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I am determined to liberate
My life
From the burning attachments
Of my present and past life.
– Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 26, Agni Press, 2002
by Sri Chinmoy
Kangsa was the hostile force incarnate. He was wicked to the backbone. He tortured each and every person in his kingdom. His worst enemy was Lord Krishna. He wanted to destroy Lord Krishna right from the very beginning, even before Krishna was mature enough to fight against him. He wanted to destroy Krishna even when Krishna was only an infant.
Kangsa had a friend who was a great admirer. He was also wicked to the backbone. One day, this friend came to Kangsa and said, “Your worst enemy is Krishna. I want to destroy him and make you happy.”
“If you do this, you will make me the world’s happiest person,” Kangsa said.
“Yes, I will do it.”
One day Kangsa’s friend went to Brindavan where Krishna was playing games with the gopis. The gopis were extremely happy, for they were playing with their beloved Krishna. When this particular hostile force entered Brindavan, the gopis were frightened to death, because his face was so frightening. Krishna remained silent for some time.
The undivine being said to Krishna, “You remain silent because you are doing something wrong. It is undivine and immoral to play with these people. Everybody thinks that you are very spiritual and divine, but you do nothing but play with these gopis.”
Krishna still remained silent.
“Yes, you remain silent because you are not doing the right thing. Had you been doing the right thing, you would have spoken.”
Krishna said, “The right thing is always compassion and forgiveness. I have always been doing the right thing by consoling and listening to you people. But this time I have to withdraw my Compassion aspect. My Justice-Light, my destruction aspect, I have to adopt.”
In a twinkling, in front of all the gopis, Krishna destroyed this evil force. Then he said to the gopis, “My love for you people, the world will not understand. I don’t care if the world understands. Your devoted hearts will always be appreciated by me. Remain devoted to me and I shall always take care of you. Here on earth and there in Heaven, I shall always take care of you, my devoted friends.
“Animal love, human love, divine love and supreme love. Animal love does not know what human love is. Human love does not know what divine love is. Divine love does not know what supreme love is. Animal love is ultimate destruction. Human love is ultimate frustration. Divine love is ultimate illumination. Supreme love is ultimate illumination, ultimate perfection and ultimate satisfaction.
“This supreme love I am offering to you, my earthly friends. If you accept my supreme love in my own supreme way, you will all be nearest and closest to me.”
The gopis offered their gratitude-hearts through their soulful smiles. 1
When Sri Krishna was having his siesta, both Duryodhana and Arjuna came to his place. Duryodhana came a few minutes earlier and, as he was full of pride, he stood beside Sri Krishna’s head. Arjuna, as he was full of humility and modesty, stood beside Sri Krishna’s feet.
After a while, Sri Krishna woke up and his eyes fell on Arjuna. When he turned around he saw Duryodhana. He wanted to know why they were there at that hour. Arjuna said, “Now you know that the battle will take place. I need you.”
Duryodhana said, “I have also come here to take help from you, and I have come before him so you have to fulfil my desire first.” So Sri Krishna said, “It is true that you came before Arjuna, but I saw him first, and he will be given the first chance. Besides, he is younger than you. So he will have the first choice.
Arjuna said to Krishna with great joy. “I want you!”
Duryodhana thought: What a stupid fellow Arjuna is. He wants Krishna alone.
Sri Krishna said, “You want me? But I will not fight. I will only be your charioteer. One of you will have me alone and the other will have my vast army.”
Duryodhana felt, what could Krishna do alone and unarmed? The best thing for him was to have Krishna’s army.
But Arjuna, being an illumined person, said to himself, “What shall I do with his army? The best thing is to have the Lord with me. The Lord will be able to protect me and the Lord will bring me the victory.” Arjuna wanted Sri Krishna and Duryodhana wanted the entire army of Sri Krishna.
Now the promise was that Sri Krishna would never, never fight. Unfortunately, he had to break his promise; he could not keep it. Twice he ran out of the chariot. To kill whom? Bhishma. On the third and the ninth day Sri Krishna found that Arjuna was not fighting properly against his grandsire. Arjuna found it extremely difficult to use weapons against his grandsire.
Sri Krishna said, “Arjuna, you are not fighting. Why?” So he came out of the chariot with his discus. He wanted to kill Bhishma. And what was Bhishma’s reaction? Bhishma’s joy knew no bounds. He said, “Come, O my Lord, come! If I die in your hands then immediately I will go to heaven! I am the most blessed person because you are coming to kill me!”
But, both times, Arjuna followed Sri Krishna and said “No, you have to keep your promise. I won’t let you fight, I shall fight. I won’t allow you to eat your words. You come, you sit in the chariot and drive me on. I shall fight.”
Here we learn that the Guru, the Master, can at any moment break his own promise in order to help, to save, in order to win a victory for the disciple. Sri Krishna was the Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and also the Just. But when the question concerns a most intimate disciple, the Guru goes against the ordinary light of morality. This was Sri Krishna’s heart for Arjuna. 2
Related
Sri Chinmoy, Great Indian meals: divinely delicious and supremely nourishing, part 8, Agni Press, 1979↩︎
Sri Chinmoy, Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita: the Song of the Transcendental Soul, Agni Press, 1971↩︎