[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] The Poetics of Pretext - Krishna's Names in the Bhagavad Gita-Arjuna's??

[Guest guest]

HAR AUM

 

Shree Vinodji,

 

A very commendable posting. Everything about 'gita' is

for us to learn, internalise and practise.

 

In fact I had sometime back addressed this issue in

the forum. As Bhagavan is addressed using different

names, Bhagavan addressed Arjuna also using different

names. I think that will be equally useful to us since

we are in Arjuna's position seeking Bhagavan's

counsel.

 

Regards

Balagopal

 

NARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA

 

 

 

--- " PS, Vinod K (GE Infra, Energy) " <vinod.ps

wrote:

 

>

> !! Sri Rama Jayam !!

> --------------------

>

>

> Once Shri Krishna knocked at the door of Srimati

> Radha and the following

> conversation took place:

>

> Radharani: Who is it?

>

> Krishna: I am Hari.

>

> Since the word Hari in Sanskrit also means a lion,

> she replied:

>

> Radharani: There are no suitable animals of prey

> here, so why have you

> come?

>

> Krishna: I am Madhava don't you know me?

>

> The word Madhava, other than being a name of Krishna

> also means the

> season of spring, so came the reply:

>

> Radharani: This is not the time for spring to come.

>

> Krishna: I am Janardana, surely you know me?

>

> The word Janardana holds within itself many

> meanings, two of which are

> contrary to each other. It means both - one who

> causes distress to

> society and also one who destroys the wicked.

> Obviously, Shrimati Radha chose the former meaning:

>

> Radharani: Persons like you should stay in the

> forest where there are no

> other people you can cause distress to.

>

> Krishna: Open the door young lady, I am Madhusudana.

>

> The word Madhusudana means both the 'killer of the

> demon named Madhu,'

> and also means the honeybee, which drinks honey

> (madhu) from various

> flowers. Thus she said:

>

> Radharani: Now I understand, you a dvirepha.

>

> Dvirepha means both a honeybee and also an outcaste.

> Thus does Radharani

> suggest that since Krishna has the habit of

> fluttering towards various

> gopis like the honeybee, he has been banned from her

> house.

>

> In this light banter Krishna introduced himself with

> various names, the

> meanings of which were taken differently by

> Radharani than that intended

> by him. Many of these names also occur in the sacred

> conversation

> between Krishna and Arjuna, the Bhagavad Gita, in

> which context still

> other meanings are intended.

>

> Illustration:

> http://www.exoticindia.com/product/PJ72/

>

> In the Bhagavad Gita there are forty different names

> used by Arjuna to

> call upon Shri Krishna. Each of these names

> describes an attribute or

> quality of god, reverberating with the potentiality

> of an inner,

> philosophical echo, leading to a realization of the

> deeper meaning of

> the dialogue between the two.

>

> The different epithets used by Arjuna to address

> Krishna are not just

> there for the sake of variety but meaningful to the

> context.

> This is one of the enriching features which make the

> study of Gita a

> relishable exercise rather than it being a mere

> pursuit of a dry

> philosophical treatise.

>

> Illustration:

> http://www.exoticindia.com/book/details/IDJ924/

>

> As the major part of the Bhagavad Gita is but a

> dialogue between Arjuna

> and Krishna, with the former calling upon the latter

> to relieve his

> distress, we see a gradual shift in Arjuna's

> position as Krishna

> provides him relief, reflected in the tone and

> demeanor of his address.

> For example, his first call to Krishna in the text

> is but a command

> given by a warrior to his charioteer. Arjuna says:

>

> " O Achyuta, place my chariot in between the two

> armies. "

> (Bhagavad Gita 1.21)

>

> Here Arjuna addresses Krishna as " Achyuta, " which

> means " one who never

> falls from his position. " This implies that Krishna,

> even though he is

> the supreme lord, has out of affection for his

> devotee Arjuna reduced

> himself to the status of a charioteer.

> However this in no way compromises his supreme

> position. This is akin

> perhaps to the situation of a Supreme Court judge,

> who diligently orders

> out punishments and rewards in his courtroom; but

> the same person, when

> he comes back home, is content to play around with

> his grandson and take

> orders from the child.

>

> Indeed it is the nature of the supremely

> compassionate Krishna to take

> on the slightest job for his devotees. When Arjuna's

> elder brother

> Yudhishtra performed the great sacrifice (yajna)

> known as Rajasuya, each

> member of the family was assigned a different

> responsibility; and what

> did Shri Krishna volunteer to do? The great lord

> took it upon himself to

> wash the feet of each and every guest who came to

> the yajna. Thus

> Yudhishtra says in the Bhagavata Purana:

>

> " Just as the brilliance of the sun is neither

> enhanced nor diminished

> with the ascent or decline of the sun, even so your

> actions in no way

> exalt or detract your glory. " (10.74.4)

>

> Obeying Arjuna's command, Krishna drove the chariot

> in between the two

> armies. We all know what happened next. Seeing his

> near and dear ones

> arrayed opposite him, ready to lay down their lives,

> Arjuna was awash

> with a flood of sentimentality, leading to emotional

> exhaustion, and he

> found his heart sinking to never before depths of

> turmoil.

>

> With his limbs shaking, Arjuna said:

>

> " O Madhusudana, I do not wish to kill these my

> relatives, even though

> they may kill me. "

> (Bhagavad Gita 1.35)

>

> The epithet Madhusudana means the slayer of the

> demon named " Madhu. " It

> refers to the annihilation of this villain by the

> lord just before the

> creation of this world. The word " madhu " in its turn

> means 'honey,' and

> thus the demon Madhu represents attachment (raag) to

> this world, which

> seems sweet to us. Hereby, Arjuna reminds Krishna

> that just as he had

> killed the demon of attachment before, similarly

> should he do so in the

> present circumstances.

>

> Illustration:

> http://www.exoticindia.com/product/DH66/

>

> Next Arjuna queries:

>

> " O Madhava, how can we be happy by killing our own

> relatives? "

> (1.36)

>

> " Ma " means Goddess Lakshmi and " dhav " means husband.

> Thus the perplexed

> Arjuna wants to point out that since Krishna is the

> lord of the goddess

> of fortune, he should point out the way which would

> save their

> (Arjuna's) clan from the impending misfortune.

>

> Illustration:

> http://www.exoticindia.com/product/EE20/

>

> As the narrative proceeds, Krishna discourses Arjuna

> that the only way

>

=== message truncated ===

 

 

 

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