Mahabharata 7.140.2 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 2
Adhyāya 140: Rātriyuddhe Droṇa-prāpti-prayatnaḥ
Night engagement and the attempt to reach Droṇa
यद् गतं तद् गतमिति ममासीन्मनसि स्थितम् । इदानीमत्र कि कार्य प्रकरिष्यामि संजय
yad gataṃ tad gatam iti mamāsīn manasi sthitam | idānīm atra kiṃ kāryaṃ prakariṣyāmi saṃjaya saṃjaya ||
“In my mind it had been settled, ‘What has happened has happened; it is past.’ To worry over it is futile. But now, at this very moment, what is my duty here? Tell me, Sañjaya—Sañjaya! Whatever you indicate, I will certainly carry it out.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Acceptance of the irreversible past (‘what is gone is gone’) is paired with a renewed focus on present dharma: instead of brooding, one should ask what duty is required now and commit to doing it.
Amid the pressures of the war narrative, the speaker turns to Sañjaya for immediate guidance, expressing that earlier resignation about the past is no longer sufficient; he urgently seeks instruction about the right action to take at this moment and vows to follow it.
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