Who Would Win In A Fight

“The emblem of Hanuman on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanuman cooperated with Lord Rama in the battle between Rama and Ravana, and Lord Rama emerged victorious. Now both Rama and Hanuman were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Krishna is Rama Himself, and wherever Lord Rama is, His eternal servitor Hanuman and His eternal consort Sita, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 1.20 Purport)

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Friend1: You get these silly questions in general conversation sometimes. Such as, who would win in a fight, a crocodile or a lion?

Friend2: Oh, I see. One of those meaningless debates, where you can spend hours going in different directions.

Friend1: One person would say that the lion is the king of the jungle. Of course it would win. No doubt about it.

Friend2: Then the other side remarks about the preferred habitat, the home territory. The crocodile goes back into the water and then what will the lion do?

Friend1: Paying homage to such conversations, let’s try a transition to spiritual topics, namely Hari-Katha.

Friend2: This should be good.

Friend1: You have the famous Arjuna. The bow-warrior who is one of the central characters in the historic work of epic length that is the Mahabharata.

Friend2: He is one of the five Pandava brothers. Members of the kshatriya order who are the rightful heirs to the throne in Hastinapura.

Friend1: The person named Duryodhana takes it over instead. He puts his family in charge.

Friend2: Arjuna and Duryodhana are related as cousins.

Friend1: Yes, and it is acknowledged by practically everyone, friend and foe alike, that Arjuna is the best bow-warrior in the world.

Friend2: Proven many times.

Friend1: Such as when he won the contest to marry the princess named Draupadi. A fish was perched above, with a wheel coming before it. Arjuna pierced the fish’s eye without looking at it.

Friend2: He could only see the reflection in a water-pot on the ground

Friend1: I forget the exact details, but I think one time also Arjuna saved Duryodhana from attack. Arjuna pleased Agni and received the Gandiva bow from him.

Friend2: All around, impeccable credentials.

Friend1: So in keeping with the spirit of silly debates, who would win in a fight, Arjuna or Shri Rama, the son of Dasharatha?

Friend2: Are you serious with this?

Friend1: Just indulge me.

Friend2: They would never be engaged in combat with one another. Rama was on Arjuna’s chariot, if you remember. Shri Krishna, also known as Partha-sarathi.

Friend1: Okay, then who is the better bow-warrior? Is it Rama or Arjuna?

Friend2: You do realize that Bhagavan is the source of everyone’s strength? Arjuna later met defeat against rogues specifically because Krishna was no longer favoring him. The fighting ability had an expiration date. Talent on loan from God, so to speak. The devotion, bhakti, does not. That continues in life after life, where Krishna remains as Arjuna’s companion.

Friend1: Hmm, I guess that settles it, then.

Friend2: It is interesting that you mention this. Because there is a story passed on about a meeting between Arjuna and Shri Hanuman.

Friend1: Oh really? I only know of Hanuman’s meeting with Bhima, one of the other Pandava brothers.

Friend2: The story goes that Arjuna was belittling the bridge built by Rama to cross over the ocean into Lanka.

Friend1: Which was actually built by the Vanaras helping Him. Hanuman was included in that group.

Friend2: Yes and even so, the debate is not necessary. Just appreciate what others were able to do. Arjuna was challenged to build a better bridge by someone who appeared on the scene. Arjuna said he could build one out of arrows. The challenger would test the strength by stepping on the bridge.

Friend1: Interesting.

Friend2: And so in each iteration, Arjuna’s bridge made of arrows got crushed. This challenger was actually Hanuman. He didn’t like it that someone was belittling Rama.

Friend1: That’s a great story.

Friend2: The process continued until Arjuna felt so embarrassed that he wanted to end his life. At that moment Vishnu manifested and put an end to the disagreement. That incident is one of the reasons for Hanuman appearing on Arjuna’s chariot during the Bharata War.

Friend1: Again, a great story. I am happy that everything got resolved. It is a silly thing to question, because everyone here is of the same category of devotee. There is no difference between the object of worship and the person worshiping.

Friend2: At least in terms of potency. They are distinct individuals, but Bhagavan passes on to his servants whatever abilities they require in serving Him to perfection.

In Closing:

Abilities to them passing,
In some cases God surpassing.

Like Hanuman over ocean to leap,
Who image on chariot to keep.

Silly Arjuna’s strength to compare,
Such as in conflict how to fare.

Because devotion mattering the most,
Not who of ability to boast.

No Lights To Show The Way

“Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.41)

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यद् यद् विभूतिमत् सत्त्वं
श्रीमद् ऊर्जितम् एव वा
तत् तद् एवावगच्छ त्वं
मम तेजो-ऽंश-सम्भवम्

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ
śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ
mama tejo-‘ṁśa-sambhavam

You can use any variation of the following game, but the same underlying principle applies. You have a father playing with their child. Something like hide and seek, but with the complexity increased.

To start, the father scatters various items around the room. A clean towel. An empty box. Some plush toys. They also place a laptop computer on top of the coffee table in the center of the room. Lest anyone fear, this device no longer functions properly. It won’t even boot up.

After preparation is complete, the father asks the child to close their eyes. They happily oblige, following which they are led into the room. The child is then told to stand in the corner, whereupon the father shuts off the lights and closes the door.

It is nighttime so the child cannot see anything. They are asked to go around the room carefully and try to identify the different objects. After a certain amount of time has passed, the father will enter, lead the child out, and then compile a list of what was found.

After that, both father and child re-enter the room, turn the lights on and review how many successful matches were made. In this iteration, the child actually does very well. They correctly identify most of the objects. They had an issue with the laptop computer on the table, though. They had no idea what it was. Even looking at it now, with the lights turn on, they are puzzled:

“Dad, what is that? I have never seen it before. It’s this giant rectangle, and it seems to be kind of heavy. What is it used for?”

Because of their age they have yet to experience interaction with a computer. They are not familiar with the device. The father can try to explain, but a complete understanding will only occur after a lengthy period of interaction.

We can use this game to try to put into proper perspective the advances of modern science, especially with respect to the workings of the universe and its origin. Tremendous progress has been made. Man can now soar through the skies, travelling great distances in a short amount of time. They can tackle diseases which were previously incurable. They can grow food at an alarming rate, with one country producing enough to feed the entire world.

Yet that information barely scratches the surface. The living being does not have experience of the creation of the universe. We see the vast complexity and the amazing scientific laws built into every aspect, but there is no information as to the designer. We don’t know who created everything, let alone how.

Shri Krishna provides a similar perspective in the Bhagavad-gita. After explaining that He is the origin of everything and that the work of the entire world is accomplished by Him without effort, He reminds the disciple Arjuna that everything we see is but a spark of His splendor.

Even that comparison is not entirely accurate. A spark is juxtaposed with a larger source, but in this case the source is infinitely great. You cannot really compare this universe to anything since we have not seen how many universes exist. The same applies with time, moving forward and backward.

Just as the father explained to the child about the unknown object that was the computer, the descending process of parampara reveals to me that with which I have no experience. I will never get to witness the creation, but others have. I do not see how God creates, but I don’t need to. He explains it to me.

There is no research path in this area; the information is already there. It gets passed down in a chain of teachers. For this reason one of the prayers to the spiritual master is that he opens my darkened eyes. I was born in the darkness of ignorance, and now I have found the light. The source of that light is Bhagavan, who is beyond the ability to measure.

In Closing:

No more with speculation to fight,
From guru found the light.

Previously in darkness of ignorance,
Words of shastra with resonance.

So that even of creation to know,
Without time travelling to go.

Everything on the table explaining,
Wisdom from parampara attaining.

Why Do Devotees Spend So Much Time Arguing

“Only the Supreme Lord Himself or His empowered representative can possibly free us from confinement in this dark well. Under their guidance we can come to know of the limitless ocean of the spiritual sky.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Renunciation Through Wisdom, Ch 2.7)

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Friend1: Have you noticed that in the online community, those people who are supposedly following Vaishnava principles, engaged in bhakti-yoga and the sort, seem to spend all of their time arguing?

Friend2: I have not. What are the disagreements over?

Friend1: If I listed everything, we would be here for a week.

Friend2: Give me a sampling.

Friend1: What kinds of food can be offered to the deity. Whether or not to be online and speaking about Bhagavad-gita. Which version of the book we should read. Did man really go to the moon. Is the earth round or flat. The origin of the jiva.

Friend2: You don’t think these are important issues to resolve?

Friend1: Honestly, I don’t. That is going to sound controversial; I get that.

Friend2: What is important to you, then?

Friend1: Serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. Chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Reading sacred texts. Staying near the guru, who is accessible through their recorded words, both spoken and written. Vani is more important than vapu. The instruction carrying their presence more so than the physical association.

Friend2: That sounds like a pretty good life to me.

Friend1: I know. That’s why I don’t get the arguing thing.

Friend2: People may come across challenges in their devotional life. That’s why they feel the need to speak up. Preacher training.

Friend1: I get it if someone sincerely asks a question about some topic. But I don’t see the need to constantly be on the offensive. I’d rather hear Krishna-katha. I don’t think Bhagavan really cares where you stand on any of these issues.

Friend2: What proof do you have to support that claim?

Friend1: Look at Bhishmadeva. He was fighting for the wrong side, the Kauravas. He made a huge mistake in not defending Draupadi when she was about to be disrobed in the assembly. Duryodhana challenges his allegiance during the hostilities. I mean the guy could be criticized from every side.

Friend2: Right, but he is considered one of the mahajanas. He is an authority on devotional service. You can’t go wrong following his example.

Friend1: Precisely, and yet he was wrong in the mundane sense several times. At the end, he thought of Krishna. He merged into Narayana while lying on the battlefield, his body filled with arrows. He wasn’t arguing over the origin of the jiva. He wasn’t concerned over convincing the foolish Kauravas to correct their ways.

Friend2: Hmm, but he did lecture Yudhishthira Maharaja on dharma, on how to rule a kingdom. There is plenty of valuable information to be found in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata.

Friend1: Yes, and many of those teachings fall into the category of duality, meaning that they can be argued on the other side. Lying is bad, but sometimes it’s okay. To cheat is against dharma, but sometimes you have to do it.

Friend2: Right.

Friend1: Anyway, that wasn’t his principal focus. That is all I am saying. I think it is better to not spend so much time arguing these issues. Let the like-minded congregate and work as a strong, unified force. Combined together the mutual devotional efforts will become stronger, not weaker.

Friend2: Can’t argue against that, no pun intended. As long as we are individuals, there has to be disagreements. The idea is to not let them become distractions in the bigger picture, for meeting the highest objective.

In Closing:

Disagreements surely to be,
Since individual also is he.

Not eye-to-eye always to see,
Sometimes wrong opinion from me.

To work together for higher goal,
Virtues of bhakti and saints extol.

Mattering most what thinking at end,
So that towards Vaikuntha to send.

Five Ways To Worry Less Today

“Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Partha, and they are helplessly dissolved.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.19)

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भूत-ग्रामः स एवायं
भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते
रात्र्य्-आगमे ऽवशः पार्थ
प्रभवत्य् अहर्-आगमे

bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātry-āgame ‘vaśaḥ pārtha
prabhavaty ahar-āgame

You’ll see it on the shelves at the bookstore. As those places are becoming more difficult to find, the same titles can be discovered through a search on the online retail outlet’s website. Perhaps listed among the best sellers, the demand is there due to the suffering.

People want to be without stress. Less anxiety throughout the day. More meaning found within the daily grind. A higher purpose, beyond just struggling to survive. Fortunately, from Vedic culture there are many reminders and tips on how to break free from stress.

1. Remember that Shri Hanuman is still here

One of the heroes from the Ramayana story, Hanuman faced unbelievable stress. There was the time crunch. He had to succeed within an allotted window of time. There was the foreign territory. No GPS device to offer guidance. No sending an SMS to get clues and hints. No online search engine to help identify new places and people.

Through it all, he never actually asked for the distress to end. He wanted to succeed in pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Rama. The prince of Ayodhya was that particular time period’s prominent avatara, the Divine who descends from above.

Hanuman succeeded but he still didn’t ask for outright liberation. He requested to remain in this world for as long as Rama’s glories continue to be sung. This means that the inspirational hero is here to remove our distresses. He can carry the burden of our success in spiritual life, since he is known to help the fallen, patita-pavana.

2. You worried so much in the past

There is confirmation from the personal experience. I can recall worrying about that important exam in high school. I was afraid over how that health scare would pan out for my relative. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to operate a motor vehicle properly.

Success or failure, those concerns are in the past now. They are not on the mind today. In the same way, whatever it is I am concerned over in the immediate term will eventually pass. The lifetime itself is but a blip on the infinite timeline of existence. As confirmed by Shri Krishna, I have lived in the past and I will continue to live on moving forward.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि
जन्मानि तव चार्जुन
तान्य् अहं वेद सर्वाणि
न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

“The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.5)

3. The spirit soul is eternal

The existence continues because of the nature of the individual. I am spirit soul. I am neither the body nor the place of birth. I am not my hands, my legs, or my face. The “I am” declaration is due to ahankara, which is ego. That ego is a subtle element tied to the animating spark within, the atma.

Nothing can kill the atma. It has no date of birth. It always exists in some capacity. The human birth is the best chance to realize this soul and to know that other souls of the individual category are the same in quality. This means that I am the same as you, though we are distinct individuals.

Why should I worry when I know that nothing can kill me? I will always be somewhere. Perhaps there is cause for concern that I will forget the Almighty, my greatest benefactor. I didn’t remember Him during the time of this birth, so the next time around there is vulnerability to the same.

4. Everything will return to Krishna in due course

Bhagavan confirms that everything returns into Him at a specific time. The host of beings enters His transcendental body and then exits again at the time of the next creation. The universe follows cycles. In the worst case, I will merge back into the Almighty.

At the same time, there is the opportunity for returning to Krishna’s spiritual abode. This place is known as Vaikuntha. The name means “free of anxieties.” One who goes there never has to leave. The qualification is consciousness, measured particularly at the time of death.

5. Worry is a result of maya’s play

Concern over this issue and that. Lamentation at loss. Excessive joy over a temporary victory. Bewilderment over the ignorance pervading the population. I am worried because maya has tricked me into associating with the temporary. This is her job, after all. She is the illusory energy sourced in the origin of everything.

If I think of Krishna now, I can think of Him tomorrow. If I always chant the holy names, I have a better chance of thinking of Him while quitting the body. If I am worried that I will forget Him, I can chant again to remember: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

If for a moment should forget,
Another chance to get.

That the name again to chant,
Many benefits to grant.

Like from worry to be free,
And His smiling face to see.

Through illusion maya tries,
Through Krishna name I will rise.

Three Takeaways From The Image Of Rama With Jatayu

“Being thus informed, the grandson of King Vena immediately began to follow Indra, who was fleeing through the sky in great haste. He was very angry with him, and he chased him just as the king of the vultures chased Ravana.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.19.16)

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एवं वैन्य-सुतः प्रोक्तस्
त्वरमाणं विहायसा
अन्वद्रवद् अभिक्रुद्धो
रावणं गृध्र-राड् इव

evaṁ vainya-sutaḥ proktas
tvaramāṇaṁ vihāyasā
anvadravad abhikruddho
rāvaṇaṁ gṛdhra-rāḍ iva

“I am familiar with the Ramayana poem mainly through paintings. I understand that you hold it dear as a sacred text, scripture, but there is also crossover into the realm of culture. Those who are not yet ready to accept the idea of a descending personal God extract symbolic significance or mundane lessons from that great story.

“There is the one image of a bird lying on the ground. It is being held up by Rama, who is also there with Lakshmana. What is the significance? I know it is part of the story somehow, but why would that scene be immortalized in a painting?”

1. Mercy extending beyond the human species

Just as the name Narayana references the truth of God being the source of men, so the word Ramayana is rooted in the main character, Shri Rama. The human tendency is to glorify. Speak well of someone else. Put down others for the purpose of juxtaposition.

“This person isn’t as great in comparison to the one I am praising.”

The perfect object of worship is Bhagavan, and so those engaged in that service often record their realizations. They sometimes witness events directly and then pass on the eyewitness testimony in the form of beautiful poetry. The Sanskrit verses strung together can be sung in different melodies, which facilitates remembrance.

The bird lying on the ground is Jatayu. Rama is the avatara of God appearing in the Treta Yuga, which is the second age of creation when studied in the broader scope. The meeting is significant since it shows that the mercy of the Divine extends beyond the human species.

Though a bird cannot offer worship, though it cannot study Vedic literature, though it is not under the laws of karma, which have accompanying pious and sinful deeds, the connection to Shri Rama is always there.

Here Jatayu has been mortally wounded while in the process of protecting Rama’s wife, Sita Devi. As a reward, Jatayu gets to see God face to face at the time of death. The moment of quitting is inevitable for every person. Rather than focus on the temporary, on what will happen to my estate moving forward, on how my friends and family will carry on, it is better to contemplate the one person who is always beyond birth and death, who can take me back to the original home, the spiritual world.

2. Auspiciousness even in defeat

You rush in to combat a blazing fire. You try to rescue the people inside. You don’t succeed. The immediate negative consequence is the loss of life. The secondary effect is devaluation of your reputation in the field. Though you tried your best, success is what people count on.

With service to the Divine, even failure can be auspicious. Jatayu did not succeed in protecting Sita. The evil Rakshasa named Ravana succeeded in flying his aerial car back to Lanka, taking Rama’s wife with him. Jatayu not only lost the battle, but the wounds suffered in combat were fatal.

Upon further study of the outcome, we see that there was nothing lost. Jatayu gained the vision of Rama’s moonlike face at the time of death. He is still remembered and honored to this day. He is one of the great heroes to appear on this earth, and he is not even of the human species.

3. God will find you

A common question posed to spiritual leaders relates to seeing God. Sometimes it is a challenge.

“Show Him to me. Then I will believe. Prove it; otherwise all you have is faith.”

His Divine Grace Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura responds by turning the tables. Instead of trying so hard to see God, work in such a way that He will see you. Jatayu is the ideal example in this regard. He simply did what was right. The daughter-in-law of his good friend, King Dasharatha, was in trouble. Jatayu tried his best.

The reward was seeing Bhagavan face-to-face. Some may say that this meeting occurred too late, that it would have been better to spend more time in that association, when there was vitality within. Just a moment’s association is enough. Rama is Absolute, and so His presence can carry forward through time. He is even present through sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Even if not visibly around,
Presence carried through sound.

Or for a moment only to meet,
Like with Jatayu after defeat.

To depart at that time and place,
Gazing upon moonlike face.

So that mercy to everyone extended,
Even a vulture who dharma defended.

Is Believing In The Afterlife Everything

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20)

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न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो ऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

Friend1: When you turn on the news, you can’t help but notice the turmoil. Disarray. Chaos. Unhappiness. Dissatisfaction.

Friend2: Heartache. Tumult. Misery. Just thought I would add to the list.

Friend1: Some of the stuff has me scratching my head.

Friend2: Such as?

Friend1: Well, recently while travelling on the underground train system in a major city, I noticed several large signs warning against jumping the turnstiles.

Friend2: Oh, to avoid paying the fare?

Friend1: Yes. You have to swipe a card to get in. That then allows you to pass through the gates. These are not like the above-ground trains where you can still pay the fare after you have boarded.

Friend2: Okay. And these signs were warning against just jumping over?

Friend1: There are other ways, too. People exiting could leave the emergency door open, allowing new travellers to enter without paying.

Friend2: I see.

Friend1: Anyway, not to get overly political here, but it dawned on me that the same city officials which felt the need to warn against crossing a border within the train system illegally have absolutely no problem if people do the same with the border of the country.

Friend2: Are you referencing illegal immigration?

Friend1: Whatever you want to call it, it’s breaking the law. Lo and behold, this past weekend there was a mass protest inside one of these train stations. People were criticizing the police for enforcing the law regarding fare abatement.

Friend2: You mean the people who are in favor of illegal crossings at the border are now also in favor of the same within the train system?

Friend1: Yes. Exactly. I don’t want to get into an argument on the merits of either side, but it just left me flabbergasted. I mean, of course society will be in turmoil if people can’t even follow the law. Of course so many bad things will happen if you don’t respect other people. If you steal, how can you expect other people to respect you?

Friend2: Yeah.

Friend1: I also realized that the belief in the afterlife is key. It is everything, in fact.

Friend2: Why do you say that?

Friend1: Because then you know that there are consequences to action. You understand that placement in a particular situation at the time of birth is not accidental. It is not random, though we can’t remember having an influence.

Friend2: Right.

Friend1: If you believe in the afterlife, then at least there is some respect for others going through the same life experience. You will protect innocent life. You will try to be honest and trustworthy. You won’t want to steal.

Friend2: Many people say that nowadays. That society’s ills can’t be solved through legislation alone. You have to remove the godlessness. I was reading an article where a person was saying that his grandparents from fifty or sixty years ago would never think of attacking teachers in school. People had much easier access to guns back then and yet there weren’t any mass shootings resembling today’s tragedies.

Friend1: How do you get people to believe, though?

Friend2: In the afterlife?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: You have to present it as a science. It already is, in fact. Shri Krishna covers the main points in the opening chapters of the Bhagavad-gita. The soul is never killed. The individual follows an evolutionary pattern through an ever-changing body. Like putting on clothes and taking them off. That is birth and death.

Friend1: The skeptic will argue that this is just faith, like the other religions and their threat of condemnation to eternal hell.

Friend2: Everything is faith on some level. Denial of the afterlife has the same flaw of lack of tangible proof. In truth, we know from past testimony and the authority of realized souls that there is an afterlife. I’m trying to say that there is more evidence on Krishna’s side, supporting Vedanta, than there is for the challengers.

Friend1: Say I do believe in the afterlife. Where will I go? How should I behave today?

Friend2: Whatever state of being a person remembers at the time of death. That determines the next destination. The best place to go is where one never has to return.

Friend1: The spiritual world?

Friend2: Vaikuntha, the place free of anxieties. Think of Krishna today and you will likely remember Him tomorrow. The more you stay connected to Him, the more the truth about eternal life will be revealed to you.

In Closing:

Truth in time to reveal,
No more as faith to feel.

That firmly in afterlife to believe,
Evidence from realization to receive.

So that society’s ills now seeing,
And from that adharma freeing.

With just a simple turn in direction,
Through shastra eyes the correction.

Two Difficulties With Getting Involved For A Cause

“Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.7)

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तस्मात् सर्वेषु कालेषु
माम् अनुस्मर युध्य च
मय्य् अर्पित-मनो-बुद्धिर्
माम् एवैष्यस्य् असंशयः

tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu
mām anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mām evaiṣyasy asaṁśayaḥ

Have you been accused of the following?

“Silence is de facto acceptance. If you say nothing, the status quo will continue. Is that what you want? Are you in support of the current situation? We need to force a change. Get involved. Speak out. Do not be frightened into acquiescence. If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.”

The above accusation can apply for any cause. Cleaning the environment. Removing corruption from government. Changing leadership in a large institution. Stopping the killing of innocent children. Equality for the different ethnic groups living within the same community.

The acharya of the bhakti tradition advises to only get behind a single, specific cause. Devotional service. Linking the individual consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness. Abandoning attachment to the temporary and focusing only on the permanent. Asat-tyaga and sat-sanga.

1. Difficult to get people to care

One of the limitations with taking up a cause involved with the material world is arousing interest. Someone might not care about stopping forced circumcision. If a person does not have children of their own, they are not familiar with the pros and cons of vaccination.

If I can’t get anyone to support me, I have essentially failed. My effort isn’t doing much. Maybe there is influence in the immediate circle. After all, people watch how we behave. They notice what we say. This is a subtle way of influencing. But for the person taking up the cause, success depends on some level of backing.

2. Success determined by swaying public opinion

Getting someone to take an interest is one thing, but convincing them to change a long-held belief is something entirely different. Persuasion is an art. If it is a discussion with my friend, then I likely stand little chance.

We are friends for a reason. Equals. Contemporaries. If I thought my friend was so brilliant then I would likely have too much respect for them to deal with them in a friendly manner. This occurred on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where Arjuna regretted behaving like a friend in the past with his now-guru, Shri Krishna.

सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यद् उक्तं
हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति
अजानता महिमानं तवेदं
मया प्रमादात् प्रणयेन वापि
यच् चावहासार्थम् असत्-कृतो ऽसि
विहार-शय्यासन-भोजनेषु
एको ऽथ वाप्य् अच्युत तत्-समक्षं
तत् क्षामये त्वाम् अहम् अप्रमेयम्

sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ
he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti
ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ
mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi
yac cāvahāsārtham asat-kṛto ‘si
vihāra-śayyāsana-bhojaneṣu
eko ‘tha vāpy acyuta tat-samakṣaṁ
tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

“I have in the past addressed You as ‘O Krishna,’ ‘O Yadava,’ ‘O my friend,’ without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times while relaxing or while lying on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. Please excuse me for all my offenses.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.41-42)

Arjuna’s is a perfect case study for this discussion. He lived in a kingdom that featured significant wrongdoing. The adharma started at the top. The leader, Duryodhana, unjustly took the kingdom for himself. The Kauravas ruled over the property that rightfully belonged to the Pandavas.

Arjuna could have made it his life’s mission to instigate a coup. Get others within the community to revolt against Duryodhana. List the many wrongs, as Kunti Devi remembered them later on:

विषान् महाग्नेः पुरुषाद-दर्शनाद्
असत्-सभाया वन-वास-कृच्छ्रतः
मृधे मृधे ऽनेक-महारथास्त्रतो
द्रौण्य्-अस्त्रतश् चास्म हरे ऽभिरक्षिताः

viṣān mahāgneḥ puruṣāda-darśanād
asat-sabhāyā vana-vāsa-kṛcchrataḥ
mṛdhe mṛdhe ‘neka-mahārathāstrato
drauṇy-astrataś cāsma hare ‘bhirakṣitāḥ

“My dear Krishna, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of Ashvatthama.” (Queen Kunti, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.8.24)

He instead chose the cause of Krishna consciousness. There was only one person to satisfy. He is available to everyone simultaneously. His representative shows the way towards meeting the interest.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says to take up the cause of bhakti-yoga by chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

I can surely recommend the process to others. I can share Vedic wisdom through sacred texts such as Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam. Others may listen or they may turn away, but the benefit will fall to me all the same.

Arjuna was advised to proceed forward. The outcome did not matter. Win or lose, he would attain the highest destination. Liberation is already guaranteed for the person who takes up service to Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In Closing:

Of not caring for this issue accused,
Defend environment and people abused.

See Arjuna with potential crusade,
When challenge to dharma made.

The Kaurava ruling family by,
Perhaps support uprising try.

But with one cause of devotion sided,
To victory by Shri Krishna guided.