in mind, to get Mata Sita back. Focus and determination towards the aim always helps turn the tide positive, and the same happens to Shri Ram and Lakshman in the form of Kabandh Rakshas.
In reality, Kabandh was a Gandharv named Vishwavasu or Danu. He performs great penance about Brahma Ji and obtains immortality. In his arrogance of the boon, he troubles the Rishis of Krauncha forest in a hideous form. Once, he attacks Rishi Sthulshira and the sage curses him to retain the hideous form forever. When asked for forgiveness, the sage mentions Shri Ram and Lakshman would come and liberate him from the curse. Later in an encounter with Devraj Indr, Indr pushes Danu’s head and legs into his body making him immovable. Danu pleads him for a way to eat food and Indr grants him long arms and a mouth in his waist, with which he could catch food and eat. Since then, Danu came to be called as Kabandh meaning headless body and long arms.
One day, Kabandh sees the two princes walking in the forest and grabs hold of them. Lakshman tightened with the grip which he unable to get rid of, shouts to Shri Ram to leave him to the demon and go further in search of Mata Sita. But Shri Ram gives courage to Lakshman and they both cut of his arms together. Kabandh roars in pain, but realises that the princes are none other than Shri Ram and Lakshman. As he is immortal, Kabandh requests them to put him in a pyre so that he could be liberated from his curse.
The brothers do the same and Danu emerges from the fire. Danu thanks them and advises them to go further south and make friendship with the Vanar King Sugriv residing on Rishyamuk Mountain, who would help him get back Mata Sita. He foretells Shri Ram that with the help of Sugriv and his army, he would kill Ravan and get back Mata Sita. Thus, Kabandh provides the valuable information which turns the situations favourable to Shri Ram.
In a broader sense, the problems of life are like the arms of Kabandh which try to get life into their grip. But, courage and faith help to cut off the problems with confidence and move ahead towards the goals. With confidence and courage as strength, when one moves forward just as how Shri Ram did, then the solution is bound to present itself, another beautiful lesson of Ramayan.