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

[Ramavarma Parameswaran]

12/04/2019

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

Swami Krishnananda

(Spoken on Sri Krishna Janmasthami in 1972)

Drona Parvam:

The Drona Parva is again a masterpiece of Vyasa’s literary beauty. Only those who know Sanskrit can appreciate the literary beauty of Vyasa; but even in a translation, one may enjoy it because of the magnificent high pitch of language used. It is difficult to read it without a thrill, without hair standing on end, and without a tumult of emotion in one’s mind. In the Drona Parva, the work was very difficult. It became more complicated, and Sri Krishna had to help Arjuna from various calamities and catastrophes. Sri Krishna was alone, grooming the horses, while Arjuna fought alone, singlehandedly, on foot in the battlefield.

And there was a very powerful man called Bhagadatta. He was a very old man. He used to fight on a very powerful elephant which was supposed to be a descendent of Airavata of Indra. A very fierce elephant it was; it could simply dash down all warriors. Hundreds started dying and running away at the very sight of the elephant of Bhagadatta. He was a very old man, past one hundred years, but he was fighting such a fierce battle. Krishna said, “This man will finish you if you do not meet him. You go and meet him yourself.” Arjuna with all his might fought with Bhagadatta,  maimed his elephant and killed it finally, but Bhagadatta would not be overcome. He sent a missile which came like a meteor, a comet. Immediately Sri Krishna raised his chest and withdrew it into himself.

Arjuna said, “You said you will not take part in the war. Now why are you interfering with me? I would have done something myself. I could have broken it into pieces. Why did you interfere?”

Sri Krishna said, “You do not know what it was. It was Vaishnav Astra, and nobody can stand before it. You would have died just now. It was given to Bhagadatta through Narakasura once upon a time, from a divine source. It has come from Me only, so I have taken it back. Otherwise, you would not have been left alive just now,” he said.

“All right, whatever you say. Now let the war continue.”

To be continued ..