[He went to his cart-shed] surreptitiously [because of the following reasons]: If he had openly gone [to kidnap Sītā-devī], his elders as well as Mandodarī and others would have prevented him. It was embarrassing to resort to the path of kidnapping [Sītā] instead of [facing Rāma] with manly strength. He had dismissed his assistants in that assembly and contemplated on his plan of action in solitude, without discussing [his plan] with them. Therefore, Kumbhakarṇa and others will [rhetorically ask] what kind of defense is [a war with Rāmacandra] for one who has not consulted his assistants.

NOTE. In Chapter 63 of Canto 6 (Yuddha-kāṇḍa), we will come across Kumbhakarṇa taking Rāvaṇa to task for kidnapping Sītā- devī without discussing the pros and cons of this approach with his assistants.