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Reflections on Chapter 1

 

As I read through pages of chapter 1 of Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta (Gyaneshwari), the shlokas describe the two armies of Kauravas and of Pandavas and also majorly about the resentment of Arjuna. (For those who don’t know the story of Mahabharata, the two armies belong to the same clan, led by The Kauravas and The Pandavas who are cousins and becomes potential rivals in their growing up years because of jealousies and also because of various people conspiring to destroy the clan by making these princes stand against one another by poisoning their minds and so on).

Army of Pandavas is described as full of glorified warriors -friends and alleys of Pandavas and also Shri Krishna being a part of the army—who agrees to be the charioteer of Arjuna (Krishna and Arjuna being kind of best friends) in order to be symbolically there with the Pandavas as he(Krishna) shall not be able to fight because of the promise he gave to Duryodhan (the eldest brother of the Kauravas) to not to touch any weapon throughout the war. 

And the army of Kauravas, comprising of great warriors from the same family/clan and their relatives... teachers, elders of both Pandavas and Kauravas, bound to the throne through the promise of loyalty.

Now here just before when the war begins, Arjuna’s consciousness gets suddenly shaken and he experiences a sudden surge of thoughts of right and wrong…as he is facing not an ordinary arm, but an army full of his near and dear ones. His elders- his teacher –those with whom he has spent his childhood and those who have given him nothing but love, compassion and whom Arjuna always thought of his ideals. Those who have always prayed for his well- being (now here it needs to be mentioned that Pandavas already did everything in their capabilities to prevent the war beforehand but as determined and poisoned The Kauravas were- the efforts go wasted).

Now in a war field, when everyone is ready and prepared for attack…Arjuna being a man of determination and valor, getting into such a state of resentment...in whom he could confide? Only Shri Krishna. For them being best friends and Arjuna knows he could always bare his soul to Shri Krishna. Arjuna tells all that goes on his mind—How he is devastated, and grief stuck seeing his near and dear ones- the ones who have been his favorite—the ones he is supposed to murder in order to satisfy the power-hungry egos of his clansmen.

The beauty of this song of Krishna…the very essence of it—I feel as a seeker is, the dialogue is between two friends. The friends most reliable and having the highest of virtues. Krishna being the most favorite deity among both children and grownups- Much celebrated among the kids. For his playful ways and joy-giving sweetness even in the worst of situations has always been a matter of amusement and has been attracting the curious mind of a seeker —the one (Krishna) who gave a message to enjoy life and still be a yogi at the same time. To play and to be in meditation at the same time.


-seeker

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