Puttugam2

Arjuna who was choked due to intense grief, was neither able to answer the questions properly nor was he able to express his grief accurately. He continued, “I was able to recover and return to King Virata, the cows that Kauravas had stolen from him. I could forcibly seize the crowns of the Kauravas which were bedecked with precious stones and which represented their strength and might”.

The design, shape and the decorations of the crown worn by a warrior is an indicator of the individual prowess and position. Seizing them forcibly indicates humiliating them.

“How could I have accomplished this feat if not for Srikrishna’s loving grace upon me? The vast army of Kauravas led by chieftains such as Bheeshma, Karna, Shalya and Dronacharya was undefeatable. These unsurpassed chieftains moved their chariots in weird arrangements, adding to the glory of the Kaurava army. Even before my gaze could fall upon them, Krishna would gaze at them. With just that gaze He would draw from these warriors, their might and enthusiasm completely.

The generals of the Kaurava army such as Bheeshma, Drona, Karna, Susharma, Shalya, Ashwatthama, Saindhava, Bāhlika and others attacked me with powerful and violent weapons during the war. Just as the fearful and destructive weapons of Hiraṇyakaśipu could not harm Prahlāda, the supreme devotee of Lord Narasimha, these brutal weapons of the Kauravas could not harm me even slightly. By whose grace could this be possible? Was this not Krishna’s grace?

The Supreme Lord gives himself away totally to his devotees. Eminent persons worship the holy feet of this Lord solely for the purpose of attaining liberation. Oh, I was so foolish and ignorant I desired that such Supreme Lord should be my charioteer during the war.

During the war when my horses were tired, I would descend from the chariot so as to fetch water for them. The enemies would not dare to attack me with their weapons during such times. But for His power and greatness, how else could this happen?

It was my absolute foolishness that I did not realize His glory at that point of time. Now I am able to see the Lord’s grace and glory at every step. Although in some corner of my heart I knew He was the Supreme Lord, I failed to grasp His complete essence then.

O great king! Srikrishna, out of great love, would with a smile on His face ridicule me jocularly. At the same time He would lovingly speak to me addressing me as ‘Kuru-nandana’, ‘O Son of Kunti’, ‘Arjuna’, and ‘O dear friend’. Recollecting all those loving words my heart is devastated.

While sitting, standing, sleeping, eating and in all other activities I would constantly compete with Him. Boasting about my glory and greatness I would address him as ‘O friend’, ‘O truthful one’ and ridicule Him. Srikrishna was so large hearted that He forgave these unpardonable sins of mine committed in foolishness, just as a true friend would forgive his friend, or just as a father would forgive his son.

Now I realize that I, the sinner, have been separated from my dearest friend. My heart is totally void. When I was trying to save His wives, evil minded ordinary cowherd boys, stopped my chariot and effortlessly defeated me in a fight. They beat me up as easily as one beats a woman. The same chariot, the very same horses, the same Gandiva bow and arrows failed to have any impact on them. That Arjuna in front of whom even great emperors used to bow in reverence was defeated by ordinary cowherd boys.

In the past it was Krishna who was energizing them all. Now in His absence all these are devoid of energy. At that time I failed to realize His greatness. Now in His absence I am able to understand. The same horses, the same bow, the same arrows, the same chariot have become lusterless. I, the great Arjuna, have been reduced to a state wherein even women can easily defeat me.

All these appear illusory like toys created by a magician using his illusory knowledge. What am I to do with them? Just like a seed sowed in the barren land, all this knowledge is of no use now. All this is akin to pouring ghee on the ashes.

O great emperor! You enquired about our relatives in Dwaraka. The Yadavas cursed by Vedic Brahmins, lost their power of intellect and reasoning in totality. Having consumed excessive liquor, in an inebriated state, they fought and destroyed themselves completely. Only 4 or 5 amongst them are still alive.

I believe that all this nothing but the play of the Supreme Lord Krishna. In front of His eyes, his entire clan was destroyed. Thus it has to be His intention. He must have done that to ensure that he does not leave anything behind.

It is purely his grace that at times people protect each other. At another time they destroy each other. The Yadavas were so attached and friendly towards each other. If such people have killed each other, then surely it has to be His intention only!

O emperor! Just as large sea animals swallow the smaller ones; just as the strong eat up the weak; Krishna has caused the stronger Yadu to killer the weaker ones. Through this he has reduced the burden of the earth. Just as He wiped away from earth the Kauravas who were filled with tamasic traits, now he caused the Yadus to fight amongst themselves.

My dear brother! The words of Krishna, which were corresponding to matters based on time and space, used to reduce the burning heat from my heart. Such was His talk! These words come back to my memory now and are pulling my mind”.

Thus, when Arjuna, with a pure heart and with feelings of total affection was contemplating upon Srikrishna’s lotus feet, his pure mind was absolved of all grief. Due to contemplating upon Srikrishna’s lotus feet, desires and all other forms of impurities were totally destroyed from Arjuna’s intellect. Due to the passage of time, Arjuna who was totally engrossed in duties and in luxuries, had completely forgotten the Bhagavad Geeta which Srikrishna, the Supreme Lord had preached to him at the beginning of the war. Now he remembered it completely! With this his grief was totally washed away.

Arjuna attained Supreme Knowledge (Brahma jnana). As spiritual ignorance (ajnana) was totally destroyed in him, his attachment towards this gross body disappeared. He was able to get rid of these worldly bondages that cause repeated cycle of re-births (samsāra). He was able to discard all forms of differentiations and dualities. He no longer grieved.

Having learnt that Srikrishna, the Supreme Lord, had discarded His physical form and that Yadu clan was totally destroyed, Yudhisthira stabilized his mind completely and decided firmly that he too should ascend heaven (swargārohana).

Datta Narayana!

First Canto Chapter Fifteen

In this chapter Arjuna explaining the destruction of the entire Yadu lineage, Krishna’s return to Vaikunṭha and the decision of the Pandavas to go off towards the Himalayas are covered.Seeing the ashen and lusterless face of Arjuna, the dearest friend of Krishna, who was anguished due to the separation from Him, people assembled there guessed that something was seriously wrong. Arjuna was so dejected and grief-stricken that he could not even get himself to speak.

For this reason his elder brother Yudhisthira questioned him in various ways with the hope that some question would trigger him to talk. But then Arjuna’s heart was so heavy with grief that, no matter what, words wouldn’t come out of his lips. Yudhisthira was unsure whether his younger brother had even heard the questions.

Arjuna’s lotus-like face was totally drained out and was lusterless. He was struggling hard to control and wipe away the tears of sorrow that were profusely flowing from his eyes.  Due to intense love towards Krishna, who was no longer visible to him, his mind was greatly perturbed.

Recollecting all those beautiful moments that he had spent in close association with the Lord, recollecting the incident wherein the Lord had offered to be his charioteer, and recollecting their friendship, Arjuna while sobbing inconsolably, began to slowly speak in a hoarse voice that was choked with emotion:

“O King! My dear brother! Srikrishna, my closest relative, my friend and my God has cheated me and gone. When leaving, He has taken away with him my entire radiance which used to astonish even celestials.

Once life force (prana) leaves, the body is reduced to a corpse. To the supreme devotee of the Lord, separation from Him even for a second is traumatic. How can anything in this world appear joyful to one who is separated from His Lord?”

Arjuna, who considered Krishna as Paramatma, thought about Him every second. In every action, in every breath and at every second his thoughts used to be entirely focused upon Krishna. There was not a moment when he was separated from Him. If even for a second he failed to think of the Lord or the Lord was not visible to his eyes, he would be utterly dejected. At such moments, he would consider himself to be a living corpse, that’s all.

Arjuna continued, “During Draupadi’s swayamvara (selection of groom by the bride) many princes who had assembled there upon invitation from King Drupada, were arrogantly and lustily eyeing Draupadi. That Lord Srikrishna, due to whose grace I could vanquish their pride and radiance; that Lord, due to whose grace I could successfully string the bow, hit the Matsya yantra (fish eye) and obtain Draupadi’s hand in marriage, has now left me and gone away.

That Srikrishna, who by His mere presence filled me with the energy through which I could defeat all the Devatas led by Indra (lord of heaven) and offer the Khāṇḍava forest to Lord Agni, is now not to be seen.

That Srikrishna, by whose grace Yama created for us an exquisite royal court filled with wondrous sculpting, the royal court wherein you conducted the Rajasuya yagna for which kings from all corners of the world assembled and paid you tributes, is now not to be seen.

That Srikrishna, due to whose radiance the worshipful Bheema, who possesses the strength of 10,000 elephants, killed the mighty Jarāsandha who had suppressed thousands of kings under his feet; that Srikrishna, by whose grace Bheema released all those kings who were kept in captivity by Jarasandha for the purposes of sacrificial offering in the Bhairava yagna, is now not to be seen. These grateful kings who were thus set free offered tributes to you during your Rājasuya yagna.

O dear brother! During Rājasuya yagna, maha-abhisheka was performed to your wife’s hair. Thereafter, during the game of dice, those wicked men touched her purified hair and humiliated her in front of everyone in the royal court. At that time she sobbed piteously and fell at Krishna’s feet. Srikrishna, who ensured that the hair of these wives of the wicked Kauravas was loosened, due to the death of their husbands in the war, is no more.

When we were in exile, Duryodhana sent Maharishi Durvasa together with his 10,000 disciples to us so as to put us in great trouble.  Exactly at that time Srikrishna arrived at our home. Eating those small remnants of food from the vessel in which it was cooked, Srikrishna protected us. By this act He abated the hunger of Durvasa and of his 10,000 disciples, and caused contentment to all the three lokas (planes of existence). Had it not been for Srikrishna, we would have been cursed by Mahamuni Durvasa. Srikrishna who had thus protected us, is now not with us.

It was due to the radiance of Lord Srikrishna that in the fight with Shiva, the Lord who wields the trident, I could cause astonishment to Him who was accompanied by his wife Parvati. Lord Shiva blessed me by giving me His Pāsupata weapon. Such Krishna has left us and gone away.

O my dear brother, due to His influence even guardian deities of the worlds handed over their weapons to me. Due to Srikrishna’s grace I was able to travel to heaven in this physical body and obtain half of Indra’s throne. Such Srikrishna is no more.

When I was relaxing in the celestial gardens in heaven, Lord Indra accompanied by hordes of other Devatas sought shelter in me and begged me to kill the demon Nivatakavaca. Using my Gandiva bow I killed all those demons. He with whose grace I was able to destroy these demons, that Supreme Lord, Paramatma, has cheated me and gone away”.

When we are completely grief-stricken, we say that the Lord has cheated us. Although it appears as if we are blaming Him, we actually are not. It is a satirical praise (ninda stuti) of the Lord. It is the intense love for Paramatma that makes them speak in that manner. We scold children but there is no anger in the harsh words we use against them. Satirical praise is akin to that.

“I could single-handedly cross that terrible ocean called Kaurava army, which contained gigantic whales such as Bheeshma, which was unimaginably deep, vast and which was impossible to cross over. This was possible purely because Krishna, my protector, was by my side”.

Datta Narayana! Datta Narayana!