Sai Baba Gita Reading for Today - The Sacred Names of Arjuna

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Sai Baba Gita Reading for Today

November 24, 2003

 

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The Sacred Names of Arjuna

 

In the Gita, Krishna used a number of names to address Arjuna. Even

Even in worldly life, a number of titles and names may be conferred

on people. In the Gita, it was the embodiment of divinity, Lord

Krishna, who conferred the different names on Arjuna. Krishna told

Arjuna, "O Arjuna. You are not a child of mortality. You are the

divinity itself. You are the son of immortality." In his life Arjuna

found himself in a number of trying circumstances in which he

acquitted himself heroically. As a result, he was given various

titles. To obtain his bow, which was a sacred weapon, he performed

severe penance and faced a number of difficult problems. But

throughout he persisted with a great deal of faith, courage and

conviction.

 

His determination in the face of all obstacles was ultimately

rewarded by gaining the grace of Lord Shiva and winning the bow

directly from him. In the process of getting this celestial weapon

even the elements of nature went against him, but nothing could

deter him from his firm resoluteness and purpose. Because he was

able to win that bow, the Lord conferred on him the title, the

victor of the bow.

 

>From a worldly point of view, Arjuna could also be thought of as the

one who was victorious in gaining wealth. There is a story for this.

The oldest of the Pandava brothers, Dharmaraja, who was the king,

decided to undertake a great ceremonial sacrifice, performed only by

reigning kings. At that time the Pandavas were opposed by the wicked

Kauravas. The treasury of the Pandavas was completely empty. They

had no money available at all. In the face of such obstacles it

would have been nearly impossible to proceed with such a grand

ceremony. Still, Dharmaraja insisted on going ahead with the

ceremonial sacrifice. He said to Arjuna, "Brother, this occasion

will require a very heavy expenditure of funds. We will need a great

deal of wealth. How might we raise this money?" Arjuna

replied, "Dharmaraja, why worry about money when we have with us the

wish-fulfilling tree in the form of Krishna? Why should we be

afraid? Once Krishna blesses us we will be able to get any amount of

money."

 

Arjuna went around to the different kings ruling over the

surrounding areas to inform them of Dharmaraja's wish to hold the

great sacrifice. As soon as these kings heard that Dharmaraja was

planning to perform the ceremony, they offered to support Dharmaraja

with their own treasuries, and so Arjuna brought back wealth in such

huge quantities that it took dozens of elephants to carry it. There

were great heaps of gold, silver and jewels. Krishna who had

prompted all this, came and acted as if he didn't know anything. He

asked Dharmaraja, "Wherever did you get so much wealth? Where did it

all come from?" Dharmaraja, out of ignorance and fraternal pride,

replied, "It is because of my brother Arjuna that I got all this."

 

>From that day on, Krishna addressed Arjuna as the conqueror of

wealth, in this way concealing his own role and announcing to the

world that it was Arjuna who was able to gather so much wealth.

There were many other names given to Arjuna, such as son of the

earth. These names were not intended for Arjuna alone. As you hear

these various names you can start applying them to yourself; each

contains a deeper meaning and shows how the Lord showers his grace

on his devotees. Make them part of you; fully live them by striving

to understand their deeper meaning and by putting them into practice

in your daily life.

 

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 

Source:

http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/saigita056.html

 

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Sai Baba Gita

Compiled and edited by Al Drucker - Published by Atma Press

http://www.atmapress.com - ISBN: 0963844903

Online Edition: http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/index.html