SATYAM & GOD
I heard this discourse for the second time when there was a
repeat telecast of Bhakti Thiruvizha in Mumbai on Vijay TV last week. This was
by Professor Ilampirai Manimaran.
The Mahabaratha war is about the begin. Lord Krishna is
resting in his room and Duryodhana comes to meet him. Krishna
is aware of his arrival but feigns sleep. Duryodhana sits at Krishna’s
head waiting for him to wake up. Arjuna arrives and seeing Krishna
asleep, sits at his feet.
Krishna wakes up, sees
Arjuna and asks him when he came. Arjuna replies that he had just come, but
Duryodhana had been waiting there before him. Krishna
looks at Duryodhana in surprise. Though Duryodhana had come first, Krishna says he saw Arjuna first and gives Arjuna the
choice between Him and his soldiers (Narayani sena) as help for the battle.
Arjuna promptly chooses Krishna.
Krishna underlines that if Arjuna chooses Him,
it will be only Him and he will not take part in the battle. Arjuna humbly
agrees and reiterates that Krishna is enough
for them. Duryodhana who was worried lest Arjuna asks for Narayani sena, is very happy to hear this and accepts the other choice – Narayani sena
Duryodhana triumphantly boasts to Bheeshma that he opted for
Krishna’s soldiers whereas the Pandavas had chosen just Krishna who will not
even take part in the battle. A surprised Bheeshma asks Duryodhana again and
again if Krishna said that he will not take
part in the battle.
Finally Bheeshma says “Krishna will take his weapons in the
battle”. A rattled Duryodhana says Krishna had promised not to do so. Bheeshma
swears on his Brahmacharya vrata that Krishna will touch his weapons.
The battle is in full swing and on the 10th day
Bheeshma is in the forefront fighting aggressively. The Pandava side is not
able to handle the fierce Bheeshma and were falling rapidly. Seeing this, a
worried Arjuna asks Krishna for guidance. Krishna jumps down from his sarathi seat on to the
ground, wields his chakrayudha and runs towards Bheeshma. Bheeshma is shocked
and stops momentarily.
Arjuna rushes behind Krishna and falls at his feet,
requesting him to not kill his grandfather. Bheeshma prostrates in front of Krishna. Krishna’s chakrayudha vanishes and he goes back
to Arjuna’s chariot.
Now Arjuna is able to take on the not so ferocious Bheeshma
and defeat him.
The battle is over and Bheeshma is lying on his arrow bed
waiting for Utharayanam to leave this world. It is the Tamizh month of Maasi,
Sukla paksham, Ashtami thithi and the man who has been bestowed with the power
of choosing his time of death, is ready for mukti.
Lord Krishna and the Pandavas are standing around him.
Seeing his favourite Lord, Bheeshma thinks that the Lord is so close, but he is
not in a position to offer him some flowers. Lo and behold, a strong wind brings
some wild thulasi to Krishna’s feet making
Bheeshma happy. Bheeshma recites the Vishnu Sahasranama to Yudhishtra at his
request.
Bheeshma asks Krishna “what is Satyam?” Krishna says Satyam
is God. Bheeshma continues, “in that case, is God beyond Satya?” Krishna says “No”
and then Bheeshma asks him, “in that case why did you break your Satyam in the
battle? You had promised that you will not take part in the battle, but you
took the chakrayudha.”
The ever smiling Krishna replies, “yes, I did take the
chakrayudha, but I did not use it in the war and why did I do it? You, the man
who in his youth, gave up the pleasures of the young for the sake of your father
and took Brahmacharya vratha - when such a great person swears on his
Brahmacharya vratha that Krishna will take part in the battle, I had no choice
but to make your promise come true. In this my promise was not kept, but I had
to keep your promise, this is why I took the chakrayudha. This also helped
Pandavas as it reduced your ferocity and helped them defeat you!”
Such is the greatness of the benevolent God who is ready to
sacrifice his promise for the sake of his bhakta!
Happy 2012!
