Category:Arjuna As a Disciple of Krsna
Theme Analysis
The transformation of Arjuna from a distressed friend to a surrendered disciple marks the true beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā's philosophical teachings. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were initially discussing the impending battle, they were speaking on an equal, friendly level. However, friendly conversations often lack definitive conclusions. Realizing that his overwhelming perplexity could not be solved by mundane reasoning, Arjuna voluntarily submitted himself to Kṛṣṇa, declaring, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam ("Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me"). This transition establishes the fundamental rule of spiritual life: to solve the complex problems of material existence, one must stop arguing and submissively approach a bona fide guru.
Once Arjuna accepted the role of a disciple, the dynamic completely shifted. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Kṛṣṇa immediately assumed the grave role of a spiritual master, exercising His right to chastise Arjuna for speaking like a learned man while mourning for the temporary, physical body. Furthermore, Kṛṣṇa selected Arjuna to be the recipient of this supreme knowledge not because Arjuna was a great scholar or a renunciate, but simply because he was a pure devotee and a trusted friend. Because the original chain of disciplic succession (paramparā) had been broken over time, Kṛṣṇa utilized Arjuna to restart it, making him the first disciple of this renovated knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the only way to genuinely understand the Bhagavad-gītā today is to adopt the exact same submissive, surrendered attitude as Arjuna.
- The Limit of Friendship: Friendly arguments cannot solve the deep perplexities of material life; a formal master-disciple relationship is required for serious spiritual instruction.
- The Act of Surrender: Arjuna's declaration (śiṣyas te 'haṁ) perfectly models the required submission of a sincere student approaching the Supreme Lord or His representative.
- The Right of Chastisement: Upon accepting Arjuna as a disciple, Kṛṣṇa assumed the gravity of a spiritual master and immediately chastised Arjuna's bodily concept of life.
- The Rebirth of the Paramparā: Because the ancient disciplic succession was broken, Kṛṣṇa made Arjuna the first disciple of the renewed system, setting the standard for all future students of the Bhagavad-gītā.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Arjuna As a Disciple of Kṛṣṇa - The Perfect Example of Surrender.
Pages in category "Arjuna As a Disciple of Krsna"
The following 57 pages are in this category, out of 57 total.
A
- A friend can deny to accept the instruction of the other friend, but a disciple cannot deny. That will be guror avajna (Padma Purana). Therefore Arjuna submitted himself, that - Now I become Your (Krsna's) disciple. You guide me
- A guru is necessary. In the Bhagavad-gita, when Krsna and Arjuna were talking as friends, there was no conclusion. So Arjuna decided to accept Krsna as his guru
- Although Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He taught His disciple and devotee Arjuna how to lead a life ending in going back home, back to Godhead (tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna) - BG 4.9
- Arjuna becomes the disciple of Krsna, and anyone who understands Bhagavad-gita, following the footprints of Arjuna, he can understand rightly what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gita
- Arjuna heard from Krsna about Himself, and he agreed. So He is accepted by the direct disciple, Arjuna; He is accepted by Vyasadeva; He is accepted by Narada Muni
- Arjuna is direct disciple of Krsna. So if you take Bhagavad-gita as it was understood by Arjuna, then you get the right knowledge. And if you take the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita explained by some so-called scholar and politician, then it is rascaldom
- Arjuna is exampling himself that he's accepting Krsna as the spiritual master, teacher. And then Krsna began to teach the Bhagavad-gita, and he changed his decision, and he was freed from all anxieties. This is spiritual life
- Arjuna selected Krsna as his guru. He did not go to anyone else, because he knew, - I can't find any other means to pacify me. You are the only one
- Arjuna teaches us submission by giving up his friendly relationship with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says, - I have now become Your disciple. Please instruct me
- Arjuna, in Bhagavad-gita, was trying to accept for himself the responsibility for killing his grandfather and teacher in the fight, but he became freed from that proprietorship of action when he acted under the direction of Krsna
- As friends, both of them (Krsna and Arjuna) were on the same level, but one of them voluntarily became a student of the other. Krsna was smiling because a friend had chosen to become a disciple. BG 1972 purports
- At that time (during the battle of Kuruksetra), Arjuna took the role of disciple and student in order to receive transcendental knowledge from Sri Krsna
B
- Because he (Arjuna) accepted discipleship, so He (Krsna) immediately chastised him, that - you rascal, you are talking like a very learned man, but you are on the platform of bodily conception of life, the platform of the animals
- Because he (Arjuna) accepted Krsna as spiritual master, so spiritual master has the right to chide his disciple. So He immediately chided him
- Before accepting the spiritual master, you must find out whether Krsna or Krsna's representative is there. Arjuna surrendered to Krsna. Sisyas te 'ham: "I am Your disciple." Similarly, everyone should surrender to Krsna or Krsna's representative
H
- He (Arjuna) is asking Lord Krsna, the supreme spiritual master, to make a definite solution. He offers himself to Krsna as a disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. BG 1972 purports
- He (Arjuna) therefore told Krsna at the beginning of Bhagavad-gita (2.7), sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam - Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me
- He (Arjuna) voluntarily accepted: "Whatever Krsna says, I shall do it." Just like all my disciples - they have not lost their individuality, but they have surrendered their individuality. That is required
- He (Krsna) is the original spiritual master because He was accepted by Arjuna. So what is the difficulty? Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam (BG 2.7). Arjuna told the Lord, - I am Your disciple, & a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me
I
- If we take the position of Arjuna - sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam - then Krsna will speak to the disciple like Arjuna, and everything will be clear
- If we take, if we read Bhagavad-gita in the spirit of understanding like Arjuna, the perfect disciple, and if we accept the advice and the instruction of Krsna, the perfect teacher, then we should know that we have understood Bhagavad-gita
- In order to save oneself from this offense (interpret Bhagavad-gita without any reference to the will of Krsna), one has to understand the Lord as the SP of Godhead, as He was directly understood by Arjuna, Lord Krsna's first disciple. BG 1972 Preface
- In the BG Krsna tells His disciple Arjuna, "I am disclosing a most confidential part of knowledge to you, because you are My dear friend." As is stated in the Fourth Chapter, the BG is spoken to Arjuna because of his one qualification: he was a devotee
- It appears that the talk between the master and the disciple (Krsna and Arjuna) was openly exchanged in the presence of both armies so that all were benefitted. BG 1972 purports
K
- Kesava, whatever You have said, I accept it in total. That is surrender. No cut short
- Krsna is the original spiritual master of the science of Bhagavad-gita, and Arjuna is the first disciple for understanding the Gita. How Arjuna understands the Bhagavad-gita is stated in the Gita itself. BG 1972 purports
- Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ideal spiritual master, spoke the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita to Marshal Arjuna, His disciple. Here is a perfect example of the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple
N
- No more friendly talking because Arjuna has accepted Krsna as the teacher. So He's the teacher. It is the duty of the teacher to punish or to chastise the disciple when he is wrongly going on
- Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me. BG 2.7 - 1972
S
- Sometimes there are inquiries as to how one can surrender unto the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita (BG 18.66) the Lord asked Arjuna to surrender unto Him, and therefore persons unwilling to do so question where God is and to whom they should surrender
- Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, rebuked Marshal Arjuna, so to say, when Arjuna surrendered unto Him as a disciple, being unable to solve the problems that always confront us in our material existence
T
- Talks between the master and the disciple are serious, and now Arjuna wants to talk very seriously before the recognized spiritual master (Krsna). BG 1972 purports
- The answer (men ask whether one has to approach a guru to be instructed in devotional service for spiritual advancement) is given here (in SB 8.16.23) - indeed, not only here, but also in Bhagavad-gita, where Arjuna accepted Krsna as his guru - BG 2.7
- The body is changing, but I am not changing. I am eternal. Therefore I am not this body. I am not changing. This simple truth. After Arjuna has accepted His (Krsna's) discipleship, the first instruction is this
- The Lord imparted instructions with full senses, and Arjuna received them with full senses, and thus there was a perfect exchange of sensible and logical understanding between the master and the disciple
- The perfect disciple must be like Arjuna, and the spiritual master must be as good as the Lord Himself. This is the process of learning vidya (knowledge) from the dhira (the undisturbed)
- They did not see it before, but because of Arjuna they were also able to see it. In other words, all the disciplic devotees of the Lord could see the universal form which was shown to Arjuna by the mercy of Krsna. BG 1972 purports
- This knowledge is being imparted by Krsna Himself, Bhagavad-gita. The beginning of this knowledge is when Arjuna accepted Him as guru. Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam
- This long chain of disciplic succession was broken during the advent period of Lord Krsna (five thousand years ago), and for this reason Krsna restated the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna, thereby making him the first disciple of this knowledge in this age
W
- When Arjuna at last comes to complete awareness, he accepts, "Krsna, You are param brahma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then Arjuna surrendered, as Krsna advised - sarva-dharman parityajya - BG 18.66
- When Arjuna saw that friendly talks would not make a solution to his problems, he surrendered unto Krsna, saying, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam: "Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me." This is the process
- When Arjuna submitted to Krsna that - I am Your now disciple. There is no need of friendly talks. You can give me instruction seriously because I am surrendered to You, and You give me the real instruction
- When Arjuna was perplexed by so many problems involving whether to fight or not, he accepted Lord Krsna as his spiritual master. It was also a case of the supreme spiritual master instructing Arjuna about the constitutional position of the living entity
- When he (Arjuna) was fully situated in the principles of bhagavata-dharma, culminating in complete surrender unto the will of the Supreme Lord, he changed his decision and agreed to fight for the satisfaction of the Lord
- When He (Krsna) was accepted (by Arjuna) as the master, He at once assumed the role and talked with the disciple like the master - with gravity, as it is required. BG 1972 purports
- When his (Arjuna's) problems could not be solved, he surrendered to Krsna and accepted Him as spiritual master
- 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
- Why Krsna selected to instruct Arjuna as the disciple of the renovated parampara system? That is also spoken by Krsna: "Because you are My dear friend, because you are My devotee, you can understand the mysteries of Bhagavad-gita"