Chapter
25
Guardian on the Battlefield
When
the Lord commanded Arjuna to examine, from the chariot
which He kept stationary between the two armies ranged
for battle, the enemy leaders whom he had to encounter,
Arjuna allowed his eyes to spot out in a flash the heroes
eager to meet him in contest; tears flowed immediately
from his eyes! He crumbled with despondency and
disinclination. It was a scene that filled spectators
with shame.
But, note that your
grandfather was not afflicted or affected with fear or
cowardice. He saw before him Bhishma, the reverend
grandparent who had loved to keep him on his lap and who
caressed him as his own child; he saw his respected
teacher, Drona, from whom he had learnt archery from A to
Z; so, his heart lamented, "Alas! Has this too to be
endured by me, this bloody warfare with these great
elders, persons whom I ought really to worship with
tender lovely flowers? How can I shoot arrows at them?
Have I to wound the very feet which I must really place
reverentially on my head, when I dutifully prostrate
before them?" The sentiment that overpowered him was
really this emotion of 'adoration'. It was this that
rendered him despondent, and not any other weakening
emotion.
The feelings ' I ' and
' Mine ' grew so intense in him that he turned to Krishna
and said, "Krishna, set the chariot back towards
Hasthinapura, I wish to go away from all this"; Krishna
laughed in derision, and commented with scarcely
concealed scorn, "My dear brother-in-law, evidently you
seem to be scared of fighting; well, I shall take you
back to Hasthinapura, and bring instead, your consort,
Droupadi; she has no fear. Come, we shall return. I did
not realise you are such a coward; or else, I would not
have accepted this position as charioteer for you. It is
a gross error of judgment on my part."
While Krishna was
saying thus, and many other harsh statements besides,
Arjuna retorted: "Do you think that I, who fought with
God Siva and won the Pasupatha weapon from Him will quail
before these common mortals? It is a sense of reverence
and mercy that makes me desist from killing these
kinsmen. It is not fear that holds me back." Arjuna spoke
for long, arguing on the lines of ' I ' and ' Mine ',
but, Krishna did not appreciate his arguments. He
explained to him the basic principles of all activity and
morality and made him take up the arms he had laid down;
He induced him to follow the dictates of the moral and
social obligations of the Kshatriya caste to which he
belonged.
When
in the midst of battle, the Kaurava warriors all in one
gang rained arrows simultaneously on Arjuna, Krishna
saved him from the shower, as He had done earlier when He
lifted the Govardhan Hill to save the villagers of Gokula
and the cattle from the floods of hail rained on them by
the angry God Indra. He drew all weapons on Himself and
rescued Arjuna, seated behind him in the chariot, from
the deadly onslaugh. Blood flowed from the wounds on His
body, but, nevertheless, He held it against the shower of
fiery arrows let loose by the enemy. His aim was that
Arjuna must be preserved from harm. He intended also to
reduce the might and pride of the wicked opponent, and
heighten the glory and reputation of Arjuna.
(See
also S'rîmad
Bhâgavatam
Chapter 7: Brief Description of the Past and Coming
Avatâras (verse 32)).
He held no weapon
Himself; but, He brought about the annihilation of the
enemies and proclaimed before the World the magnificence
of the path of Dharma, which the Pandava brothers adhered
to. Often during the battle, your grandfather was pained
at the role that Krishna had taken on Himself. "Alas,
that we are using You for this insignificant purpose; You
whom we ought to instal in the Lotus of the Heart, we are
seating You on the charioteer's plank! We have reduced
You to the status of a servant! We have devalued the Lord
so meanly; alas, that we are reduced to such straits!" he
used to lament within himself.
More distressing than
all was another painful act that Arjuna had perforce to
do, off and on. Whenever he had to do that act, poor
Arjuna was overcome with unbearable remorse. Saying this,
Vyasa held his head down, as if he wished to desist from
mentioning it. This aroused the curiosity of Parikshith
even more and he appealed, "Master! What exactly was that
inevitable harm, he had to do, in spite of its
sacrilege?"
At this, he said, "0
King, In the thick of battle, when the master has to give
an indication to the man who acts as the charioteer which
way to turn, he cannot hope to be heard, if he calls out,
right or left. The din will be too loud and confusing.
So, while totally immersed in the wild excitement of
coming to grips with the enemy, he has to prod the
charioteer's brows with the right or left toe of his
feet; he keeps the toes always in touch with the sides of
the brow, for this purpose. His plank is on a deeper
level. If the chariot is to be driven straight, both toes
have to be pressed with equal force. That was the
convention. Since such pressure had to be applied with
heavily shod feet both sides of the brow of the Lord
daily showed marks of scrape. Arjuna cursed himself for
sheer shame; he hated the very idea of war and prayed
that the wicked game ceased that very moment. He used to
be terribly upset with agony, that he had to touch with
his feet the Head that sages and saints
adored.
The palms of Krishna,
soft and tender like lotus petals, developed boils all
over, since they had to hold the reins tight and since
the steeds strained their hardest, when they were
restrained or controlled. The Lord forsook food and
sleep, performed services both high and low, and kept
ready both horses and chariot in perfect trim. He also
went on various other sundry errands, which were
fundamental to victory. He bathed the horses in the
river, attended to their wounds and applied balm to cure
them, (why go on with the entire list?). He acted as a
menial in the house-hold of your grandfathers! He never
assumed the role of the Universal Sovereign that is His
real nature and status. That was the measure of His
affection for those devoted to Him," said Vyasa, the
Sage, to the King.
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