ARJUN’S SPECIAL QUALITIES
Arjun is a name and a person who
needs no introduction to most Indians; one mention is enough to trigger images
of sharp intellect, of fearless fighting capability, of legendary archery and
combat skills – none of these attributes needs further clarification for most of
us. Yet, there are a few aspects of this great warrior, this prince among men,
that deserve a much deeper look. These are attributes which do not readily come
to mind. At best, the one quality that will occur to some is his bhakti for the
Lord Shri Krushn, as evident in the Krushnaarjun Samvaad {Known popularly as
the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta}
BACKGROUND
Let us remind ourselves of the background
of this finest of creations on Earth, the Krushnaarjun Samvaad : it took place
in the middle of a battlefield, on the eve of an epochal battle involving
nearly all the known kingdoms of ancient Aryavart. In short, anyone who was anyone
and his entire clan was there for the battle. This battle was coming on top of
nearly one and a half decades of injustice; it involved relatives fighting
against each other, baying for each other’s blood. There was a deluge of hatred
flowing on the field that day. The battle was about to commence when this
samvaad, this dialogue took place!
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT…
Just place yourself in that moment;
try to imagine yourself in various shoes that day, as Arjun requested Shri
Krushn to take the chariot to the middle of the battlefield. What must have
gone through Arjun’s mind, or the minds’ of others? Imagine the pressure, and
the chaos that is always there in the runup to any major engagement – be it
business or politics. Imagine the mind of Arjun, and how he went indecisive,
depressed and grief-stricken as he was confronted with the real price of his
hunt for justice, as he realized that meant killing most of those whom he
loved. Place yourself there, try and empathise.
INTRODUCING ARJUN…
As everyone remembers, on that day
Arjun refused to fight and kill the people he loved, despite they being wrong,
despite his fight being a fight for justice. In that moment, he was overcome
with emotion in the backdrop of chaos and backbreaking high-pressure,
indecisive and overwhelmed. That was his state of mind; and from there started
the dialogue that is hailed across the planet today as The Krushnaarjun Samvaad
– popularly known as The Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta. In that maelstrom took place a
dialogue between Shri Krushn and Arjun, a dialogue involving a very high degree
of metaphysical, philosophical and practical esoteric concepts.
The concepts being revealed to Arjun
that day were not easy to understand – not for us at any rate, as the countless
interpretations and discussions this wonderful dialogue has spawned over the
past few millennia has proven. They were deep, involved, abstract, and conveyed
in a short span of time, perhaps an hour or so. And yet, despite his state of
mind, Arjun was able to grasp the concepts with clarity. Not only that, even
when he was not too clear {in the initial parts of the dialogue}, his questions
were on-point, penetrating, specific and targeted. Think of that for a moment
in the light of the entire scene on that day on that battlefield of Kurukshetra.
What does that tell us of about this prince among men?
THE LEARNINGS
Perhaps the most ignored learning of
the Krushnaarjun samvaad {Bhagwad Geeta} is the sagacity and perceptive
intelligence of Arjun, his devotion, his rapt attention, his mental
balance even in the midst of choas and his sharp grasp of concepts
being explained to him in that crisis situation. Sagacious means having keen
and farsighted penetration and judgment, which he displayed in full vigor on
that day; his attention – which was specially remarkable given the circumstances;
and his quick sharp grasp of the concepts. Add to that his penetrative
questions – showing not just attention & respect, but also communication
– specific, targeted honest questions eliciting specific responses. These are
the abilities we can all learn from this great warrior…
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