Category:Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra
Theme Analysis
The Battlefield of Kurukṣetra serves as the ultimate proving ground for spiritual surrender. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that the entire war was not an accident of politics, but a grand design orchestrated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, to diminish the demoniac burden of the world. To manifest the supreme science of the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa deliberately placed His pure devotee, Arjuna, into a state of temporary, material illusion. As Arjuna surveyed the opposing army, which consisted of his worshipable grandfather Bhīṣma, his teacher Droṇācārya, and numerous relatives, he was suddenly overwhelmed by false compassion. He envisioned that victory would only bring lamentation and therefore decided to cast aside his weapons and refuse to fight.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Lord Kṛṣṇa did not accept Arjuna's arguments for peace. Instead, the Lord chastised Arjuna's dejection as anārya-juṣṭam (befitting a non-Aryan). Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna that his duty as a kṣatriya was to fight for justice, regardless of bodily affection. Kṛṣṇa had already arranged the deaths of the opposing generals by His supreme will; He merely wanted Arjuna to act as His instrument (nimitta-mātram) and take the earthly credit for the victory. By surrendering his own desires and fighting purely for the satisfaction of the Lord, Arjuna was freed from all sinful reactions. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes the immense spiritual fortune of all those present on the battlefield. Because they died while directly observing the lotus-like face of Kṛṣṇa, who was acting as Arjuna's chariot driver, all the fallen warriors attained liberation.
- The Divine Arrangement: The Battle of Kurukṣetra was specifically designed by Lord Kṛṣṇa to annihilate miscreants and to speak the Bhagavad-gītā to humanity through Arjuna.
- The Illusion of Compassion: Arjuna's initial refusal to fight was based on the bodily concept of life. He mistakenly prioritized familial affection over his prescribed religious duty.
- The Lord's Chastisement: Kṛṣṇa rejected Arjuna's nonviolent stance, declaring that running from battle out of fear or false compassion was cowardly and non-Aryan.
- The Perfect Instrument: Arjuna ultimately achieved perfection not by abandoning the battlefield, but by fighting vigorously as the surrendered instrument of Kṛṣṇa's supreme will.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra Overcoming Illusion.
Pages in category "Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra"
The following 98 pages are in this category, out of 98 total.
A
- After all these tribulations, there was the great Battle of Kuruksetra, and Arjuna had to meet such great generals as Drona, Bhisma and Karna, all powerful fighters
- After the death of nearly all the persons assembled at Kuruksetra, Arjuna will emerge victorious
- All good counsel was available to Arjuna in the matter of executing the battle of Kuruksetra. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory. BG 1972 purports
- All the commanders of the parties on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra were standing face to face, and Arjuna saw them with great compassion and lamented that he was to kill his kinsmen on the battlefield for the sake of the empire
- Although there was no question of a peacemaking endeavor on the battlefield (of Kuruksetra), he (Arjuna) wanted to see them again (the leading persons), and to see how much they were bent upon demanding an unwanted war. BG 1972 purports
- Anarya-justam, "not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life." Aryan. Aryan means who are progressive. So this dejection of Arjuna in the battlefield is described as befitting a non-Aryan
- Arjuna agreed to satisfy the senses of the Lord, and thus he fought the Battle of Kuruksetra, as the Lord desired. The Vedas instruct us to get out of the existence of darkness and go forward on the path of light - tamasi ma jyotir gama
- Arjuna began to think of the Lord's instructions to him on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Only those instructions began to eliminate the tinges of material contamination in the mind of Arjuna
- Arjuna envisioned only unhappiness in the battlefield (of Kuruksetra) - he would not be happy even by gaining victory over the foe. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna fought the Battle of Kuruksetra under the direct order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Similarly, here (SB 4.20.13) Prthu Maharaja is also being given orders by Lord Visnu regarding the execution of his duty
- Arjuna had no desire to participate in political affairs or the fighting at Kuruksetra, but when ordered to do so by the Supreme Lord, Krsna, he executed those duties very nicely
- Arjuna had to fight in the battlefield, but at the same time he heard Bhagavad-gita. Our motto shall be like that. Neither we shall fight alone, without Krishna Consciousness, nor we shall give up all possible facilities in Krishna Consciousness
- Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. There was a fight. That is the history of greater India, Mahabharata. It is called Mahabharata. This Bhagavad-gita is part of Mahabharata. Mahabharata means greater India or greater planet
- Arjuna is described here as the conqueror, and Krsna is described as his intimate friend. Bhismadeva, on his bed of arrows after the Battle of Kuruksetra, is remembering the particular dress of Lord Krsna which He put on as the driver of Arjuna's chariot
- Arjuna is told that he should fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra for the interest of Krsna because Krsna wanted him to fight. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna might argue that he would give up the battle on the grounds of his magnanimous attitude for the most respectable Bhisma and his relatives, but Krsna considered that sort of magnanimity not approved by authority. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna said: O killer of Madhu (Krsna), how can I counterattack with arrows in battle men like Bhisma and Drona, who are worthy of my worship? BG 2.4 - 1972
- Arjuna thought that his victory in the battle (of Kuruksetra) would only be a cause of lamentation for him. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna thought that his victory in the battle would only be a cause of lamentation for him
- Arjuna wanted to see them (all persons who had joined the side of Duryodhana) in the battlefield (of Kuruksetra) before the fight was begun, just to learn who they were, but he had no intention of proposing peace negotiations with them. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna was able to discuss the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita even on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. We modern men have no time to get into the details of the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, even in the midst of our much more ordinary daily duties
- Arjuna was advised by the Lord (Krsna) to fight as a matter of duty without attachment to the result. His nonparticipation in the battle is another side of attachment. Such attachment never leads one to the path of salvation. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna was also disturbed on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, but he approached the authority, Krsna, and his problem was solved
- Arjuna was entrusted with the work of fighting on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and before he was so entrusted, the Lord had already arranged for his victory
- Arjuna was not a brahmin, neither a sannyasi. A grhastha, householder, and a . . . in royal order. He's on the battlefield. He's not a Vedantist. But just see how his knowledge is perfect
- Arjuna was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra just to question Lord Krsna about the problems of life so that the Lord could explain them and man could act accordingly and perfect the mission of human life. BG 1972 Introduction
- Arjuna, just after seeing his kinsmen, friends and relatives on the battlefield, was at once overwhelmed by compassion for them who had so decided to fight amongst themselves. BG 1972 purports
- As a pure devotee of the Lord, Arjuna had no desire to fight with his cousins and brothers, but he was forced to come onto the battlefield by the obstinacy of Duryodhana, who was never agreeable to any peaceful negotiation. BG 1972 purports
- As it was evident from the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, all the executive heads of both parties, like Drona, Bhisma, Arjuna and Duryodhana, were not sleeping; all of them were actual participants in the fighting
B
- Being an unalloyed devotee of the Personality of Godhead, Marshal Arjuna was able to discuss the transcendental philosophy of Bhagavad-gita even on the battlefield of Kuruksetra
- Both Maharaja Yudhisthira and Arjuna were unhappy from the beginning of the Battle of Kuruksetra
- By disciplic succession, one speaker after another, this yoga system has been coming down. in the course of time it has become lost. Consequently the Lord has to speak it again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. BG 1972 Introduction
- By placing Arjuna and the Pandavas in frustration due to the intrigue of their cousin-brothers, the prelude of the Battle of Kuruksetra was created by the Lord. This was to incarnate the sound representative of the Lord, Bhagavad-gita
D
- Dhrtarastra must have been very glad that Arjuna was not going to fight & was instead leaving the battlefield for the begging profession. But Sanjaya disappointed him again in relating that Arjuna was competent to kill his enemies. BG 1972 purports
- Due to his impatience, Arjuna was unable to stay on the battlefield (of Kuruksetra), and he was forgetting himself on account of the weakness of his mind. BG 1972 purports
- During the Battle of Kuruksetra, he (Karna) foresaw the conclusive result, and he expressed his opinion that due to Lord Krsna's being the chariot driver of Arjuna, the battle should be won by Arjuna
- During the time of cow-stealing in Virata-nagara, he (Trigarta) was able to arrest Maharaja Virata, but later Maharaja Virata was released by Bhima. In the Battle of Kuruksetra he also fought very valiantly, but at the end he was killed by Arjuna
E
- Every man is in difficulty in so many ways, as Arjuna also was in difficulty in having to fight the Battle of Kuruksetra. Arjuna surrendered unto Sri Krsna, and consequently this Bhagavad-gita was spoken. BG 1972 Introduction
- Everyone wants to show his opulence to friends and relatives, but Arjuna fears that all his relatives and friends will be killed in the battlefield (of Kuruksetra), and he will be unable to share his opulence after victory. BG 1972 purports
H
- He (Arjuna) was very anxious to see who the leading persons present on the battlefield (of Kuruksetra) were. BG 1972 purports
- He (Krsna) played the part of the charioteer, while Arjuna was given the chance to play the fighter and thus become the hero of the Battle of Kuruksetra
- He (Krsna) wanted to see His devotee and friend Arjuna as the hero of the Battle of Kuruksetra, and thus He waited for all the miscreants of the world to assemble. That, and nothing else, is the explanation of His waiting
- Here (in BG 1.15) on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra the Lord directly controls the transcendental senses of Arjuna, and thus His particular name of Hrsikesa. BG 1972 purports
- His (Arjuna's) wonderful acts on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra are vividly described in the Mahabharata. Arjuna was defeated, however, by his son Babhruvahana at Manipura and fell unconscious when Ulupi saved him
- His (Yudhisthira) actual arms were Krsna and Arjuna, and thus he surpassed everyone's opulence. Duryodhana, being envious of this opulence, planned so many schemes to put Yudhisthira into difficulty, and at last the Battle of Kuruksetra was brought about
I
- If he (Arjuna) abandoned the battle (of Kuruksetra), he would not only neglect his specific duty as a ksatriya, but he would lose all his fame and good name and thus prepare his royal road to hell. BG 1972 purports
- If you (Arjuna) want to become famous as the hero of the battlefield and thus enjoy the booty of war, then, O Savyasaci, just become the immediate cause of this killing and thus take the credit
- In the Battle of Kuruksetra he (Bhurisrava) was especially engaged in a fight with Satyaki, and he killed ten sons of Satyaki. Arjuna cut off his hands, and he was ultimately killed by Satyaki. After his death he merged into the existence of Visvadeva
- In the Battle of Kuruksetra Susarma fought very valiantly, but at the end he was killed by Arjuna
- In the beginning Arjuna placed himself as one of those who desire self-satisfaction, for he desired not to fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra
- In the beginning, Arjuna decided that he should not fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra. This was his own decision. BG 1972 Introduction
- In the Bhagavad-gita (BG 2.12) it was said by the Lord in the midst of the battlefield that the warriors standing in front of Arjuna, Arjuna himself, and even the Lord had all existed before, they were existing on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra
- In the fierce Battle of Kuruksetra, Arjuna was victorious within eighteen days simply because Krsna’s grace was on his side
- It is due to Arjuna only that the great philosophical discourses of the Bhagavad-gita were again spoken by the Lord on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra
- It is found in Bhagavad-gita: Although Krsna was doing everything for Arjuna, Arjuna never sat down idly as a nonviolent gentleman. Rather, he tried his best to fight the battle and be victorious
- It is said that all the living entities who died on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra attained their original constitutional position (svarupa) because they had the chance to see Krsna face to face riding in the chariot of Arjuna
K
- King Pariksit was especially interested in hearing krsna-katha because he knew that his forefathers, particularly his grandfather, Arjuna, were victorious in the great Battle of Kuruksetra only because of Krsna
- Krsna started this movement five thousand years ago and taught this subject matter to Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. But unfortunate as we are, we could not take up the mission of Krsna
L
- Later, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Arjuna killed many great generals like Karna and others
- Lord Krsna continued to give His verdict to Arjuna: Do not think that the great generals like Duryodhana, Karna, and other contemporaries will think that you have left the battlefield out of compassion for your brothers and grandfather. BG 1972 purports
- Lord Krsna in His Narayana feature is always four handed. On the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, when Arjuna wanted to see His universal form, He showed this feature of four-handed Narayana
- Lord Krsna now (in BG 2.38) directly says that Arjuna should fight for the sake of fighting because He desires the battle. BG 1972 purports
- Lord Krsna says to Arjuna: if you think that people may call you bad names but that you will save your life by fleeing the battlefield, then My advice is that you'd do better to die in the battle. BG 1972 purports
- Lord Krsna says to Arjuna: you should not flee for fear of your life; better to die in the battle. That will save you from the ill fame of misusing My friendship and from losing your prestige in society. BG 1972 purports
O
- On the battlefield (of Kuruksetra) Arjuna could see all kinds of relatives. He could see also the armies which contained many of his friends. BG 1972 purports
- On the battlefield (where Sri Krsna attended Arjuna out of friendship), the flowing hair of Lord Krsna turned ashen due to the dust raised by the hoofs of the horses. And because of His labor, beads of sweat wetted His face
- On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kinds of relatives. He could see brothers like Duryodhana, sons like Laksmana, friends like Asvatthama, well-wishers like Krtavarma, etc. BG 1972 purports
- On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kinds of relatives. He could see persons like Bhurisrava, who were his father's contemporaries, grandfathers Bhisma & Somadatta, teachers like Dronacarya & Krpacarya, maternal uncles like Salya & Sakuni. BG 1972 p
- On the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Arjuna engaged in fighting, and those on the side of Duryodhana also engaged in fighting. We must understand how it is that Arjuna is free from reaction whereas Duryodhana is not
- On the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Arjuna said to Krsna, - Whatever You are saying is all right. I am not this body. I am a soul, and this is also true of everyone else. So when the body is annihilated, the soul will continue to exist
- On the battlefield of Kuruksetra, Arjuna was very much afraid of being entangled in his activities by engaging in warfare. Krsna therefore assured him that if he fought for His sake there would be no possibility of entanglement
- On the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, superficially two things were going on - the demons were being killed, and the devotee, Arjuna, was being protected. However, the results were the same for everyone
- One may then ask this question: What was the purpose for which Arjuna fought on the battlefield of Kuruksetra? The answer is plain and simple. The fight that is fought in pursuance of military duty touches the body only
- One of the real devotees of Krishna was Arjuna during the appearance of Lord Krishna and as such the parampara of the Bhagavad-gita, which was broken prior to the occurrence of the battle of Kuruksetra, was reestablished at the battlefield
T
- The Battle of Kuruksetra was designed by the Lord (Krsna) Himself, but just to give credit to His devotee Arjuna - nimitta-matram bhava savyasacin
- The Bhagavad-gita is therefore meant for terminating all different types of miseries, and Arjuna took shelter of this great knowledge, which had been imparted to him during the Kuruksetra battle
- The Bhagavad-gita was spoken by the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, to Vivasvan, the presiding deity of the sun, and when the aural chain of disciplic succession was broken, Krsna repeated the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra
- The devotee does not desire any achievement other than pleasing the SP of Godhead. His life's mission is to please Krsna, and he can sacrifice everything for Krsna's satisfaction, just as Arjuna did in the Battle of Kuruksetra. BG 1972 purports
- The doubt was there in the mind of Arjuna in the battlefield, and there was necessity for preaching Bhagavad-gita
- The final judgement of the Lord was for Arjuna to die in the battle and not withdraw. BG 1972 purports
- The force exhibited in the Battle of Kuruksetra by the desire of Krsna and through the agency of Arjuna was also necessary because when people become too irreligious, force is required. Nonviolence in this respect is rascaldom
- The Lord says - Arjuna, if you leave the battlefield, people will call you a coward even before your actual flight. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord tells Arjuna, O Arjuna, merely be an instrument in the fight. Lord Krsna had the competence to win the Battle of Kuruksetra, but nonetheless He induced His devotee Arjuna to fight and become the cause of victory
- The Pandavas, especially Maharaja Yudhisthira and Arjuna, anticipated the aftereffects of the Battle of Kuruksetra, and therefore Arjuna declined to execute the fighting
- The problem which arose in the heart of Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra was solved by the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita
- The word dharma-ksetra (a place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on the side of Arjuna. BG 1972 purports
- Thereafter, Lord Sri Krsna created a misunderstanding between family members just to diminish the burden of the world. Simply by His glance, He annihilated all the demoniac kings on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra and declared victory for Arjuna
- These symptoms were exhibited by Arjuna when he saw Krsna's universal form on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. His confusion was so strong that his bow and arrows fell from his hand, and he could not perceive anything clearly
V
- Vasisthadeva celebrated the coronation ceremony of the Personality of Godhead Sri Rama. He was present also on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra
- Victory and fortune (in the Battle of Kuruksetra) were awaiting Arjuna, as indicated by the transcendental sound produced by the conchshell of Visnu, or Lord Krsna. BG 1972 purports
W
- What Krsna taught five thousand years ago in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra to Arjuna, we are broadcasting the same message. We have not manufactured anything new. That is not dharma. Dharma cannot be manufactured
- When Arjuna was little disturbed... Because this battle was arranged between two parties of cousin-brothers... And when Arjuna saw the other party, all his relatives, family members, so he hesitated to fight, and there was some argument
- When Marshal Arjuna was unable to solve the problem posed to him by the impending battle of Kuruksetra, he surrendered himself as a disciple to Sri Krsna in all submissiveness to hear his problem's solution