Past is past

Courtesy: Sri.KV.Anantanarayanan

 

अस्मिन्काले तु यद्युक्तं तदिदानीं विधीयतां।
गतं तु नानुशोचन्ति गतं तु गतमेव हि॥६३--२५॥
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणे युद्धकाण्डे
asminkāle tu yadyuktaṁ tadidānīṁ vidhīyatāṁ|
gataṁ tu nānuśocanti gataṁ tu gatameva hi ||63--25||
śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe yuddhakāṇḍe

asminkaale tu yadyuktaM tadidaaniiM vidhiiyataaM.
gataM tu naanushochanti gataM tu gatameva hi ..63--25..
shriimadvaalmiikiraamaayaNe yuddhakaaNDe

"What is appropriate at this point of time should be discussed. It is
futile to lament over what is past. Bygones are merely bygones."

This would appear to be the statement of a wise philosopher given as a sage
advice to his keen disciples. For a lifestyle manager this is very
appropriate too.

But the whole irony lies in this that these are words blurted out by
Ravana, on the face of grave adversity. He had bitten more than what he
could chew when he abducted Sita. The war for annihilation of Lanka and
Killing of Ravana is on. Most of the brave warriors have been slain. The
strongem who remained were only Kumbhakarna, Indrajit and Ravana himself
Kumbakarna is aroused from his long sleep. Though a Rakshasa and the
brother of Ravana, the huge Kumbakarna is not devoid of any sense of
propriety. He addresses his elder brother in the court and points out all
the damages that has been caused by the thoughtless action of Ravana. His
view is that the war should stop with a honourable settlement. Ravana would
hear nothing of it. He says that he had not called Kumbakarna to hear his
lectures on propriety. Whatever has happened has happened. Still Ravana
feels that he can vanquish Rama and his monkey forces. Kumbakarna should do
his duty and stop giving advise, according to the Rakshasa King.
True, unlike Vibhishana the soft younger brother who did not mind deserting
Ravana to the camp of Rama, Kumbakarna is more like Karna of Mahabharatha.
He is aware of his indebtedness to Ravana and in spite of having the good
sense that the arrow of Rama is going to kill him, Kumbakarna proceeds to
the battlefield and perishes.

But the ravings of Ravana here assumes different dimensions in the science
of management of life.
We should not look before and after and pine for what is not.

--
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.

  Every moment, thank God