Kumbhakarna
/ˌkʊm.bʱəˈkɑːr.nə/noun
A giant figure in the Ramayana, known as the brother of Ravana and famed for his enormous sleep.
Did you know?In the Ramayana tradition, Kumbhakarna became so massive in legend that his very name was read as a descriptive epithet, not a magical title—proof that epic names often began as blunt, almost comically physical labels.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
kumbhakarṇa
“literally “pot-ear” or “one with pot-like ears,” an epic name/epithet”
Classical Sanskrit epic tradition
Sanskrit
Kumbhakarṇa
“the giant brother of Ravana in the Ramayana”
Medieval and modern Indo-Aryan usage
Indo-Aryan
Kumbhakarna
“the epic giant as a literary and cultural figure”
Modern English
English
Kumbhakarna
“the name of the Ramayana giant, often used as a symbol of deep sleep”