{"id":3175,"date":"2013-07-13T01:46:29","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3175"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:46:29","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:29","slug":"18-sanjayas-gift-of-divine-vision-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-other-editions\/writings-in-bengali-translation\/18-sanjayas-gift-of-divine-vision-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","title":{"rendered":"-18_Sanjaya’s Gift of Divine Vision.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\n
\nSanjaya’s Gift of Divine Vision <\/font><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe Gita was spoken on the eve of the Great Mahabharata
\nWar. Therefore we find in the very first verse of the Gita,
\nKing Dhritarashtra seeking information about the War from
\nSanjaya who had received the gift of divine vision. The two
\narmies are gathered on the battlefield; what are their first
\nmoves, this is what the old king is eager to know. In the eyes
\nof the educated man in modern India, educated that is on the
\nEnglish pattern, Sanjaya’s gift of divine vision is no more
\nthan a poetic fancy. If we had said that such and such a
\nperson gifted with clairvoyance and clairaudience was able to
\npresent before his senses the frightful scenes and war-cries of
\nthe great heroes in a distant battlefield, then perhaps the
\nstatement would not have been so unworthy of credence.
\nAnd one is inclined to dismiss as a still more absurd story
\nthat this power had been given to Sanjaya by the great
\nVyasa. Had we said that a famous European scientist having
\nhypnotised such, and such a person came to have some
\ndescription of that distant event from his mouth, then
\nperhaps those who -have studied with care something about
\nhypnotism in the West might have lent some credence. And
\nyet, hypnotism is simply one of those undesirable elements
\nof Yogic power that have to be rejected. There are hidden
\nwithin man many such powers as were known to civilised
\npeoples in ancient times and developed by them. But that
\nknowledge has been washed away in the flood of ignorance
\nborn of Kali, the Age of Darkness, it has been preserved
\nonly in part within a limited circle as a secret lore that should be kept a secret. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-117<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nThere is a power of subtle vision beyond the gross physical
\nsense organ, in a subtle organ through which we can bring
\nwithin our ken objects and knowledge inaccessible to the
\ngross organs of sense, can have vision of subtle things, can
\nlisten to subtle sounds, smell imperceptible smells, touch
\nsubtle physical objects, and have taste of subtle foods. The
\nutmost development of subtle sight is what is called divine
\nvision, through its power objects that are at a distance, secret
\nobjects or those belonging to another world come within the
\nscope of our knowledge. We see no reason to disbelieve that
\nthe great sage Vyasa possessing supreme Yogic powers was
\ncapable of imparting this divine vision to San jay a. If we are
\nnot incredulous about the wonderful power of Western
\nhypnosis, why should we be incredulous about the power of
\nthe great Vyasa with his incomparable knowledge? In every
\npage of history and in every activity of human life there is
\navailable ample evidence that a powerful man can impart his
\npower to another. Heroic men of action like Napoleon and
\nIto prepared collaborators in their work by imparting their
\nown power to fit recipients. Even a very ordinary Yogin
\nhaving obtained some special power can impart his power to
\nanother for a little while or for a special purpose, what to
\nspeak of the great Vyasa who was the world’s most accomplished genius and a man of extraordinary Yogic realisation. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn fact, the existence of this divine vision far from being an
\nabsurdity must be a scientific truth. We know that the eye
\ndoes not see, it is not the ear that hears nor the nose that
\nsmells, the skin does not experience the sense of touch nor
\nthe tongue the feeling of taste; it is the mind that sees, the
\nmind that hears, smells, feels the sense of touch or taste. This
\ntruth has been accepted by philosophy and psychology for a
\nlong time. In hypnotism it has been proved by practical
\nscientific tests that the function of the organ of sight can be
\nperformed by any of the sensory nerves even when the eyes <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-118<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nare shut. This goes only to prove that the gross organs of
\nsense like the eye are simply convenient means for the
\nacquisition of knowledge. We have become their slaves
\nbound by a long habit of the gross physical body. But in
\nreality we can convey the knowledge to the mind through
\nany of the channels in the body, as the blind can get by the
\ntouch an accurate idea of the nature and shape of things. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nBut this difference may be noticed between the blind
\nman’s "sight" and that of a man in a state of dream, namely,
\nthat the latter sees an image of the thing in his mind. This
\nprecisely is what is called seeing. In actual fact, I do not see
\nthe book in front of me, it is on seeing the image of the book
\nreflected within my eyes that the mind says, "I have seen a
\nbook". But this too is proved by the seeing and hearing of a
\ndistant object or event by one in a dream-state that in order
\nto obtain a knowledge of an object there is no necessity for
\nany of the physical channels in the body; we can see through
\na subtle power of vision. Every day there are growing in
\nnumber such examples as seeing mentally from a room in
\nLondon events taking place at the time in Edinburgh. This is
\nwhat is called subtle sight. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere is this difference between subtle sight and divine
\nvision that one possessing subtle sight sees the image of
\nthings invisible in his mind, whereas in divine vision, instead
\nof seeing the things in our mind, we see them in front of the
\nphysical eye, instead of hearing the sounds as a current of
\nthought we hear them with the physical ear. A simple
\ninstance of this is the seeing of contemporary events in a
\ncrystal or ink. But for a Yogi endowed with divine vision
\nthere is no need of such material aids, he can on developing
\nthis power become aware of events-in another time and space
\nby removing the bondage of space and time without any
\nmaterial aid. We have obtained enough evidence of this
\nremoval of the barrier of space; numerous and satisfactory <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-119<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nproofs that the barrier of time too can be removed, that man
\ncan be a seer of the past, present and future have not yet
\nbeen presented before the world. But if it is possible to
\nremove the space barrier, it cannot be said that to remove
\nthe barrier of time is impossible. I <\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn any case, with the divine vision given him by Vyasa, j
\nSanjaya while remaining in Hastinapur saw with his eyes as if I
\nhe were standing in the battlefield of Kurukshetra the I
\npartisans of Dhritarashtra and the Pandavas gathered there, 
\nheard with his ears the words of Duryodhana, the fierce
\nbattle-cry of grandfather Bhishma, the mighty sound of
\n<\/i>Panchajanya proclaiming the destruction of the Kurus, and
\nthe dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna bringing out the <\/font><\/p>\n

\nimport of the Gita. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn our opinion, the Mahabharata is not a metaphorical
\npiece nor are Krishna and Arjuna the creations of poetic
\n‘fancy, the Gita too is not the speculation of a modern
\nlogician or philosopher. Therefore we have to prove that
\nanything said in the Gita is not impossible or against reason.
\nIt is for this reason that we have discussed at such length the
\nquestion of possessing the divine vision. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE CUNNING OF DURYODHANA’S SPEECH<\/b> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nSanjaya began his description of those initial acts of war.
\nDuryodhana on seeing the battle formations of the Pandavas
\npresented himself before Dronacharya. Why he went to
\nDrona needs an explanation. Bhishma was the commander-
\nin-chief, it was he who should have been informed of matters
\nconcerning the war. But Duryodhana with his crooked mind
\nhad no faith in Bhishma. Bhishma had a fondness for the
\nPandavas, was the leader of the peace-party in Hastinapur.
\nHad it been only a war between the Pandavas and Dhritarashtra’s sons, he would never have taken up arms. But on <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-120<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nseeing the Kuru kingdom threatened by the Panchala nation j
\nthe old enemy of the Kurus and their equal in the greed for
\nempire, the most outstanding personality, warrior and states-
\nman of the Kuru nation was determined to preserve till the
\nend the glory and the supremacy of his own people by being
\nappointed their commander-in-chief, even as he had guarded
\nthem for long with the strength of his arms. Duryodhana on i
\nhis part was of an Asuric nature, to him the measure and ]
\nmotive of all acts were the feelings of attraction and repulsion, hence he was incapable of understanding the point of
\nview of the great man and his devotion to duty. He could
\nnever believe that this man of hard austerity carried in his
\nheart the strength to kill in the battlefield out of a sense of
\nduty even the Pandavas who were to him as if his own self.
\nOne who has the good of his country at heart tries his utmost
\nto make his people desist from injustice and evil by expressing his views in council, but once the injustice and the evil
\nare accepted by the people he defends his nation and
\nsubdues its enemies even in unrighteous war without caring
\nfor his own personal opinions. Bhishma too had taken this
\nline. But this attitude was beyond Duryodhana’s comprehension. Therefore instead of approaching Bhishma he
\nthought of Drona. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nDrona personally was a staunch enemy of the Panchala
\nking, prince Dhristadyumna of the Panchalas was determined to kill his preceptor Drona. In other words, Duryodhana thought that if reminded of this personal enmity the
\nteacher would give up all leanings towards peace and fight
\nwith an enthusiasm. He did not say this in so many words. He only mentioned Dhristadyumna by name, then in order
\nto please Bhishma as well, described the latter as the
\ndefender of the Kuru kingdom and the hope of their victory.
\nFirst he mentioned the names of the principal fighters among
\nthe enemy, then he uttered the names of some and not all of <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-121<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe commanders in his army; the names of Bhishma and
\nDrona alone were enough for the success of his scheme, but
\nhe added four or five other names to hide his true purpose.
\nThen he said, "My army is enormously big, Bhishma is my
\ncommander-in-chief, the Pandava army is comparatively
\nsmall, their hopes centre round the strength of Bhima.
\nTherefore why should not victory be ours? But as Bhishma is
\nour mainstay, it devolves on everybody to protect him from
\nenemy assaults. If he is there our victory is inevitable." Many
\ntake the word "aparydpta"<\/i> in an opposite sense, this does not
\nstand to reason. Duryodhana had a comparatively bigger
\narmy, the commanders of his troops were not inferior to any
\nin courage or prowess. Why should the boastful Duryodhana
\ngo out of the way to create misgivings by deprecating his own <\/font><\/p>\n

\nstrength?. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nBhishma understood the secret motive behind Duryodhana’s words and the ideas he had in his mind; to remove
\nhis doubts he uttered the battle-cry and sounded his conch-
\nshell. This gave rise to joy in the heart of Duryodhana. He
\nthought that his object had been met, Drona and Bhishma
\nwould give up their hesitation and fight. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE FIRST HINTS <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nAs soon as the battlefield was shaken by the heaven-
\nsplitting sound of Bhishma’s conch, there sounded on all
\nsides of the huge Kaurava host the instruments of war music
\nand the men in their chariots began to feel elated by the
\nexcitement of battle. On the other side, the greatest hero of
\nthe Pandavas and his charioteer Sri Krishna sounded their
\nconchs as an answer to Bhishma’s call to the fray, and
\nYudhisthira and .the other heroes on the Pandava side
\nawakened the war-lust in the hearts of their troops by
\nblowing their own conchs. That mighty report resounded <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-122<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nover earth and sky as if rending the hearts of Dhritarashtra’s
\nsons. This does not mean that it frightened men like
\nBhishma. They were heroic men, why should they be afraid
\nof the fierce call to battle? In these words the poet has
\ndescribed the first powerful impact on the body of extremely
\nhigh-pitched sound; just as the clap of thunder makes the
\nhearer feel as if it were rending his head in two exactly alike
\nwas the impact of this mighty report spreading over the field
\nof battle. And this was as if an announcement of the
\nimpending doom of Dhritarashtra’s men; the hearts that
\nwould be pierced by the Pandava missiles were rent asunder
\nfirst by the sound of Pandava conchs. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n     The war began. Missiles began to fly from both sides. At
\nthis juncture Arjuna said to Sri Krishna, "You please place
\nmy chariot at a point between the two armies. I wish to see
\nwho are our antagonists, who are they who have come to this
\nwar to act according to the pleasure of the misguided
\nDuryodhana, who are those with whom I have to fight."
\nArjuna’s idea was that the Pandavas centred their hopes on
\nhim alone and it was for him to kill the principal fighters on
\nthe opposite side, therefore he must see who these were. So
\nfar, Arjuna’s attitude was entirely that of a Kshatriya, there
\nis not a sign of pity or weakness. Many of India’s most heroic
\nmen were present in the opposing army; Arjuna was keen on
\ngiving to elder brother Yudhisthira undisputed empire by
\nkilling them all. But Sri Krishna knew that Arjuna harboured a weakness in his mind; if this mind were not
\ncleansed now, that weakness might suddenly come up from
\nthere ‘and occupy the higher intelligence at any moment and
\nthis would cause great harm to the Pandavas, perhaps even
\nlead to their ruin. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n     For this reason, Sri Krishna placed the chariot in such a
\nplace that those dear to Arjuna, like Bhishma and Drona,
\nwere just in front and at the same time all the other princes <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-123<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\non the side of the Kauravas were within sight. And he said to
\nArjuna, "See and have a look at the Kuru clan gathered
\nhere." It has to be recalled that Arjuna himself belonged to
\nthe Kuru clan, was a pride of the Kuru family; all his
\nrelatives, the men dear to him, the companions of his
\nchildhood belonged to the same Kuru clan; that will make
\none realise the profound idea and significance of these few
\nordinary words from Sri Krishna’s mouth. Arjuna could now
\nsee that those whom he has to kill in order to found the
\nundisputed empire of Yudhisthira were none other than his
\nown dear relatives, teachers, friends, the objects of love and
\ndevotion. He saw that the Kshatriya families of the whole of
\nIndia were bound together by ties of affection and yet had
\ncome to that terrible field of battle to kill one another. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nTHE ROOT CAUSE OF DEJECTION <\/font><\/p>\n

\nWhat is the source of Arjuna’s dejection? Many people
\nare full of praise for this dejection of Arjuna and decry Sri
\nKrishna as a supporter Of unrighteousness and as showing
\nthe wrong path. The peaceful attitude of Christianity, the
\nnon-violence of Buddhism and the spirit of love in Vaishnava
\nreligion are alone the highest and best laws of right living,
\nwar and the killing of men are sins, the killing of one’s
\nbrothers and teachers are grievous sins: it is under the spell
\nof ideas such as these that they make this improper state-
\nment. But all these modern ideas never even entered the
\nmind of the great Pandava hero of that remote Dwapara
\nepoch; there is in Arjuna’s words no inkling of any signs that he even
\nconsidered whether non-violence was to be preferred to war, or whether one should desist from war because
\nthe killing of brothers and teachers or homicide in general ¦
\nwere grievous sins. He did indeed say that it would be better i
\nto live by begging than to slaughter one’s elders, he said<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-124<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nindeed that the sin of killing the relatives and friends would
\nfall on them. But he said these words not from a consideration of the nature of these works, but by judging them by the
\nresults. That is why in order to break his gloom, Sri Krishna
\ntaught him this lesson that one should not look to the fruit of
\nworks, one has to decide whether a particular act is right or
\nwrong by looking into its nature. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nArjuna’s first thoughts were that these were his relatives.
\nelders, friends, companions of childhood, all were the
\nobjects of his affection, love or devotion; to obtain undisputed empire by slaughtering them and the enjoyment of
\nsuch empire could never be a source of pleasure, on the
\ncontrary one would burn with life-long repentence and
\nsorrow, for nobody would care to have dominion over earth
\nbereft of all friends and kin. His second idea was that to kill
\nthe dear ones was against the right law of living, to kill in
\nbattle those who were the objects of enmity was the law of
\nthe Kshatriya. His third point was that to perform such acts,
\nto gain one’s own ends was against the right law and
\nimproper for a Kshatriya; and the fourth, was that this
\nantagonism and slaughter of brothers would lead to the
\ndestruction of clans and ruin of nations; to be the occasion
\nfor such untoward results was a grievous sin for a Kshatriya
\nhero, the protector of the clan and nation. Apart from these
\nfour notions, there was none other behind the despondency
\nof Arjuna. Not to understand this is to miss the purport of Sri
\nKrishna’s teaching and his aim. We shall speak later of the
\nconflict or harmony between the Gita’s law and that of
\nChristianity, Buddhism and Vaishnavism. Here we shall
\nelucidate Arjuna’s attitude of mind by looking into the
\npurport of his words by a careful scrutiny.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nINVASION OF THE DIVINE MAYA <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nArjuna first describes the state of his dejection. By the
\nsudden revolt of affection and self-pity, the mighty hero <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-125<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nArjuna is overwhelmed and vanquished. All the strength of
\nhis body has dried up in a moment, his limbs have grown
\nweary, he has no power to move about, his strong arm is
\nincapable of holding the Gandiva bow. The sensation of heat
\nproduced by grief exhibits the signs of fever. The body feels
\nweak, the skin is burning as if in flames, the mouth has dried
\nup within, the body trembles violently all over, the mind is as
\nif whirling under that attack. On reading the description of
\nthis state, we are at first satisfied only by enjoying its poetic
\nbeauty and regard it as an inordinate expression of the poets
\nimaginative power. But on looking at it with close scrutiny, a
\ndeeper meaning of this description comes to mind. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nArjuna has fought the Kurus before this, but such ideas
\nhave never occurred to him. Now, at Krishna’s will, suddenly
\nthere is this inner disturbance. There are lying hidden within
\nArj una’s heart many of the most powerful instincts of
\nmankind dominated and restrained by his Kshatriya training
\nand high ambition. The heart is not purified by repression,
\nthe purification comes through self-control with the help of
\ndiscrimination and a purified understanding. All the repressed instincts and feelings come up some day from the
\nheart, either in this life or in another, invade the under-
\nstanding and on winning it over drive all action along paths
\nfavourable to their own self-expression. This is the reason
\nwhy one who in this life is full of kindness becomes cruel in
\nanother life, one who in this life is a vicious lustful man
\nbecomes pure and saintly in the next. Instead of repression,
\nthe impulses have to be rejected with the help of the
\ndiscrimination and a purified understanding; this is how the
\nheart can be purified. This is what is called self-control. Self-
\ncontrol becomes impossible until the tamasic feelings are
\ndiscarded through the influence of knowledge. That is why  Sri Krishna is
\nwanting to purify the heart by removing the 
\nignorance and awakening the dormant power of discrimination. But if the
\nundesirable movements are not raised up<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-126 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nfrom the heart and presented before the understanding the
\nlatter does not get a chance to reject them. Besides, it is only
\nthrough a struggle that the inner enemies, the Daityas and
\nRakshasas, are killed and then the discrimination makes the
\nunderstanding free. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn the first stages of Yoga, all the evil propensities that
\nhave taken root in the heart invade the understanding with
\ngreat force and overwhelm the unwary seeker with fear and
\ngrief. This is what is known in the West as the temptations of
\nthe devil, these are the attacks of Mara, the Evil One. But
\nthe fear and the grief are the products of ignorance, the
\ntemptation is not of the devil but of God. The World-
\nTeacher dwelling within us calls on those propensities to
\nattack the aspirant, not for doing harm but for his good, for
\nthe purification of the heart. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nJust as Sri Krishna in his physical body and in the visible
\nworld is the friend and charioteer of Arjuna, so he is within
\nhim the formless Godhead and the indwelling Lord. It is he
\nwho threw with great force the hidden movements and
\nfeelings all at once upon the understanding. At that terrific
\nblow the understanding lost its balance and the acute mental
\ndisturbance was revealed instantly through-the symptoms in
\nthe physical body described by the poet. We know that an
\nacute unexpected grief or pain manifests thus in the body,
\nthis is not beyond the common experience of mankind. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nArjuna was overwhelmed in a moment by the divine Maya
\nof the Lord with its entire force, hence this acute disturbance. When evil takes on the guise of tender feelings like
\nlove and kindness, when ignorance comes masquerading as
\nknowledge, when the thick darkness of the Tamasic mode
\npretends to a bright and clear purity and says, "I am Sattwic,
\nI am knowledge, I am virtue, I am the cherished messenger
\nof God, I am virtue incarnate, I come to establish the reign of Law", then it is to be understood that the divine Maya of the Lord has shown itself in the understanding. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-127<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n <\/i>THE SIGNS OF THE DIVINE MAYA <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe main weapons of this divine Maya are affection and
\npity. In the human race, love and affection are impure
\n"movements; owing to distortions produced by the body and
\nthe vital sheath the purity of the love and compassion is
\ntarnished and deformed. The inner movements have their
\nseats in the basic mindstuff (citta),<\/i> the vital being (prāna)<\/i> is
\nthe field of enjoyment, the body is the instrument of action,
\nthe understanding (buddhi)<\/i> is the domain of thought. In a
\nstate of purity, all of these have their separate and yet
\nmutually uncontradictory movements. Ideas and feelings
\narise in the mind, action takes place accordingly through the body, in the
\nunderstanding there are thoughts in that connection, the vital being takes the pleasure of those feelings,
\naction and thought, the soul (jāva)<\/i> remains a witness and
\nfeels joy in looking on this delightful play of the outer nature
\n(prakrti).<\/i> In the impure state, the vital becoming eager for; physical or mental pleasure makes the body a means of
\nenjoyment, the body becomes attached to enjoyment and 
\nclamours again and again for physical pleasures, the mind
\nbecomes engrossed with the desire for physical enjoyment
\nand can no longer accept pure ideas and feelings, impure ; ideas and feelings stained with desire create disturbances in
\nthe mind-ocean, the understanding is overwhelmed and ‘
\nperplexed by that clamour of desires and is no longer capable 1
\nof receiving pure and calm infallible thought, comes under J
\nthe control of the unquiet mind-stuff and becomes blinded by
\ndelusions, confused thinking and the power of falsehood.
\nThe soul too forfeits its Knowledge through this failure of the
\nunderstanding, is deprived of the poise of witness and its sense of pure
\ndelight; it accepts its identity with the outer  man, and under the
\nmistaken notion that "I am the life-
\nbeing, I am the citta,<\/i> I am the understanding", it takes <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-128<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n <\/p>\n

\npleasure and feels pain in mental or physical pain and
\npleasure. It is the unpurified citta<\/i> that lies at the root of this
\nconfusion, hence the purification of citta<\/i> is the first step to
\nprogress. This state of impurity does not stop with spoiling
\nthe tamasic and rajasic movements alone, it pollutes the
\nsattwic movements as well. Such and such a person provides
\nmaterial for my physical and mental enjoyment, he pleases
\nme, I must have him and no other, I feel unhappy in his
\nabsence\u2014all this is impure love, it is a distortion of pure
\nlove through a pollution of the mind, body and life. As a
\nresult of this impurity, the understanding becomes confused: <\/font><\/p>\n

\nit says, "Such and such is my wife or brother or sister,
\nrelative, friend or close companion, they alone should be the
\nobjects of love, that love is sacred, if I act contrary to that
\nlove, it is sin, it is cruelty, it is unlawful." This kind of impure
\nlove gives rise to such a strong sense of pity that it seems
\npreferable to throw overboard the law of right living rather
\nthan let the dear ones be aggrieved or harmed. In the end,
\nwe come to justify our weaknesses by calling the law of right
\nliving an injustice because it deals a blow to this sense of pity.
\nThe proof of this kind of Divine Maya can be had in every
\nword of Arjuna. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE LITTLENESS OF DIVINE MAYA <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe first words of Arjuna are, "These are our own
\npeople, they are our kin and objects of our love, what good
\nof ours will be served by killing them in battle ? The pride of
\nthe victor, the glory of kingship, the rich man’s joy? I do not
\nwish for all these hollow selfish ends. Why do kingship and
\nenjoyment and life become dear to men? All these pleasures
\nand greatnesses are tempting things because there are the
\nwives and sons and daughters, because these will enable us to
\nmaintain in comfort our dear ones and relatives, because we <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-129<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nshall be able to share our days with friends in the joy and
\ncomfort of wealth. But the very persons for whom we want
\nkingship and enjoyment and pleasure are come as our foes in
\nwar. They would much rather kill us in battle than share the
\nkingship and pleasure together with us. Let them kill me, but
\nI can never kill them. Could I obtain possession of the
\nkingdom of the three worlds, by killing them, even then I
\nwould not do it; undisputed empire on earth is a mere trifle."
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nA superficial observer, enchanted with the words, <\/font><\/p>\n

\n                                                           na kāmkse vijayam krsna na ca rājyarh sukhani ca<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nand <\/font><\/p>\n

\n                                              
\netānna hantumicchāmi ghnato’pi madhūsudana<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n                                             
\napi trailokyarājyasya hetoh kinnu mahikrte<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nwould say, "Oh, how noble and high, how unselfish an 1
\nattitude on the part of Arjuna, how full of love ! To him 
\ndefeat, death and eternal suffering are more desirable than 
\nan enjoyment and pleasure tainted with blood." But if we 
\nexamine Arjuna’s state of mind, we come to know that this 
\nattitude of his is extremely mean, a sign of weakness, fit only I
\nfor a coward. To give up one’s personal interests for the 
\nbenefit of the clan, for the love of dear ones, under the influence of pity or for fear of bloodshed may be a high and 
\nnoble attitude for one who is not an Aryan man; but for an 
\nAryan, it is not the best attitude, to give up one’s interests 
\nfor the sake of the right and for the love of God is the highest
\nattitude. On the other hand, to give up the right law of living
\nfor the benefit of the clan, for the love of dear ones, under
\nthe influence of pity, for fear of bloodshed is the worst
\nattitude. To keep the feelings of affection, pity and fear i
\nunder control for the sake of the right law and for love of
\nGod is the true Aryan way. ; <\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn order to defend this low attitude of mind, Arjuna says
\nagain pointing to the sin of killing one’s kin, "What pleasure, <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-130<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nwhat satisfaction of mind can be ours by the killing of
\nDhritarashtra’s sons? They are our friends, our kith and kin.
\nEven if they commit injustices and act as our enemies, rob us
\nof our kingdom, break their promises, to kill them would
\nbring us sin, will not give us happiness." Arjuna had forgotten that he was fighting a righteous war, was engaged by
\nSri Krishna in the slaughter of Dhritarashtra’s sons not for
\nhis own happiness or for the happiness of Yudhishthira; the
\nobject of this war was to establish the rule of law, the
\nfulfilment of the Kshatriya’s duties, the founding of a great
\nempire in India based on the law of right living. To achieve
\nthese ends by forsaking all happiness, even by undergoing
\nlife-long suffering and pain was Arjuna’s duty. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE QUESTION OF THE RUIN OF CLANS <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nBut Arjuna finds another, a nobler argument in support of
\nhis weakness. "This war will lead to the ruin of clans and
\nnations, therefore this war is not a righteous war but an
\nunrighteous war. This fratricide implies an animosity to-
\nwards friends; that is, it means doing harm to those who are
\nnaturally in our favour and help us. Moreover, it will lead to
\nthe destruction of that clan of ours, that is, the Kshatriya
\nfamily and clan-nation named Kuru from which both sides
\nhave sprung." In ancient times, the nation was frequently
\nbased on blood-relationships. A large clan when it expanded
\ngrew into a nation. For example, particular clans such as the
\nKurus and the Bhojas included within the Bharata nation
\nbecame each a powerful nation. The internal strife and
\nmutual wrong-doing within the clan were what Arjuna
\ndescribed as the animosity of friends. On the one hand, this
\nkind of animosity is a heinous sin from the moral point of
\nview; on the other hand, from the economic point of view,
\nthis great evil is the inevitable fruit of the deterioration of
\nclans implied in such animosity. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-131<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nThe proper observance of the old established laws of the
\nclan is the mainstay of its progress and continuity. The clan
\nundergoes a downfall through a departure from the high
\nideals and a slackening of the disciplines which the ancestors
\nhave laid down and maintained with regard to the life of the
\nhouseholder and in the political field. These ideals and
\ndisciplines are maintained as long as the clan remains fortunate and strong. When it suffers deterioration and becomes
\nweak, there is a slackening of the great ideals through the
\nspread of tamasic ideas; as a result, evils like immorality and
\nanarchy enter the clan, the women of the clan lose their
\nvirtue and the clan loses its purity, to the noble clan are born
\nsons of persons of a low character and birth. In consequence
\nof this cutting off of the ancestors from the true line of their
\nprogeny, the destroyers of the clan find themselves in hell.
\nAnd through the spread of unrighteousness, the moral
\ndegradation following the admixture of castes, the pervasion
\nof low qualities and because of anarchy and such other evils,
\nthe entire clan is ruined and becomes fit for hell. With the
\nruin of the clan, both the law of the nation and the law of the
\nclan come to an end; by the law of the nation is meant the old
\nestablished ideals and disciplines come down through the
\ngenerations among the great collectivity of the nation formed <\/font><\/p>\n

\nof all the clans. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nArjuna thereupon threw up at the very moment of battle
\nhis Gandiva bow and sat down in the chariot, having
\nproclaimed once again his initial decision and the resolution
\nas to how he should act. In the last verse of this chapter, the
\npoet has left a hint that Arjuna was determined to act in this
\nun-Aryan manner unworthy of a Kshatriya because there
\nhad been a confusion in his understanding on account of  grief. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE KNOWLEDGE AND THE IGNAORANCE <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nIn Ariuna’s words about the ruin of clans, we find the
\ntrace of a very high and large idea; it is extremely important <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-132<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nfor the interpreter of the Gita to consider the serious
\nquestion involved in that idea. On the other hand, if we look
\nonly for the spiritual significance of the Gita, if we make a
\ncomplete break between the law of living propounded by the
\nGita and our national, domestic and personal, our mundane
\nacts and ideals, we shall be denying the greatness and
\nimportance of that idea and that question, it will be to limit
\nthe universal application of the Gita’s law. ; <\/font><\/p>\n

\nShankara and others who have interpreted the Gita were’
\nmen of knowledge or devotion, other-worldly philosophers,
\nintent on spiritual knowledge; they were content with seek-
\ning in the Gita and finding therein whatever knowledge or
\nideas that were important to them. Those who are at once
\nmen of knowledge, devotion and works are alone fit for the
\ninnermost teaching of the Gita. The speaker of the Gita, Sri
\nKrishna, was a man of knowledge and works, the recepient
\nof the Gita, Arjuna, was a devotee and man of action; it was
\nin order to open his eye of knowledge that Sri Krishna
\npropounded this teaching in Kurukshetra. A mighty political
\nconflict was the occasion for the propagation of the Gita, its
\nobject was to induce Arjuna to fight as an agent and
\ninstrument for the carrying out of a great political purpose in
\nthis conflict, the battlefield itself was the venue of the
\nteaching. Sri Krishna was a supreme fighter and master of
\npolitical science, to establish the rule of law was the prime
\nobject of his life; Arjuna too was a Kshatriya prince, war and
\npolitics were works proper to his nature. How should it be
\npossible to interpret the Gita by ignoring the purpose of the
\nGita, its speaker, the recipient of the knowledge, the reason
\nfor its propagation ? <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere are always present in human life its five  principal
\nsupports: the individual, the family, the clan, the nation and
\nthe human collectivity. The law of right living is also based on these five
\nsupports. The object of that law is to reach<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-133 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nGod.<\/i> There are two paths to reach God: to
\npossess the knowledge and to possess the Ignorance. Both are means to
\nSelf-knowledge and God-realisation. The path of the Knowledge is to reject this Creation full of Ignorance, though a
\nmanifestation of the Supreme, and to realise Sachchidananda or merge in the Supreme Self. The path of the
\nIgnorance is to see the Self and God everywhere and to
\nrealise the Supreme Lord who is Knowledge, Power and
\nGood incarnate, as friend and lord, teacher, father and
\nmother, son and daughter, and servant, lover, husband and
\nwife. Peace is the object of the Knowledge, love the object of
\nthe Ignorance. But the Divine Nature is made of both the
\nKnowledge and the Ignorance. If we follow the path of the
\nKnowledge alone, we shall realise the Supreme in his form of
\nKnowledge; if we follow only the path of the Ignorance, we
\nshall realise the Supreme in his form of Ignorance. He who
\ncan possess both the Knowledge and the Ignorance alone
\nrealises Vasudeva in his entirety; he crosses beyond the
\nKnowledge and the Ignorance. Those who have reached the
\nfinal goal of the Knowledge have possessed the Knowledge
\nwith the help of the Ignorance. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThis great truth has been <\/b> revealed in the Isha Upanishad
\nin very clear terms, as follows: <\/font><\/p>\n

\nandham tamah praviśanti ye vidyāmupdsate<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n tato bhuya iva te tamo ye u vidyayām <\/b>ratah<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nanyadevāhurvidyayānyadevdhuravidyayā<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n iti śuśruma dhīrāndm ye nastadvicacaksire<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nvidyāncāvidyānca yastddvedobhayam saha<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n avidyayd mrtyum tīrtvā vidyāyamrtamaśnute<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n                "Into a blind darkness they enter who follow after the <\/font><\/p>\n

\npage-134<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nIgnorance, they as if into a greater darkness who devote
\nthemselves to the Knowledge alone. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n"Other, verily, it is said, is that which comes by the
\nKnowledge, other that which comes by the Ignorance; this
\nis the lore we have received from the wise who revealed
\nThat to our understanding. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n"He who knows That as both in one, the Knowledge and
\nthe Ignorance, by the Ignorance crosses beyond death and
\nby the Knowledge enjoys Immortality."  <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe entire human race is progressing towards the Knowledge through its experience of the Ignorance; this is the true
\nevolution. Those who are the best, the aspirant and the yogin, the man of
\nknowledge and devotion, the doer of the Yoga of works, are in the vanguard of
\nthis march. They reach the far goal at a quick pace, they come back and make the
\nhuman race hear the gospel, show it the path, distribute power. The incarnations
\nand emanations of God come and make the path easy to tread, create favourable
\nconditions, destroy the obstacles. To realise the Knowledge in the midst of the Ignorance, renunciation in the midst of enjoyment, the ascetic
\nspirit while living in the world, all beings within the Self, the
\nSelf in all beings,\u2014to have this realisation is the true knowledge. this precisely is the path laid down for the human race to
\nmarch to its destination. The limitations of one’s self-knowledge are the main obstacles to progress; the identification of
\nself with the body and the sense of egoism are root causes of
\nthose limitations; hence, to look upon others as one’s own self
\nis the first step to progress. Man’s first preoccupation is with
\nthe individual, he is engrossed in his own individual bodily
\nand mental progress, he devotes himself to his own body and
\nmind, to their progress, enjoyment, and the development of
\ntheir powers. "I am the body, I am the mind and vital being; the aim of life and the highest condition of progress are to <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-135<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nsecure the strength and beauty and happiness of the body,
\nswiftness and clarity and delight of the mind, prowess, enjoyment and cheerfulness of the vital being"\u2014 this is the first
\negoistic form of knowledge in man. This too has a utility; it is
\nafter achieving the development and fullness of body, mind
\nand life in the first instance that one should use that fully
\ndeveloped power in the service of others. That is why the
\n‘egoistic development of power is the first stage of human civilisation; the animal, the ogre, the demon and the titan,
\neven the goblin find their play in human mind, action and
\ncharacter, express themselves through these. Afterwards man
\nwidens his self-knowledge and begins to see others as his own
\nself. learns to submerge his self-interest in the interests’ of others. At
\nfirst, he looks upon his family as his own self, gives up his life for saving
\nthe lives of his wife and children, throws away his own happiness to secure the
\nhappiness of his wife and children. Thereafter, he comes to regard the clan as
\nhis self, gives up his life in order to save the clan, sacrifices himself, his
\nchildren and his wife, throws away his own happiness and that of his wife and children. Afterwards, he
\nconsiders the nation as his own self, gives up his life for the
\nsafety of his nation, sacrifices himself, his wife and children,
\nhis family and clan, even as the Rajput clans of Chitore
\nsacrificed themselves repeatedly of their own accord for the
\nsafety of the entire Rajput nation; out of regard for the
\nhappiness and glory of the nation he throws away the
\nhappiness and glory of his clan, his wife and children and
\nhimself. Finally, he sees the entire human race as himself,
\ngives up his life for the progress of the human race, sacrifices
\nhimself, his wife and children, his clan and nation, throws
\naway for the happiness and progress of mankind, the happiness, glory and advancement of himself, his wife and children,
\nhis clan and nation. Thus to see others as one’s own self and to
\nsacrifice himself and his happiness for the sake of others have <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-136<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n

 
\nbeen the main teachings of Buddhism and of Christianity
\nwhich had Buddhism for its parent. The moral progress of
\nEurope has been along these lines. The men of ancient
\nEurope learnt to submerge the individual in the family, the
\nfamily in the clan; the modern Europeans have learnt to
\nsubmerge the clan in the nation, to submerge the nation in the
\nhuman collectivity is considered by them as a difficult ideal-
\nThinkers like Tolstoy and supporters of the new ideal like the
\nSocialist and the Anarchist parties are now anxious to put this
\nideal into practice. Europe has been able to move thus far.
\nEuropeans are devoted to the Ignorance, they are not aware
\nof the true Knowledge. "Into a blind darkness they enter who i
\nfollow after the Ignorance." I
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn India, the sages have mastered both the Knowledge and
\nthe Ignorance. They know that apart from the five bases of the
\nIgnorance, there is God who is the foundation of the Knowledge; unless we know Him, the Ignorance too is not known,
\ncannot be mastered. Therefore, instead of seeing only others
\nas self, they have seen God in others as within themselves, ātmavat paradehesu.<\/i> "I shall better myself, my betterment
\nwill lead to the betterment of my family; I shall help improve
\nthe family, with the improvement of the family the clan will
\nbe improved; I shall help advance the cause of the nation,
\nthe advancement of the nation will make for the advance-
\nment of the human race": this knowledge lies at the root of
\nthe Aryan social system and the Aryan discipline. Renunciation of personal self is for the Aryan a habit ingrained in his
\nvery bones\u2014renunciation for the sake of the family, renunciation in the interests of the clan, the society, the human
\nrace, renunciation for God. The deficiencies or faults that
\nare observed in our education are the results of certain
\nhistorical causes. For instance, we see the nation as a part of
\nsociety, we are used to submerge the interests of the individual and the family
\nin those of the society, but the development of the political life of the nation was not accepted as a, <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-137<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nmain element included in our law of right living. This
\nteaching had to be imported from the West. Nevertheless,
\nthe teaching was there in our country itself, in our ancient
\neducation, in the Mahabharata, the Gita, in the history of
\nRajputana, in Ramdasa’s Ddsabodha.<\/i> We could not develop
\nthat teaching because of excessive devotion to the Knowledge, for fear of the Ignorance. Because of this fault, we
\nwere overcome by tamas,<\/i> we deviated from the right law of
\nnational life, fell a prey to abject slavery, suffering and
\nignorance. We could not master the Ignorance, were on the
\npoint of losing the Knowledge as well. Tato bhuya iva te tamo
\nya u vidydydm ratdh.<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nSRI KRISHNA’S POLITICAL OBJECTIVES <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe clan and the nation become differentiated in course of
\nthe gradual development of human society. That differentiation did not become so well-marked in ancient times in
\nIndia or in other countries. A nation would grow out of the
\nconglomeration of a few large clans. Each of these different
\nclans either claimed descent from a common ancestor, or
\neven though growing out of different families was accepted
\nas born of a single ancestry through the establishment of
\nfriendly relations. The whole of India did not become a
\nsingle big nation, but among the large nations that spread
\nthemselves all over the land there prevailed a common
\ncivilisation, a common religion, a single language, Sanskrit,
\nand relationships like those of marriage. From ancient times
\nhowever there had been attempts at unification. Now it was
\nthe Kurus, now the Pancalas, sometimes the Kosalan,
\nsometimes the Magadhan nation who held empire over the
\nland as its chief or overlord. But the ancient tradition of the
\nclans and their love of independence would create such
\npowerful obstacles to unity that these attempts could never <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-138<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nlast for long. In India, this attempt towards unity, the effort
\nat undisputed empire was counted among the acts of piety
\nand the duties of a king. This movement towards unity had
\nbecome so strong that even a powerful and turbulent
\nKshatriya like Sishupala the king of the Chedis agreed to
\ntake part in the founding of Yudhishthira’s empire. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nTo establish such a unity, empire or rule of law was Sri
\nKrishna’s political objective. The Magadhan king Jarasandha had already made this attempt, but his power was
\nfounded on tyranny and unrighteousness, would therefore be
\nshort-lived. Hence Sri Krishna baffled that attempt by
\ngetting him killed at the hands of Bhima. The main obstacle
\nto Sri Krishna’s work was the proud and powerful family of
\nthe Kurus. The Kuru people had for a long time been among
\nthe leading peoples of India. To what is called "hegemony",
\nthat is, a position of pre-eminence and leadership among a
\nnumber of independent peoples of equal status\u2014to that the
\nKurus had an ancestral right. As long as the pride and power
\nof this people remained intact, unity would never be established in India. Sri Krishna came to realise this. Therefore he
\nwas determined to destroy the Kuru people. But the Kuru
\npeople had a hereditary right to the empire of India; Sri
\nKrishna did not forget this fact. To deprive one of his rightful
\ndue would be an act of unrighteousness, so he chose for
\nappointment to the future position of emperor Yudhisthira
\nwho was legally the king and chief of the Kuru people. Sri
\nKrishna was supremely righteous; he did not out of affection
\nattempt to set up his beloved clan of the Yadavas in place of
\nthe Kuru people even though capable of doing it; he did not
\nnominate for that position his dearest friend Arjuna by
\nignoring the eldest born of the Pandavas. Yudhishthira. But
\nthere is possibility of harm in considering only the age or
\nprevious title. If Yudhishthira had been unrighteous, tyrannical or incapable, Sri Krishna would have been obliged to<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-139<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nlook for another candidate. Yudhishthira was as well fitted
\nto be emperor by birth, rightful title, and the old established
\ntradition of the land, as he was the proper claimant to that
\ntitle by virtue of his qualities. There were many great and
\nheroic kings more powerful and talented than him, but
\nstrength and talent alone do not give one a title to kingship.
\nThe king was to safeguard the rule of law, keep the subjects
\ncontented, protect the land. In the first two of these qualities, Yudhishthira had no peer; he was the son of the Lord of
\nRighteousness, he was kind and just, he spoke the truth, he
\nkept his truth, his acts were based on the truth, he was
\nextremely dear to his subjects. The deficiency he had in the
\nlast of the requisite qualities mentioned, his heroic brothers
\nBhima and Arjuna were capable of making good. Contemporary India did not possess kings as powerful or men as
\nheroic as the five Pandavas. Therefore, once the obstacle
\nwas removed by the killing of Jarasandha, King Yudhishthira
\non the advice of Sri Krishna performed the Rajasuya sacrifice in accordance with the ancient tradition of the land, and
\nbecame its emperor. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nSri Krishna was a follower of the right law <\/b> and a master of
\nthe science of politics. If there was a possibility of carrying to
\nfruition his great objective by working within the framework
\nof the law of the land, its tradition, the rules of its society,
\nthen why should he deviate from that law, go against that
\ntradition, break those rules? To bring about such revolutions
\nin politics and society is harmful to the country. For this
\nreason, he at first directed his attempts to gain his objective
\nby maintaining the ancient tradition. But there was this
\ndefect in the ancient tradition of the land that even if the
\nattempts made in accordance with it were successful, there
\nwas very little chance of the success being permanent. One
\nwho had the advantage in military strength could no doubt
\nbecome emperor by performing the Rajasuya sacrifice, but <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-140<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nas soon as his descendant became weak the imperial crown
\nslipped automatically from his head. Why should the power-
\nful and heroic peoples who had come under the control of his
\nfather or grandfather accept the vassalage of the conqueror’s
\nson or grandson? Not hereditary right but the Rajasuya
\nsacrifice itself, that is, an extraordinary military strength was
\nat the root of that empire, he alone who had the greatest
\nstrength would be emperor by performing the sacrifice.
\nHence there was no hope for the permanence of the empire,
\nthere could only be a temporary hegemony. Another defect
\nof this system was that the sudden augmentation of strength
\nand the hegemony of the new emperor kindled the fire of
\njealousy in the hearts of the intolerant powerful Kshatriyas
\nof the land so proud of their strength. "Why should he
\nbecome the chief? why not ourselves?"\u2014such thoughts
\ncould easily rise in their minds. This kind of jealousy on the
\npart of Kshatriyas belonging to Yudhishthira’s own clan
\nmade them oppose him. The sons of his uncle taking
\nadvantage of this jealousy deprived him of his position and
\nsent him to exile. The defect in the tradition of the land
\nbecame manifest within a short while. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nSri Krishna was as much a master of political science as he
\nwas righteous. He would never draw back from altering a
\ntraditional method or rule if it was defective, harmful or
\nunsuitable to the needs of the time. He was the principal
\nrevolutionist of the age. King Bhurisravas gave voice to the
\nangry feeling of many contemporary Indians of the old
\nschool when he said while taking Sri Krishna to task,
\n"Krishna or the Yadava clan which acts under his guidance never shrinks
\nfrom acting against the right law or distorting it. Whoever acts on Krishna’s
\nadvice will surely fall into sin before long." For, in the view of a
\nconservative with his attachment to the old ways a novel venture is in itself a
\nsin. Sri Krishna realised on Yudhishthira’s downfall\u2014not realised but knew from the beginning, for he was God\u2014that a <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-141<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\ncustom suited to the Dwapara epoch should never be
\npreserved in the Kali age. Therefore, he made no further
\nattempts on those lines; he followed the line of statecraft
\nproper to Kali, with its emphasis on war and strife and
\ndirected his efforts towards making the future of empire free
\nof obstacles by destroying the power of the insolent and
\nproud Kshatriya race. He incited the Panchala people,
\nancient and equally powerful rivals of the Kurus. to destroy
\nthe latter; all the other peoples who could be attracted out of
\nhatred towards the Kurus, for the love of Yudhishthira or
\nout of desire for unity and the rule of law were attracted to
\nthat side, and he got the preliminaries of war made ready. In
\nthe attempts that were made towards peace Sri Krishna had
\nno faith. He knew that peace was not possible, even if it were
\nmade it could not last. Still, out of regard for the right law
\nand from considerations of policy, he devoted himself to
\nattempts at peace. There is no doubt that the Kurukshetra
\nwar was the result of Sri Krishna’s policy, and that to destroy
\nthe Kurus  to destroy the power of the Kshatriyas, to establish an undisputed imperial authority and the unity of India
\nwere his objectives. The war that was fought in order to
\nestablish the rule of law was a righteous war. The God-
\nappointed victor in that righteous war was the mighty warrior
\nArjuna driven by a divine Power. If Arjuna were to give up
\nhis arms, Sri Krishna’s labours would have come to nought,
\nthe unity of India could not be achieved, a great evil would
\nsoon have overtaken the future of the land.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nFRATRICIDE AND<\/b> THE RUIN OF CLANS<\/b><\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nAll the arguments of Arjuna were set forth with a view to
\nthe interests of the clan, thoughts about the good of the
\nnation had been effaced from his mind by the force of
\npersonal affection. He had forgotten about the good of India<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-142<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nin considering the good of the Kuru family, he was preparing
\nto throw away the right law for fear of unrighteousness. We
\nall know that to kill one’s brothers out of self-interest is a
\nheinous sin. But it is a greater sin to be a party to bringing
\nabout a national calamity, to desist from doing good to one’s
\nnation out of love for one’s brothers. If Arjuna gave up his
\narms, it would be a victory for unrighteousness, Duryodhana
\nwould become the paramount king of India and the leading
\nman in the whole country, he would by his bad example put a
\nstain on the national character and the code of behaviour of
\nKshatriya families, the strong and mighty Indian clans would
\nturn to each other’s destruction under the impulse of jealousy, self-interest and love of antagonism, there would be no
\nundisputed state power guided by the rule of law to unify,
\ngovern and keep the country well defended by a concentration of power. Under such conditions, that foreign invasion,
\nwhich even at that time was preparing like a sea held by the
\ndykes to come upon India and inundate it, would, arriving
\nbefore its time, have destroyed the Aryan civilisation and
\nrooted out all hopes of the future good of the world. The
\npolitical upheaval that began in India two thousand years
\nlater on the fall of the empire set up by Sri Krishna and
\nArjuna would have commenced right then.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThey say that the ills for fear of which Arjuna had raised
\nthose objections did actually come as a result of the Kuru-
\nkshetra war. Fratricide, the ruin of clans, even the ruin of the
\npeoples were the fruits of the Kurukshetra war. This war was
\nthe occasion for the onset of Kali. It is true, this war led to a
\nterrible fratricide. The question-arises: by what other means
\ncould the great objectives of Sri Krishna be met? Precisely
\nfor this reason did Sri Krishna, knowing well the futility of
\nseeking the peace, make considerable attempts to find a way
\nto peace. Yudhishthira would have desisted from war had he
\ngot back even the five villages, if he could secure even that<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-143<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nmuch space as a foothold, Sri Krishna could have established
\nthe rule of law. But Duryodhana was firmly determined not
\nto give an iota of land without war. Where the future of the
\nwhole country depended on the results of war, it had been
\nunrighteous to desist from the war because it would lead to
\nfratricide. The good of the family had to be submerged in the
\ngood of the nation, the good of the world. Brotherly
\naffection and attachment to family ties could not justify the
\nruin of millions of people, a sacrifice of the future happiness
\nor the amelioration of suffering of millions of people; that
\ntoo would lead to perdition of the individual and the clan.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThat there was a ruin of the clans in the Kurukshetra war is
\nalso a fact. As a result of this war. the family of the Kurus of
\ngreat might practically disappeared. But, if by the disappearance of the Kuru people the whole of India came to be
\nsaved, then the destruction of the Kurus meant not a loss but
\na gain. Just as there is the blind attachment to family ties, so
\nis there a blind attachment to the clan. Not to say anything to
\nour fellow-countrymen, not to oppose them, even though
\nthey may cause harm or be intent to kill, even though they
\ncause the country’s ruination, they are brothers, objects of
\naffection, they should be borne in silence: this kind of
\nunrighteousness born of the Divine Maya that posing as the
\nright law makes us fall from a true understanding is produced
\nby the delusion of attachment to the clan. It is unrighteous to
\noppose or quarrel with a fellow-countryman without cause,
\nfrom self-interest or in the absence of dire need or utility.
\nBut to bear in silence the mischiefs of a fellow-countryman
\nwho is determined to take the life of the common mother or
\nto do her harm,\u2014to tolerate this matricide or that harmful
\nact would be a still greater sin. When Sivaji set out to murder
\nhis countrymen who were partisans of the Mughals, if
\nsomeone had said, "Lo! what is this you are doing? They
\nare your own countrymen, bear up with them in silence. If<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-144<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe Mughals occupy the Maharashtra country, let them do it.
\nIf Maratha loves Maratha, that will be enough"\u2014would not
\nthese words appear entirely ridiculous? When the Americans in order to abolish slavery created dissensions in the
\nland and by starting a civil war took the lives of thousands of
\nfellow-citizens, were they doing wrong? It may so happen
\nthat civil strife and the slaughter of fellow-citizens in battle
\nare the only way to the good of the country and the good of
\nthe world. If it involves a danger of the ruination of clans,
\neven then we cannot desist from effecting the good of the
\nnation and the good of the world. Of course the problem
\nbecomes complicated if the good of the nation demands the
\npreservation of the clan. In the age of the Mahabharata, the
\nnation-unit had not been established in India, everybody
\nregarded the clan itself as the pivot of the human race. It was
\nprecisely because of this that men like Bhishma and Drona
\nwho were steeped in the old tradition fought against the
\nPandavas. They were aware that right was on the side of the
\nPandavas, they realised that to bind the whole of India round
\na single centre through the establishment of an empire was a
\nnecessity. But they also knew that the clan alone was the
\npivotal point of the nation and in it lay the foundation of the
\nright law; to maintain the law and found a nation by
\ndestroying the clan was an impossibility. Arjuna too fell into
\nthat error. In this age, the nation is the foundation of. the
\nlaw, the pivot of human society. To preserve the nation is the
\nprimary duty of this age, to cause the ruin of the nation the
\ngreat unforgivable sin. But there can possibly be the advent
\nof an age when a great society of the nations can be
\nestablished. At that time perhaps the world’s eminent men of
\nknowledge and action would take up arms in defence of the
\nnation, and on the other side Sri Krishna as a maker of
\nrevolutions would start a new Kurukshetra war and effect the
\ngood of the world.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-145<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nTHE POLITICAL RESULTS OF SRI KRISHANA’S WORK<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nUnder the first impulse of pity, Arjuna had laid most
\nemphasis on the ruin of clans, for on looking at that huge massing of troops
\nthoughts of the clans and peoples automatically came to mind. We have said that concern about the
\ngood of the clan was natural to the Indian of that age. even as
\nfor the modern race of men thoughts about the good of the
\nnation come naturally. But was it a baseless fear to suppose
\nthat the foundations of the nation would be destroyed on the
\nruin of the clans? There are many who say that what Arjuna
\nhad feared actually came to pass, that the Kurukshetra war
\nwas the root cause of the downfall of India and her long
\nperiod of subjection, that great harm has been done to India
\nby the disappearance of the powerful race of Kshatriyas and
\nthe weakening of the war-like spirit. A well-known lady of
\nforeign extraction at whose sacred feet many Hindus are at
\nthe moment bowing their heads as disciples,’ has not hesitated to say that to make the path easy for the British to
\nfound their empire was the real object of God Himself
\nincarnating on earth. We feel that those who speak in such
\nirrelevant terms are finding fault with Sri Krishna’s policy
\nwithout going deep into the matter and under the influence
\nof wholly inconsequent political theories. These political
\ntheories are the contributions of foreigners and are the
\nresults of an un-Aryan way of thinking. The un-Aryan owes
\nhis strength to a titanic power, he knows of that power as the
\nonly foundation of freedom and national greatness.<\/font><\/p>\n

National greatness cannot be founded solely on the
\nstrength of the Kshatriya, all the fourfold power of the four
\norders of society is the basis of that greatness. The sattwic<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n‘ Translator’s Note: The reference here is probably to the late Mrs.Annie
\nBesant and her Theosophical Society at Adyar, Madras.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-146<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\npower of the Brahmin keeps alive the rajasic Kshatriya
\npower with its sweet elixir of knowledge, humility and
\nthought for the good of others; the Kshatriya power gives
\nprotection to the power of the Brahmin. Brahmin power
\nbereft of the strength of the Kshatriya is affected by tamasic
\nattitudes and gives umbrage to the ignoble qualities of the
\nShudra; hence it is forbidden for a Brahmin to live in a
\ncountry where there is no Kshatriya. If the race of Kshatriyas
\ncomes to an end, to create the Kshatriya anew is the first
\nduty of the Brahmin. Kshatriya power bereft of the Brahmin’s strength turns into a violent uncontrollable titanism,
\nturns at first to the destruction of others’ good, finally
\ndestroys itself. The Roman poet was right when he said that
\nthe titans fall from the excess of their own strength and are
\nutterly destroyed. Sattwa should create Rajas, Rajas should
\nprotect Sattwa, should engage itself in sattwic works; that
\nmakes possible the good of the individual and the nation. If
\nSattwa engulfs Rajas or if Rajas engulfs Sattwa, the quality
\nthus victorious is itself vanquished by the emergence of
\nTamas, there is a reign of the Tamasic mode. The Brahmin
\ncan never be king; if the Kshatriya is destroyed, the Shudra
\nbecomes king; the Brahmin becoming tamasic will distort
\nknowledge out of greed for money and take to the service of
\nthe Shudra; spirituality will encourage inaction, will itself
\nfade away and be the occasion for a fall from the right law.
\nThe subjection of a nation without Kshatriyas and run by the
\nShudra is inevitable. This is what has come to pass in India.
\nWhile on the other hand it is possible that there is an influx
\nof power and greatness from a temporary excitement under
\nthe influence of titanic power, yet the country soon begins to
\nlanguish from weakness, inertia and the draining of strength,
\nfrom rajasic indulgence, pride and the increase of selfishness
\nthe nation becomes unfit and cannot keep up its greatness, or
\nelse as a result of civil strife, immorality and tyranny the<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-147<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\ncountry breaks to pieces and becomes an easy prey to the
\nenemy. The history of India and of Europe affords ample
\nillustration of all these eventual results.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn the age of the Mahabharata the earth was groaning
\nunder the load of titanic power. Neither before nor after,
\nwas there in India such an outbreak of strong and powerful
\nand violent Kshatriya power, but there was little chance of
\nthat terrible power being turned to good purpose. Those who
\nwere the vehicles of this power were all of them of an asuric
\nnature, vanity and pride, selfishness and self-will were in
\ntheir very bones. If Sri Krishna had not established the rule
\nof law by destroying this power, then one or the other of the
\nthree types of results described above would certainly have
\nhappened. India would have fallen prematurely into the
\nhands of the barbarian. It should be remembered, that the
\nKurukshetra war took place five thousand years ago,’ it was
\nafter two thousand five hundred years had elapsed that the
\nfirst successful invasion of barbarians could reach up to the
\nother side of the Indus. The rule of law founded by Arjuna
\nwas therefore able to protect the country under the influence
\nof a Kshatriya power inspired by that of the Brahmin. Even
\nat that time there was in the country such an accumulation of
\nKshatriya power that a fraction of itself has kept the country
\nalive for two thousand years. On the strength of that
\nKshatriya power great men like Chandragupta, Pushyamitra,
\nSamudragupta, Vikrama, Sangramasingha, Pratap, Rajasingha, Pratapaditya and Sivaji fought against the country’s
\nmisfortunes. Only the other day in- the battle of Gujarat and
\non the funeral pyre of Lakshmibai was the last spark of that
\npower extinguished; with that ended the good fruit and the
\nvirtue of Sri Krishna’s political work, there came necessity of
\ni<\/font><\/p>\n

\n‘ Translator’s Note: This was the view traditionally held in India before it<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nwas disputed by recent scholarship.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-148<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nanother full Incarnation for the saving of India and the
\nworld. That Incarnation has rekindled the vanished power of
\nthe Brahmin, that power will create the Kshatriya power. Sri
\nKrishna did not extinguish the Kshatriya power of India in the blood-bath of
\nKurukshetra; on the contrary by destroying the titanic power he saved both the power of the
\nBrahmin and the Kshatriya. It is true that by the slaughter of
\nKshatriya families drunk with the strength of the titan, he
\nreduced to tatters the violence of rajasic strength. Such
\nmighty revolutions, putting this kind of check on internecine
\nstrife by effacing it through acute suffering, the slaughter of
\nviolent Kshatriya clans is not always harmful. Civil strife
\nsaved the Roman aristocracy from the clutches of destruction, as the establishment of monarchy saved the huge
\nempire of Rome from the clutches of premature death. In
\nEngland, through the ruin of the aristocratic families in the
\nWars of the Roses, Edward IV, Henry VIII and Queen
\nElizabeth were able to lay the foundations of modern
\nEngland, so well defended and powerful conqueror of the
\nworld. India too was saved in that manner by the war of<\/font><\/p>\n

Kurukshetra. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThat India has undergone a downfall in the Kali age no<\/font><\/p>\n

one can deny. But God never descended on earth to bring
\nabout a downfall. The Incarnation is for saving the Law, the
\nworld and men. Particularly in the Kali age does God
\nincarnate Himself in full. The reason is that in Kali there is
\nthe greatest danger of man’s downfall, there is a natural
\nincrease of unrighteousness. Therefore, in order to save
\nmankind, destroy unrighteousness and establish the Right by
\nbarring the way of Kali, there are incarnations again and
\nagain in this age. When Sri Krishna incarnated, it was
\nalready time for the beginning of Kali’s reign. It was through
\nfear of His advent that Kali could not set his feet on his own
\nkingdom. It was through His grace that Parikshit could hold<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-149<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nup the exercise of Kali’s sovereignty in his own age, by
\ngranting him five villages. From the beginning to the end of
\nthis Kali age, a fierce battle has been raging and will continue
\nto rage between man and Kali. As helpers or leaders in that
\nbattle, the emanations and incarnations of God come down
\nfrequently during this period. God took on a human form at
\nthe opening of Kali in order to maintain the power of the
\nBrahmin, the knowledge, devotion and desire less works, and
\nteach these things that they might be of use in that battle. On
\nthe safety of India rest the hope and foundation of man’s
\nwell-being. God saved India in Kurukshetra. In that ocean of
\nblood, the Great Being in the form of Time the Destroyer
\nbegan to take his delight in the sporting Lotus of a. new
\nworld.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-150<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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