Z for Zenith

The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure trove of knowledge - all that you need to be is an inquisitive student, because only when the student is ready, the master appears! Join me this month in the 'April A to Z challenge,' as I take you through selected verses of this monumental scripture, and try to decipher the amazing lessons it has in store for us.                  

Translation

This is the last verse of the Gita and it is a succinct summary of all the lessons that Krishna gave Arjuna. In the end, all we need is for Krishna to be the guide, and we are sure to find our path.

Sanjaya, the charioteer of King Dritharashtra, was bestowed with divine vision by Vyasa, so that he could observe the happenings in the battlefield of Kurukshetra and report it verbatim to the blind king. After he listened to the wonderful conversation between Krishna and Arjuna, Sanjaya’s hair stood on end (roma harshana), and he couldn’t stop rejoicing (hrishyami) at the opportunity to have been privy to the astonishing cosmic form (rupam aty adbhutam) of the Lord and hearing the life changing dialogues (samvadam).

Hence, he declares with great conviction that where Lord Shri Krishna is the guiding force – the master of yoga (yogeshwara) and Arjuna is the warrior (dhanurdhara), there is no doubt that wealth and opulence (shri), success and victory (vijaya) fame, and exceptional power and prosperity (bhuti) will follow.

What this verse means for us.

We are Arjuna – the confused soul, battling life’s highs and lows, facing various dilemmas, stuck with decision making and frustrated with the volleys that life throws at us. So, this is an instruction not just for Arjuna who fought the battle that day in Kurukshetra but for us too.

Our body and mind are indeed the Kurukshetra and the Dharmakshetra. There is an ongoing battle that takes place, every single moment. All we need is someone to hold our hand when we falter, tells us if we are on the right path, and nudge us if we are wrong. If that someone is Krishna, we have already won the battle.

The story of Parikshit from the Srimad Bhagavatam.

The Bhagavatam begins with the story of King Parikshit. Parikshit was the son of Abhimanyu and Uttara, grandson of Arjuna and Subhadra, and nephew of Shri Krishna. Even before he was born, Uttara’s womb was attacked by the ‘brahmastra’ – the most destructive weapon – released by Ashwatthama in a fit of rage.

Ashwatthama’s rage.

Having promised his dear friend Duryodhana, who was on his death bed, he first tried to eliminate the Pandavas while they were sleeping, but failed. Krishna shifted the Pandavas to another tent just before the attack and saved them.

Frustrated at this failure, he tried to kill the unborn child of Uttara so that the Pandavas would have no progeny to continue their lineage. Again, Shri Krishna rescued the unborn child by entering Uttara’s womb and neutralising the effect of the deadly weapon. Parikshit had the rare distinction of having a darshana and protection of Krishna while in his mother’s womb.

The curse of the young Brahmana.

Parikshit was a foremost devotee of Shri Krishna. He was a virtuous emperor and a just ruler, bringing great fame to the legacy of the Pandava clan.

He was cursed by a young brahmana to die in seven days, by the venomous bite of the Takshaka snake. But instead of being scared or angry, he accepted the curse, gave up his kingdom to his son, Janmejaya, and began meditating upon Krishna, preparing for death.

The narration of the Bhagavatam – Krishna once again becomes the guide.

Shri Sukhdeva himself approached Parikshit and narrated the Bhagavatam to him for seven days. At the end of the narration, Parikshit gained fearlessness from death, and sight of the auspicious form of Krishna. His ignorance was dispelled, and he attained liberation by fixing his heart upon the lotus feet of Shri Krishna.

By making Krishna his guide, Parikshit attained what takes seekers many lifetimes to achieve. The Bhagavatam is the ‘Vangmaya Swaroopa’ of Shri Krishna – the text is Shri Krishna himself in literary form. Krishna was Parikshit’s guide throughout his life, just like he had been for Arjuna, but for the final seven days, Parikshit lived every moment immersed in Krishna’s thoughts.

We all are here for seven days.

The end of our lives will happen on one of these seven days – Sunday to Saturday. At least Parikshit knew he would not die before the seven days were over, however, we do not have that confirmation. That is what makes the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam the most important messages of our lives – make Krishna the guiding force of our lives so that we can spend the uncertain moments of life without fear, without confusion and in complete bliss. This would be the 'zenith' - the ultimate truth and peak of achievement of our lives!