Lamp of Knowledge!

 

After Yamarāj mysteriously vanished from view, Pāndavās returned home and delivered the fire-sticks to the aggrieved Brāhmanā

 

Presenting himself to the Brāhmanās that had accompanied them, Maharāj Yudhisthira said with a voice choked with tears: O best of the twice born, we now beg for your permission to depart, so that we can remain incognito for the last year of our exile

 

Indeed, Maharāj Yudhisthira was so aggrieved that after saying this, he fell unconscious onto the ground. When he recovered his senses, the Brāhmanās consoled him by pointing out that even the Supreme Lord, in His form of Vāmandev, had to conceal Himself to conquer His enemy. At last Yudhisthira regained some composure & so the Pāndavās set out along with Draupadi, while the Brāhmanās departed for their respective homes

 

King Yudhisthira then said to his brothers: Twelve years of our exile have passed & the thirteenth year, which will be difficult to pass, is upon us. My dear Arjun, where we should spend this year incognito?

 

Arjun said: Because of Yamarāj’s benediction, we can roam about as we please, confident that we will escape detection. Still, so that we can reside in comfort, we could stay in one of the many kingdoms outside of the rule of the Kurus, that are friendly to us, such as Pāncala, Cedi, Matsya, Surasenā, Dasārna, Navarāstra, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurāstra, Avanti, the kingdom ruled by Kuntibhoja or with Virāta, the ruler of Matsyas

 

Dear brother, in which would you like to stay?

 

Yudhisthira said: My choice is the kingdom of Matsya, ruled by King Virāta, who is virtuous, powerful, charitable & liked by all. My dear brothers, let us spend our final year in his service. Now tell me what roles you would like to play?

 

Even if we have the benediction of a desired outcome, we still need to be cautious about doing our task well & not be driven by carelessness. This is only possible when we know the purpose of blessings upon us: which is not to gratify our senses but to use them to attain higher purpose. We are just instruments of the Supreme Lord & if we follow his instructions, we will be elevated else the same blessings become curse

 

Brihadarankya Upanishad says:

asato ma sadgamaya,

tamaso ma jyotirgamaya,

mrtyor ma amrtam gamaya

Lead me from asat (false) to sat (knowledge),

Lead me from darkness to light,

Lead me from death to immortality

 

This verse essentially conveys the essential purpose of human existence. We all need to pursue knowledge which can take us from the material domain of death to the spiritual domain of deathlessness

 

Krsna says in BG about devotees:

teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ

nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

 

To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance

Thoughts? #gameoflife