Which brother of Ravana slept for six months at a time?

Kumbhakarna was the brother of Ravana who slept for six months at a time in the Ramayana.

Kumbhakarna was a gigantic and formidable rakshasa, born to the sage Vishrava and Kaikasi. His brothers included Ravana and Vibhishana, while Shurpanakha was his sister. Though he possessed enormous strength and appetite, his defining feature was the supernatural sleep imposed on him.

In widely told versions, Kumbhakarna’s intended boon was distorted through divine intervention, causing him to ask for sleep rather than the power he meant to request. Brahma granted the condition, and Ravana later secured a modification: Kumbhakarna would awaken for only part of the year before returning to sleep.

The six-month detail is often simplified in modern retellings. Different Ramayana traditions vary in how they explain the curse, boon, and exact sleep cycle. When awakened during the war in Lanka, Kumbhakarna fought Rama’s forces despite recognizing the danger of Ravana’s actions.