Duty it is!

 

After fall of Abhimanyu, all leading Pāndava warriors took off their armour, put down their weapons & sat surrounding Maharāj Yudhisthira. While brooding intensely, the grief-stricken king lamented: Oh! How I’ll be able to look at Arjuna & Subhadra? It was my fault that Abhimanyu was killed for I had ordered him to perform an unnecessarily dangerous task & then failed to give protection

 

Just then Vyāsdev arrived at Pāndavas’ camp & so Yudhisthira and other kings worshipped him with great respect. Finally, when he was seated, Yudhisthira informed him of Abhimanyu’s death & expressed his unbearable grief at how the prince had been unfairly killed while he & other Pāndavas stood helplessly

 

Vyāsdev said: Dear grandson, you shouldn’t lament, for Abhimanyu has already ascended heaven. Because death is unavoidable, when someone attains a glorious destination, it is a cause for great joy & not sadness. Abhimanyu was a great warrior & was killed while fighting heroically on battlefield after having slain 1000’s of enemy soldiers. He’s now living in heaven & so what would be the gain even if he could be brought back to life here on earth? Pls give up your unwarranted grief & set your mind upon vanquishing your enemies. Saying this Vyāsdev departed

 

By reflecting on his words, Yudhisthira became somewhat relieved of his grief, but when he thought about how Arjun would soon return from battle, he once again became very anxious, wondering what he would dare say to his younger brother

 

Meanwhile after killing innumerable Samsaptakas by employing celestial weapons, since the Sun had already set, Arjun desisted from further fighting & set out for Pāndava camp. But while returning, Arjun felt a terrible fear enter his heart & also he observed signs indicating misfortune. While sensing tragedy, tears came to Arjuna’s eyes

 

He enquired: O Krsna! Has some terrible calamity overtaken Maharāj Yudhisthira, or has there occurred any other misfortune?

Sri Krsna said: Dear Arjuna! Yudhisthira is quite well. There is some trifling mishap you should not grieve about

 

Soon upon arriving at the camp, Krsna & Arjun noticed a terrible gloom & usual sounds of musical entertainment were not heard. Indeed, all warriors were sitting with their heads down. Arjun anxiously asked: Dear Krsna, what happened? He saw his four brothers sitting together plunged into an ocean of grief. This sight caused him to become exceedingly depressed. Noticing that Abhimanyu was not present, Arjun could guess that his dear son had been killed

 

All of us have a responsibility to fulfil in this human form of life & once that is achieved, leaving this body is a cause of celebration. A life well lived is a precious gift, of hope and strength & grace

 

Krsna says to Arjun:

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ’rthe na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

 

One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament

 

Battle of Kurukṣhetra, being the will of the Supreme, was an inevitable event, and to fight for the right cause is the duty of a kṣatriya

 

Thoughts? #gameoflife