How Arjuna learnt the Big Lesson?!?
Monday, October 8th, 2012
Implicit obedience to The Lord is what is desirable for an ideal devotee. The veil of delusion which covers up the Divinity inherent in man is so thick that it inflates man’s ego, tempting him to forget even God. Arjuna, while being driven by Lord Krishna in the Kurukshetra battlefield, donning the role of Charioteer, was in this ‘tight-spot’ with his ego pumped up for a moment, only to learn the big lesson finally reposing full faith in Lord Krishna.
Those were the days of Mahabharata war. At the end of the 9th day of the war, Arjuna returned with Krishna from the battlefield filled with excitement of victory. On that day, ego entered his mind and he considered Krishna merely a charioteer of his chariot and himself as the cause of the victory. Krishna stopped the chariot near the camp of Arjuna and asked him, “Brother-in-law, get down from the chariot.” As is the common practice those days that the driver of the car gets down from the car first and opens the door of the car to enable the owner to get down from it, Arjuna wanted Krishna to observe the same decorum and get down first. He asked Him with pride and impertinence, “Brother-in-law, You should get down first.” In reply, Krishna said to him, “Brother-in-law, you get down and go inside.” But Arjuna was stubborn and said to Krishna, “You get down first and I will get down after that only.” Then Krishna sternly commanded Arjuna, “No, no. You have to get down first.” In this way, there were arguments and counter arguments between Arjuna and Krishna for some time. In the end, Arjuna unwillingly got down from the chariot fearing what Krishna might do if he did not obey Him. Krishna then ordered him to go inside. Arjuna was surprised and did not understand why Krishna was ordering him so forcefully like that. As Arjuna went inside, Krishna jumped down from the chariot. As soon as He did so, the chariot was engulfed in flames and reduced to ashes. Then Arjuna asked Krishna, “What is all this?” Krishna said to Arjuna, smilingly, “It is for the same reason that I asked you to get down from the chariot first, though you were not willing to do so. In today’s war, Bhishma attacked you with fierce fiery weapons. In order to protect you, I suppressed them under My Feet. If I had got down from the chariot before you, you would have been burned down along with the chariot.”
Thinking of the dreadful consequence if he had not got down from the chariot first, Arjuna was filled with repentance. Such is the veil of delusion which covers up the divinity inherent in man and inflates his ego. Reposing his full faith in Krishna, Arjuna worshipped Him with great devotion. Lord Krishna, therefore, was always with him and protected him. We can attain the grace of the Lord by following His command.
II Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
Posted in Divine Foot Prints, Lessons From The Epics, Storytime With Baba |
