________________
74
23
When Bibhiṣaṇa saw his brother falling on the earth and gasping, he was overcome by grief and remorse, he wanted to end his own life but Rāma grabbed the dagger which he was about to plunge in his own heart. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa then escorted lamenting Bibhiṣaṇa and Mandodari to Ravana. They consoled Bibhişana saying, "War is the dharma for a Kṣatriya. Your brother was a true Kṣatriya. He never avoided war. He fought like a true warrior and died like one. He embraced death on the battlefield.
Kumbhakarna becomes an ascetic
When two Ksatriyas fight, the victory of one and death of another is inevitable. The one who wins the battle, receives the adulation of mortal men, but the one who dies in the battlefield, receives the adulation and applause of the warriors. The dieties will remember and praise the valour of your brother. Now, let us perform his funerary rites and the rituals that will follow the funeral." He then released Kumbhakarna, Indrajit and the other warriors.
unconsolably,
Weeping Bibhiṣaṇa, Kumbhakarna and Indrajit applied Gosirsa sandalwood paste and camphor paste to the mortal remains of Rāvana. After elaborate rituals, Rāvana's body was consigned to the fire. More rituals followed the funeral. Rāma addressed Bibhiṣaṇa, Kumbhakarna, Indrajit and Meghavahana, "We fought this battle to free Sita. I do not desire money and power. I do not wish to annex Lanka to the empire of Bharata. I return you the land and everything that the victory has conferred upon me." Kumbhakarna and Mandodari replied, "War and death are the inseparable aspects of Ksatriyas life. Yet, the death of a near and dear person has shattered our souls. Life is ephemeral, death is inevitable, only salvation is eternal. We do not desire the power, pleasures and pomp. We want to be ascetics and strive for emancipation."
The hectic pace of modern times has made us so insensitive that although we encounter and dodge death in our daily life, we do not stop and give a thought to it. Everyday, we hear or read about the sad demise of some very well known, little known, or totally unknown persons, yet we do not realise that what has transpired with someone today, is bound to be our fate sometime in the future. Our scriptures say, "The body and its existence is ephemeral, the power and wealth are not the true friends of a soul. The death is nearing us every minute but we must not let these or P uncertanities dishearten us, and attempt to ac
quire dharma and virtue. The best way of acquiring virtue is to embrace the ascetic life."
Most of us consider life after death a mere hogwash. We believe that we are born only once, and must enjoy the life thoroughly. This is what the media preaches. Earthquakes, floods, accidents, bombs that bring away unprecedented devastation are discussed with relish at the dining tables. We mutter a few words of sympathy for them. We send in money medicines, and discarded clothes to help them. If we are atheist, we pray for their souls but our compliance or probably timidity does not make us think about our death. Kumbhakarna, Indrajit, Meghavahana and Mandodari belonged to the demonic clan and yet, the death of Ravana helped them reach the loftiest realms. They were indeed noble souls. We call ourselves human being and yet, we are ruled by the sensual pleasures. We see the great cosmic dance of death everyday on televisions, read about it in the newspaper and yet, we embrace the ephemeral and ignore the eternal........
www.jaine
