|
Chapter 1
An Important Fact
Worldly people will support the arguments adduced by Arjuna, but they will not agree with Lord Krsna, who will justify war later. The reason is, that as Arjuna is full of attachment and love, the worldly people also belong to the same class. So they cannot understand the point of view, expressed by Lord Krsna, who always thinks about the welfare and benediction of beings. They will say that Arjuna wanted to escape the sin, by not waging war, but it was Lord Krsna, who inspired him to wage war. So, it was not proper on His part, to do so.
The fact is, that Lord Krsna did not make Arjuna wage war. He reminded him of his duty only. It was Arjuna, who had invited Lord Krsna, to the war front. But seeing his kinsmen on the hostile side, he was turning away from his duty. So Lord Krsna reminded him not to neglect his duty, out of delusion hut to wage war, because there was nothing more welcome to a member of the warrior-class than a righteous war.
For example; if a man is going to Badrinarayana, but by mistake he starts going in the opposite direction. He then happens to meet a person, who asks him where he was going. The latter, tells him that he has taken the wrong direction, so he should turn back, in order to reach his destination. Here, the person shows
the right direction (way), to the man who had lost it. Similarly, Lord Krsna showed Arjuna the right direction, of his duty.
After seeing his kinsmen arrayed, on the war front, Arjuna said to Lord Krsna, "I will not fight" (2/9). But after hearing the gospel of Lord Krsna he did not say "I'll not fight" but he said, "I will carry out your bidding" (18/73) viz., "I will do my duty." It shows, that Lord Krsna reminded him of his duty.
The fact is, that war was inevitable because Lord Krsna Himself, while revealing his supreme divine form to Arjuna, said, "I am the mighty world-destroying time, the destroyer of the world. My purpose here is to destroy these people. Even if you do not kill them, all those warriors arrayed in the enemy's camp, will not survive" (11/32).
Thus this destruction of human beings was inevitable, even if Arjuna did not fight. If Arjuna did not fight, Yudhisthira, who with his four brothers married Draupadi by obeying his mother, would certainly fight by obeying her. Similarly, Bhima would never deviate from the war because he had already taken a pledge to kill the Kauravas. As far as Draupadi is concerned, she had even said, that if her husbands. the Pandavas did not fight, her father (Drupada), her brother (Dhrstadyumna), her five sons and Abhimanyu, would fight against the Kauravas[1] AU these facts, show that the war was inevitable .
A man cannot control the happenings that are pre-destined. By discharging his duty one can attain salvation, hut by neglecting it, he can degrade himself. It means that man is free to attain, either desirable or undesirable results. Therefore, Lord Krsna, by reminding Arjuna of his duty, has preached to human beings, that they should always discharge their duty, by following the ordinance of scriptures and never turn away from these.
|
|