question on hinduism

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Sri Krishna, we should not forget, was not intent on the war to

start with. It was never a deontologically foregone conclusion for

him. He had tried his best to avert it, even at the cost of severe

possible privation for the five Pandavas, when proposal was made to

settle for the share of the kingdom with the Pandavas' entitlement

to five villages only. The war was arrived at consequentially. Given

Sri Krishna's theological position of omnipotence in the Gita, he

does not need Arjuna's help to win the battle. However, he wants

Arjuna to be existentially involved in the state of authentic

existence when the latter is in a moral dilemma. Instead of

considering it as a reaction in the field of morality, we need

rather to consider his refusal to fight a psychological reaction on

Arjuna's part that it is incumbent on the friend at hand, viz., Sri

Krishna, to take care of through the process of counseling. In order

to be able to make the right moral decision, Arjuna must have the

right psychological balance first.

As you can see, throughout the Gita, Krishna merely explains to

Arjuna his true nature (Brahman) and the paths (yogas) for

realisation of that which is his true nature. As Krishna also sates-

''The gathering of the army is only an illusion. When you saw them

falling into my mouth, then itself they were dead. I have already

killed them. You are merely instrumental in killing them. So be

victorious and let the world say that those relatives who had become

oppressive by their arrogance and were unconquerable by their

strength were destroyed effortlessly by Arjuna. " (11:475- 481).

 

To repeat, Arjuna has yet to grow psychologically, and spiritually,

to be able to attain the state of freedom where all duties

evaporate. Till then, he must perform the duties pertaining to his

station in life according to his specific constitution (svadharma),

in the proper way, i.e., in all seriousness, maintaining a

phenomenological detachment at the same time from success or failure

that the actions undertaken might result into. Actions are

undertaken toward success, although success, or its opposite,

failure, must not overshadow the psyche of the one undertaking their

performance.

 

Even when Arjuna applies the theistic argument and says, " Oh Shri

Krishna, I agree when you say that you are the Death and swallowing

the universe is your play. But it does not stand to reason that

when it is not yet the time for the destruction of the universe you

should assume the role of death and destroy the universe. (11:490-

492). " It is true that you are ceaseless and you assume your three

states of creation, sustenance and destruction which are active at

their appropriate times. At the time of creation the states of

sustenance and destruction are not present. At the time of

sustenance the states of creation and destruction are not active and

later at the time of destruction, the states of creation and

sustenance vanish. Today the universe is in the state of sustenance

and at its height of enjoying it, therefore I do not find it proper

that you should destroy it. " (11:494-498).

 

Shri Krishna gestured his agreement with this and said, " I

demonstrated to you that the life span of this army is over. Other

persons will die in their own time. " (11:499).

 

All this, needless to say, is consequential calculation on Sri

Krishna's part.

 

Sri Krishna does not insist that an action constitutes duty for all,

for he knows thatWhen someone has found delight, peace and

satisfaction in the Self, he is not bound by the constraint of duty.

And yet the end of the 18th chapter after saying everything, Krishna

offers Arjuna his free will by saying, " Arjuna, have you listened

to me with full concentration? Has the delusion caused by your

ignorance been dispelled? Think over everything that I have said to

you, reflect on it fully, and then do what pleases you. "

 

namaskarams,

 

anita