Arjuna Your Ultimate possibility Bhagavad Gita 27th Aug 2011

The next verse Vyasa describes:

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वज: | प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डव: | हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते ||1-20||

atha vyavasthitān dṛiṣhṭvā dhārtarāṣhṭrān kapi-dhwajaḥ pravṛitte śhastra-sampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ hṛiṣhīkeśhaṁ tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate ||1-20||

atha—thereupon; vyavasthitān—arrayed; dṛiṣhṭvā—seeing; dhārtarāṣhṭrān—Dhritarashtra’s sons; kapi-dwajaḥ—the Monkey Bannered; pravṛitte—about to commence; śhastra-sampāte—to use the weapons; dhanuḥ—bow; udyamya—taking up; pāṇḍavaḥ—Arjun, the son of Pandu; hṛiṣhīkeśham—to Shree Krishna; tadā—at that time; vākyam—words; idam—these; āha—said; mahī-pate—King

“Seeing the sons of Dhritaraashtra arrayed in the battlefield, Arjuna, the son of Pandu, who was seated in his chariot, bearing the flag marked with Hanuman, took up his bow.”

Now the character Arjuna is introduced first time in Bhagavad Gita. Hero, of whole Bhagavad Gita. Understand, nobody else, other than Arjua, can be a, receiver of a great book like Bhagavad Gita. Please understand, when a statue is created, it is not only the greatness of the metal poured, into it. The greatness of the mold also plays the role. Same way, see Krishna’s intelligence is like a metal, like a gold, melted gold, molten gold. Its getting poured. It is Arjuna’s mental setup, which acts like a mold. How the gold is going to get stored, how the gold is going to get frozen, how to gold is going to become a statue, that is decided only based on, the Arjuna’s mental setup.

All the great things, this book expresses, Arjuna is also responsible for it. Please understand, Arjuna is also responsible. Even, some boring things in this book, like a repetition. Please understand, when you read Bhagavad Gita first time you will feel there are lot of repetition. Even I used to feel, ‘god.. what kind of patience Krishna is having. What a way! He is teaching.’ Arjuna, unique character. Sometime he acts very dumb, so that the teachings received, is helped, is useful, even to the dumbest people on the planet earth. I can be sure, he can’t be so dumb, after-all a king.

He can’t be so dumb to ask the same questions again and again. Maybe he is asking so that even ordinary people can understand the truths of Bhagavad Gita. The glorious expression, of Bhagavad Gita, not only Krishna is responsible, Arjuna also is responsible. Because the man who receives, his intelligence, plays a main role the way in which the teachings are given. One side Arjuna has to be highly intelligent, only then, the ultimate teaching, the Rajavidya can be given. Krishna gives Rajavidya here. Supreme knowledge, and Rajaguhya, the most secret.

Please understand, He gives the supreme knowledge, which is a supreme secret. So for that, Arjuna has to be, highly intelligent and trustworthy. Same way, he has to act dumb, to make Krishna repeat the truth again and again. I think Arjuna tests Krishna, if he puts the same question again and again, what kind of answers Krishna is giving. If Krishna is giving the same kind of answers, then the answer is true. If you tell a lie once, you won’t be able to remember that again and again and repeat the same lie.

So Arjuna, is recording, for posterity, for eternity, all the solutions in a proper way. In a unmistakable way. In all possible, directions. For example, when you ask me to define Yoga, at different times I’ll be giving different definitions. It is not that some definitions are high, some are lower. Am giving the different definitions based on the different thought trend. So Arjuna, collects definition for all the key terms, like a Yoga, Tapa, Jnana, Aanma, Vairagya, Knowledge – all the key terms.

Arjuna collects definitions, from Krishna, from all thought currents, from all thought trends. From different thought trends he gets the answers for all the different key terms. Seeing, the Arjuna’s innocence and interest, Krishna goes on and on and on. I tell you, only a person like Arjuna, can receive, great book like Gita.

The tradition says they are incarnations of Nara-Narayana. Means the same energy, which expresses as paramatma and jeevatma. See, in Vaishnava tradition, Vishnu expresses Himself as Narayana and Nara. In Shaiva tradition we call it Pashu-Pati. Pure soul and the soul which reflects on the body. The pure soul is Pati, and the reflection of the soul on the body is Pashu. Pure soul is Narayana, and the soul which reflects on the body is Nara. So they call it Nara-Narayana. So Arjuna is just, His own reflection.

Unless I describe, all the details of Krishna-Arjuna relationship, you won’t understand, the whole Bhagavad Gita. Because what a deep love and concern, was a basis, for this whole teaching.