Best advice from the worst - Kumbhakarna

             In the Best advice from the worst – Hiranyakasipu, we learnt that even the worst asuras can also provide excellent advice. We also understood that there is no correlation between their knowledge and its implementation. We are going to see another example in the form of Kumbhakarna, the younger brother of Ravana. We analyzed the itihasas from getting a deeper understanding of gunas in A BMI insight into itihasas.

Storytime:

            We will take a quick peek into the middle of Yuddha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana. Ravana was paying the price of underestimating Rama and his vanara sena. To stem his losses and turn the tide of the war, a desperate Ravana woke up Kumbhakarna, his brother who had gone into his tamasic slumber just before the war broke out. Seeing his brother worried and seated on the pushpaka vimana, the first words of assurance from Kumbhakarna were किम् कृत्यमि (kim krityami) – What is to be done? Ravana gave a brief summary of the grave danger and the heavy losses due to Rama’s vanara sena. Ravana lamented that the treasury was empty and only the aged and children were left in the city, besides women.

            Kumbhakarna responded in a loud voice. The worst consequences predicted during the mantranirnaye (counsel meeting) has become a reality. He minced no words and declared that as a doer of papa karma reaches naraka, Ravana too has landed in this awkward spot due to his own karma. He pointed out Ravana did not even accept this as a remote possibility when he embarked on the mission to grab Sita. This was due to sheer arrogance in his power (केवलम् वीर्यदर्पेण  kevalam viirya darpeNa VR 6-63-4).

Kumbhakarna elaborated on the importance of timely actions and the need to pay heed to the real well-wishers who are rooted in dharma. A King who explores dharma using his intellect and the advice of his wise counselors who have his well being at their core is said to be on the right course (VR 6-63-8).

            Even for doing the right things, there is an appropriate time. One who fails to retain the wisdom given or gained (obviously fails to implement or observe) gains nothing from such an exercise. Choosing the right stratagem based on the wise counsel and adopting suitable sama-dana-bheda-danda, depending on the situation, the intelligent person never confronts misfortune in the world. Men with animalistic mindset, when sought for advice offer haughty inputs, without any understanding of the shastras (VR 6-63-14). In other words, a person who has not benefited by the personal practice of dharma and studied shastras is unfit to offer advice.

            Kumbhakarna’s words cast long shadows on the counsel of ministers who gave bad advice to the ego and desire driven Ravana. He declared, a King who disregards his enemies, fails to protect himself faces disappointing consequences and is eventually ousted (यो हि शत्रुमवज्ञाय नात्मानमभिरक्षति | अवाप्नोति हि सोऽनर्थान् स्थानाच्च व्यवरोप्यते || yo hi śatrumavajñāya nātmānamabhirakṣati avāpnoti hi so.anarthānsthānācca vyavaropyate VR 6-63-20). He recalled how Vibhishana had already given superlative advice, which was in the best interest of Ravana and the country.

            Ravana thundered why this sagely advice at a wrong timing. In a rare act of acceptance, Ravana asked what was the point in debating a past action – done by mistake, deluded mind or intoxicated by power (विभ्रमाच्चित्तमोहाद्वा बलवीर्याश्रयेण वा | vibhramāccittamohādvā balavīryāśrayeṇa vā VR 6-63-24). Brooding over the past is a futile exercise, at a time of dire need. He demanded this was the hour to prove his brotherly affection and rally behind his cause. Seeing his perturbed brother, Kumbhakarna spoke words of assurance that he will take down Rama in battle. He explained that he merely performed his duty to provide good advice.

            Kumbhakarna assured that no one can reach Ravana till he was alive and just he alone was enough to take down Rama and his vanara sena. He thundered he will crush Indra, Yama and even Brahma and why fear Rama or his vanaras. Mahodara, a rakshasa warrior intervened and questioned the bravado of facing Rama alone in battle. Rama had single handedly wiped out everyone in Janasthana battle. So he thought it was wise to attack in larger numbers. But again the brain of an Adharmic person is only crooked, despite the intellect or the number of shastras they can quote from.

            Mahodhara proposed that only by some strategy can Rama’s threat be nullified. He suggested that Kumbhakarna should be accompanied by Dvijihva, Samhraadi, Vitardan and himself. This must be announced everywhere in Lanka to psychologically weaken Sita. If they are victorious, there is no need for an alternate plan to bring Sita to her knees. But if Rama’s upper hand is decisive, they can run back with their blood moistened wounds marked with arrows engraved with Rama’s name. They can come and falsely claim Rama and Lakshmana have been devoured in the battle. Then a victory celebration can be arranged with distribution of gold and marked with entertainment. Losing all hope, Sita will reluctantly submit to Ravana’s desire as all her hopes of being with Rama are extinguished. It may be surprising to some why Mahodara will dare to suggest such an outrageous idea. The answer lies in studying Uttara Kanda. While some believe this was a latter addition, the answer to this issue will not be possible without understanding Uttara Kanda. Ravana had falsely claimed victories or hid his losses by putting a brave face. This happened one too many times with numerous opponents – Kartaviryarjuna, Vaali, Yama, Varuna and even in the fortunate victories against Kubera and Indra. He was also disgraced during his visit of Mahabali, at the hands of the doorkeeper Vishnu or during his encounter with Shiva.  

            Kumbhakarna belittled the cowardice of Mahodara and pointed out all the people pretending to be well wishers of Ravana merely spoke sweet words of falsities. Kumbhakarna said that the only way to negate all the bad policies (दुर्नयं durnayam) advised by Mahodara was to face Rama alone in the battle. The enthused Ravana having tasted the prowess of vanara sena, overruled Kumbhakarana’s original intent to battle alone.  Thus energizing Ravana with a glimmer of hope, Kumbhakarna descended on the vanara sena to wreck havoc.

 

Practical applications: Mere knowing of the story is futile, unless we extract some practical pointers for applying in our life.

Timely action: The result of an action has a huge dependence on its timing and also on the sequence of its execution. Kumbhakarna notes emphatically that the ones intoxicated by power have no sense of timing, performing later actions earlier and earlier actions late. Worse yet, he cannot discern between the right and wrong course of action (यः पश्चात्पूर्वकार्याणि कुर्यादैश्वर्यमास्थितः | पूर्वं चोत्तरकार्याणि न स वेद नयानयौ || yaḥ paścātpūrvakāryāṇi kuryādaiśvaryamāsthitaḥ pūrvaṃ cottarakāryāṇi na sa veda nayānayau VR 6-63-5). What is behind this delusion – a highly misplaced attachment and desire that the outcome is already in one’s favor. Unless one understands how desire can morph itself (Read more in Desire – a genealogical approach), it will not be possible to overcome this self inflicted drawback.

            Kumbhakarna further elucidates that actions done without consideration of location and time are bound to yield futile results like offering oblations to an ill constructed homa fire (देशकालविहीनानि कर्माणि विपरीतवत् | क्रियमाणानि दुष्यन्ति हवीम्ष्यप्रयतेष्विव || deśakālavihīnāni karmāṇi viparītavat kriyamāṇāni duṣyanti havīṃṣyaprayateṣviva VR 6-63-6).

Right time: Kumbhakarna instructs in order to gain the maximum, one must resort to Dharma, Artha or Kama or their combinations, according to time.    (धर्ममर्थम् च कामम् च सर्वान्वा रक्षसाम् पते | भजते पुरुषः काले त्रिणि द्वन्द्वानि वा पुनः || dharmamarthaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca sarvānvā rakṣasāṃ pate bhajate puruṣaḥ kāle trīṇi dvandvāni vā punaḥ VR 6-63-9).  Many dharma shastra interpretations simplify that a person must spend the morning portion of one’s time getting oneself rooted in dharma, the noon or the larger part of the day seeking Artha, resources, and the evening/night can be devoted to Kama. In Society classification in Hinduism, we also understood how a brahmachari is devoting on better dharma understanding, followed by grihasta focused on Artha during the middle ages and a vanaprastha intent on overcoming the hurdles of kama to practically achieve Moksha in this very existence.

Whom should you listen to:  We are always surrounded by different voices both within and from outside. We even have our own desires convincing us that it is the voice of our conscience. Kumbhakarna gives an insight into whom we must not listen to or face certain calamities. Words spoken by people who are devoid of an understanding that comes from the study of shastras, ones who fail to translate the wisdom of shastras into practical daily applications and who covet abundant wealth are to be ignored and not implemented.  (अशास्त्रविदुषाम् तेषाम् कार्यम् नाभिहितं वचः | अर्थशास्त्रानभिज्ञानाम् विपुलाम् श्रियमिच्छताम् || aśāstraviduṣāṃ teṣāṃ na kāryamahitaṃ vacaḥ arthaśāstrānabhijñānāṃ vipulāṃ śriyamicchatām VR 6-63-15). Ones who talk sweetly, but their advice leading to bad consequences or the ones who collude with our opponents must never be heeded to as they lead to certain destruction (VR 6-63-16, 17).

Interestingly, even Ravana chimes in with his own wisdom, which obviously he ignored himself. He implored Kumbhakarna that the one who rescues the afflicted, the one who has fallen into misfortune, is a real friend. One who assists the person, who has deviated from the right course by offering their helping hand, is a good relative. स सुहृद्यो विपन्नार्थम् दीनमभ्युपपद्यते || स बन्धुर्योऽपनीतेषु साहाय्यायोपकल्पते | sa suhṛdyo vipannārthaṃ dīnamabhyavapadyate sa bandhuryo apanīteṣu sāhāyyāyopakalpate VR 6-63-27,28) Read more in Friendship – does it matter with whom?

Focus in the now:  Ironically Ravana advises Kumbhakarna to focus in the Now. He urges to think what needs to be done in the present. The wise do not brood over the past. The past is gone forever.  (अस्मिन् काले तु यद्युक्तम् तदिदानीम् विचिन्त्यताम् | गतम् तु नानुशोचन्ति गतम् तु गतमेव हि || asminkāle tu yadyuktaṃ tadidānīṃ vichintyatam gatam tu na anushochanti gatam tu gatameva hi VR 6-63-25) While it seems like an excellent advice at the outset, it is incomplete. One must focus in the Present on how one can realign oneself to dharma and not to mere desire.  Without that dharma grounding, action in the now can only yield partial benefits. This partial understanding of merely living in the now with no dharma grounding leads to our self destruction.

Don’t be misinterpreting like Mahodara: The ideas of Dharma, Artha and even Kama are very subtle for a normal person to understand, let alone a tamasic minded Mahodara. It is not easy to give a clear description on its nature or envision them to be in water tight compartments (पृथगाश्रयान् pṛthagāśrayān).  Karma alone is the means to achieve anything (कर्म चैव हि सर्वेषाम् कारणानां प्रयोजनम् | karma caiva hi sarveṣāṃ kāraṇānāṃ prayojanam VR 6-64-7).  Karma rooted in dharma and artha and even the ones otherwise, yield the fruits of prosperity. The fruits rooted by adharma are tainted by the fruit of offence of omission (of dharma).  (निःश्रेयस फलावेव धर्मार्थावितरावपि | अधर्मानर्थयोः  प्राप्तिः फलम् च प्रत्यवायिकम् || niḥśreyasa phalāveva dharmārthāvitarāvapi adharmānarthayoḥ prāptiḥ phalaṃ ca pratyavāyikam VR 6-64-8) In a further perverted misinterpretation, Mahodara declares that what is wrong in enjoying the fruits of kama as the fruits are here to enjoy, instead of accumulating for future or in the next janma or in svarga? This was exactly the mindset of Ravana.

            We all grapple with this same materialistic infection. We also agree that Karma yields fruits and why not use Kama and enjoy the fruits in the now. This myopic distortion cleaves us from clear thinking and also dharma. Take a simple position, if Kama alone reigns supreme, without Artha (resources) to facilitate the manifestation of those desires, all one can end up is frustration and anger from not achieving it. In the same way, if Artha and Kama are not based on dharma, the fruits are certain to be laced with seeds of destruction.

            Karma produces the Karmaphala, but also leaves its markings behind in the form of vasanas. Since all the Karmaphala cannot be exhausted in one lifetime, it becomes the reason for our next janma, which is already oriented based on our vasanas. Karma thus produces janma, which is the nursery to cultivate more karma. This cycle is called samsara. To break this perpetual cycle, one must look within, temper our Kama and Artha to ensure they are within the containment of Dharma. This is possible only through constant study of the scriptures and satsangha. Kumbhakarna’s valid advice is apt for all, listen only to those who are rooted not only in dharma but also in shastras. Yet, typical of an asura, he failed to follow his own acumen. Nor did Ravana, the listener, grasp the real depth, which is why Vibhishana’s advice fell into deaf ears.

            The wisdom from itihasapuranas has to be understood in the correct perspective, lest we think like some of these asuras. Also translating them into our lives and daily habits is the key if we do not want to emulate the lower gross level of thinking.  As we continue to associate with the right people and texts, perform timely right actions, our chitta gets more purified and saatvic, which lets it to grasp subtler ideas. May we imbibe the best wisdom from all sources, internalize it with higher thinking and living. May we constantly think upon the lotus feet of Rama to elevate our thinking.

 

ॐ तत् सत