The Role of Lord Sri Krishna in the Mahabharatam - 12.

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16/11/2018
The Role of Lord Sri Krishna in the Mahabharatam - 12.
Swami Krishnananda
(Spoken on Sri Krishna Janmashtami in 1972)

LAST POST -11.END AS UNDER :

Duryodhana said, “I have taken the butter. He has taken the buttermilk. I am going. Wonderful! Foolhardy and stupid is Arjuna.” He said to Sri Krishna, “Thank you for the army.” He thought he had already half won the victory. “What is the use of one man? The whole army is mine.” He went and told his brothers, “Victory is ours.”

Then Krishna said to Arjuna, “You are a foolish man. Why did you choose me? What made you choose me, who will do nothing?” Arjuna said, “Even if you do not do anything, your presence will do more than others can do by hands and feet. I know your greatness.”

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“All right, as you wish,” he said. “What work can I do?”

“You guide me in the war.”

Krishna said, “I will be your charioteer.”

And then the Udogya Parva closes and the Bhishma Parva starts, where we have the incident of cosmic vision bestowed upon Sanjaya by Vyasa for describing to him the events of the forthcoming war, and people rushed to the field. An array of armies was seen there. Arjuna looked at the large army of the Kauravas and suddenly his mind changed. He became despondent. That is the first chapter of the Bhagavadgita. And then the Bhagavadgita continues. Sri Krishna reprimanded him for his mood of melancholy, and again showed the Visvarupa which he showed in the court of the Kauravas. Then the war began. A fierce battle took place where Bhishma was the commander-in-chief of the other side, and he worked for the massacre of the whole Pandava army. Arjuna’s conscience pricked him. “After all, he is my grandfather. How can I attack him?”

Krishna began to feel this. “Oh, this fellow has changed his mind again even after hearing the Gita, and if this sort of thing is to be allowed, today itself Bhishma will finish all the army of the Pandavas.” Krishna said, “Arjuna, if you cannot fight, keep quiet. I shall do all the work.” Then he jumped down from the chariot and said, “I shall finish Bhishma today, myself.” And then the earth shook. Brahma thought the world had come to an end when Sri Krishna jumped from the chariot like that with a fierce, fire-like energy.

Then Bhishma prayed, “Lord, if you kill me I shall regard myself as blessed, but I shall not stop fighting.”

Then Arjuna begged pardon, “Well, I shall fight. Please don’t break your vow, because you had vowed you would not take up arms. Now why are you jumping? You come back!” Twice Sri Krishna jumped like that in the Bhishma Parva.

To be continued ..


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