Category:God and Arjuna
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the divine dialogue between the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and His pure devotee, Arjuna, is the foundation of the supreme spiritual science of Bhagavad-gītā. Although Arjuna is an eternal, liberated associate of the Lord, he was purposefully placed into a state of temporary illusion on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. By perfectly playing the role of a bewildered conditioned soul, Arjuna created the opportunity for the Lord to speak the ultimate philosophical truth for the benefit of all humanity. Throughout their exchange, the absolute difference between the infinite Lord and the infinitesimal living entity is established. God instructed Arjuna to fight, not for any mundane political or personal gain, but as a pure act of unalloyed devotional service. By surrendering to the supreme will of Kṛṣṇa and executing his prescribed duty without attachment, Arjuna demonstrated the flawless path of yoga, leaving an eternal example for all sincere seekers to follow.
- The Eternal Companion: Arjuna is not an ordinary man; he is a constant, liberated companion of the Lord who descends to assist Kṛṣṇa in His transcendental pastimes.
- The Divine Illusion: To draw out the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord temporarily covered Arjuna's intelligence, making him act like an ordinary, attached human being.
- The Supreme Authority: Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa not merely as a friend, but as the Supreme Person and the ultimate authority who can dispel all ignorance.
- Duty as Devotional Service: The Lord's command to fight transforms Arjuna's violent battlefield duty into pure, transcendental devotional service performed exclusively for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure.
- Receiving Confidential Knowledge: Because Arjuna was free from envy and deeply devoted, the Lord revealed to him the most confidential knowledge of full surrender.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God Instructed Arjuna to Fight.
Pages in category "God and Arjuna"
The following 69 pages are in this category, out of 69 total.
A
- Actually we are all followed by the tiger of nescience, but the Lord is very merciful upon living entities, especially human beings. To this end He spoke the Bhagavad-gita, making His friend Arjuna His student. BG 1972 Introduction
- After explaining the above (BG 5.27-28) principles of liberation in the Supreme, the Lord gives instruction to Arjuna as to how one can come to that position by the practice of mysticism or yoga, known as astanga-yoga. BG 1972 purports
- Although Arjuna is a devotee of the Lord, he sometimes forgets the nature of the Lord, but by the divine grace a devotee can at once understand the infallible condition of the Lord. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna has addressed the Supreme Lord as Purusottama, SP, which means that he was putting these (BG 8.1) questions not simply to a friend but to the Supreme Person, knowing Him to be the supreme authority able to give definitive answers. BG 1972 pur
- Arjuna is being directly ordered by the Personality of Godhead to fight. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna is fighting, and another soldier is fighting the other side. But Arjuna's activities as soldier is devotional service, because he's trying to please Krsna
- Arjuna is here (in BG 4.15) advised to act in Krsna consciousness, following in the footsteps of the Lord's previous disciples, such as the sun-god Vivasvan, as mentioned hereinbefore. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna told the Lord that it was not possible for him to enjoy the kingdom after killing his own kinsmen. This decision was based on the body because he was thinking that the body was himself. BG 1972 Introduction
- Arjuna was born in a saintly royal family. To him also the Lord says, "Take to My devotional service and come quickly back to Godhead, back home." No one should remain in this temporary world, full as it is with miseries. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna was then advised by God to fight and take credit; otherwise the party of Duryodhana would be killed anyway by the will of the Lord. Arjuna was advised just to become the agent and take the credit for killing great generals like Bhisma and Karna
- Arjuna's desire to retire from activities on the battlefield was not approved by the Lord. One need only know how to act. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna, as a pure devotee of the Lord, never previously saw the contemplated universal form of the Lord but when he did see it, his curiosities were satisfied. But he was not happy to see such a form of the Lord because of his attachment as a pure devotee
- As the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.9): One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna
- At the outset, the Personality of Godhead talked with Arjuna just as a friend talks with a friend. But such friendly discussions generally end in friendly - and fruitless - debate
B
- Because of the Lord's pastimes and activities and because of His absence, it appeared that Arjuna forgot the instructions left by the Personality of Godhead. But factually this was not the case, and again he became lord of his senses
- 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
- Bhismadeva takes this opportunity to address the Lord as vijaya-sakhe (friend of Arjuna) because the Lord is pleased when He is addressed conjointly with His devotees, who are related with Him in different transcendental humors
- Both Indra and Visnu are worshiped by yajna performances. But here (in BG 8.2) Arjuna asks who is actually the Lord of yajna (sacrifice), and how is the Lord residing within the body of the living entity. BG 1972 purports
- Both Rama and Hanuman were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. BG 1972 purports
- By mental speculation one cannot ascertain what is religion or self-realization. Therefore, out of causeless mercy to His devotees, the Lord explains directly to Arjuna what action is and what inaction is. BG 1972 purports
D
- Devotees like Arjuna are constant companions of the Lord, and whenever the Lord incarnates, the associate devotees also incarnate in order to serve the Lord in different capacities. Arjuna is one of these devotees. BG 1972 purports
- Devotional service means every living entity has a specific duty towards God. God wants everyone to do a particular duty for Him, that is service. Just like God instructed Arjuna to fight, so to fight was Arjuna's duty
H
- He (King Pariksit) inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami how his grandmother Subhadra was kidnapped by his grandfather Arjuna at the instigation of Lord Krsna. King Pariksit was very eager to learn how his grandfather kidnapped and married his grandmother
- He (the Lord) can understand that Arjuna has no special desire to see Him in His universal form, for he is completely satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Krsna. BG 1972 purports
- His (Arjuna's) intelligence could not be polluted at any time because he was a devotee and constant companion of the Lord, as is clear in the Fourth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita
I
- If (Arjuna did) not (understand proper perspective of Bhagavad-gita), the Lord was ready to re-explain any point, or the whole Bhagavad-gita if so required. BG 1972 purports
- If one is an administrator, statesman, warrior, politician, etc., then one should try to establish the Lord's supremacy in statesmanship. Fight for the cause of the Lord as Sri Arjuna did
- In Bhagavad-gita God declares to Arjuna that all - I am their seed giving father - the Lord says
- In Bhagavad-gita, the Lord has explained in all respects how one can elevate his living condition. The best advice imparted to Arjuna is to surrender unto the Supersoul seated within his heart. BG 1972 purports
- In course of time, the same instruction (which was given to sun-god), being wrongly handled and being broken, was again instructed to Arjuna because he was His perfect devotee and friend
- In the Bhagavad-gita also, when there were talks between the Lord and His devotee Arjuna, there could not be any topic other than bhakti-yoga, however the mundane scholars may speculate on it in their own ways
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says - My dear Arjuna, I am equal to everyone. No one is the object of My envy, and no one is My special friend, but I give special attention to one who engages in Krsna consciousness
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that long, long before the instruction was imparted to Arjuna, the same was instructed to the sun-god
- In the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita (BG 2.12), wherein the Lord says: Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you (Arjuna), nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be
- In this chapter (of BG 8) Krsna answers these (BG 8.1) different questions of Arjuna beginning with, "What is Brahman?" God also explains karma, fruitive activities, devotional service & yoga principles, & devotional service in its pure form. BG 1972 pur
- In this verse (BG 18.17) the Lord informs Arjuna that the desire not to fight arises from false ego. BG 1972 purports
- It (the converstion) is wonderful because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is speaking about Himself and His energies to the living entity, Arjuna, a great devotee of the Lord. BG 1972 purports
- It appears that Sanjaya also, by the grace of Vyasa, could see the universal form of Krsna exhibited to Arjuna. It is, of course, said that Lord Krsna never exhibited such a form before. BG 1972 purports
- It so appeared that Arjuna and the Lord were engaged in the Battle of Kuruksetra as the other party was also engaged, but factually the Lord was executing His mission of incarnation and association with His eternal friend Arjuna
O
- One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance & activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna
- Only when the Lord is satisfied with the devotional service of the devotee does He impart knowledge, as He did for Arjuna and Uddhava
S
- So Arjuna pretended to display weakness, placing himself in the category of ordinary people who are illusioned in the material world. And by this action of his, Marshal Arjuna helped in the manifestation of BG from the transcendental lips of the PG
- 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
T
- 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 constitutional position of a living entity, represented by Arjuna, is that he has to act according to the order of the Supreme Lord. He is meant for self-discipline. BG 1972 purports
- The difference between the Lord and Arjuna is that the Lord remembered the incidence, whereas Arjuna could not remember. That is the difference between the part and parcel living entity and the Supreme Lord. BG 1972 purports
- The difficulty of controlling the obstinate mind, as expressed by Arjuna, is accepted by the Personality of Godhead. But at the same time He suggests that by practice and detachment it is possible. What is that practice? BG 1972 purports
- The Lord advised that Arjuna not be inactive, but that he perform his prescribed duty without being attached to the result. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord and the living entity can never be equal in all respects, even if the living entity is as liberated as Arjuna. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord declares in the Bhagavad-gita (BG 9.31), kaunteya pratijanihi: "O son of Kunti, please declare it." The Lord asks Arjuna to declare, and why
- The Lord describes for Arjuna how one can achieve the highest perfectional stage simply by being engaged in his occupational duty, performing that duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord has already explained to Arjuna the knowledge of brahmabhuta. One who is in the brahma-bhuta condition is joyful; he never laments, nor does he desire anything. That is due to confidential knowledge. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord has confirmed this statement (that God is always ready to give protection to His servitors) in the Bhagavad-gita by assuring Arjuna - You may declare to the world, My devotee shall never be vanquished
- The Lord has given Arjuna confidential knowledge of the Supersoul within everyone's heart, and now He is giving the most confidential part of this knowledge: just surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord replied to him (Arjuna) so explicitly that there is no doubt that devotional service to the Personality of Godhead is the best of all processes of spiritual realization. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita, nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna - My dear Arjuna, just try to become transcendental to the Vedic rituals
- The Lord selected Arjuna as the recipient of this great science owing to his becoming the devotee of the Lord, but for the demon it is not possible to understand this great mysterious science. BG 1972 purports
- The propaganda of the identity of cosmic consciousness with the consciousness of the individual living entities is completely misleading because even such a person as Arjuna could not remember his past deeds, although he is always with the Lord
- The sane man is enlightened in the disciplic succession from Brahmaji, who was personally instructed by the Lord, or in the disciplic succession from Arjuna, who was personally instructed by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita
- The universal cosmic manifestation is also the virat-rupa that was shown to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita. Therefore, since the Lord is present everywhere and all the time, He is the Absolute Truth and the greatest
- There is no difference between the sound representation of the Lord and the Lord Himself. One can derive the same benefit from the Bhagavad-gita as Arjuna did in the personal presence of the Lord
- This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita in the well-known verse yada yada hi dharmasya glanih. "Whenever there is a decline of dharma and a rise of adharma, O Arjuna, then I incarnate Myself
- This is the way of the parampara system. If we follow the acaryas we attain the same benefit as our predecessors. If one follows the decisions of Arjuna, he should be considered to be directly hearing Bhagavad-gita from the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- This most confidential knowledge was imparted by the Lord to Brahma, Arjuna, Uddhava, etc
- This was instructed by the Lord Himself to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita: "Go on fighting, but keep Me within your mind." That should be the motto of every honest person seeking perfection in Krsna consciousness
- Through his friendship with the Lord, Arjuna attained the desired result. (9) By surrendering everything he had to the Lord, Maharaja Bali attained the desired result
- To make him (Arjuna) desireless the Lord preached the Bhagavad-gita, in which the ways of karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, hatha-yoga and also bhakti-yoga were explained