Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 69: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa Meet Kabandha
Text 3.69.27
आसेदतुस्ततस्तत्र तावुभौ प्रमुखे स्थितम्।
विवृद्धमशिरोग्रीवं कबन्धमुदरेमुखम्॥
āsedatus tatas tatra tāv ubhau pramukhe sthitam
vivṛddham aśiro-grīvaṁ kabandham udare mukham
āsedatuḥ = approached; tataḥ = then; tatra = there; tau ubhau = both of Them; pramukhe = in front [of Them]; sthitam = who stood; vivṛddham = he was tall; aśiraḥ-grīvam = without a head or neck; kabandham = Kabandha; udare-mukham = and his face was in his belly.
Then both of Them approached Kabandha who stood in front [of Them] there. He was tall, without a head or neck, and his face was in his belly.
1 Kabandha literally means “a headless trunk.”
He lacked a head or neck, that is, his head or neck could not be seen. Therefore, he had the appropriate name Kabandha.1