विवेचन सारांश

Bhagavān's will is ultimate and no one can defy HIS protection or HIS decree

A bird's eye view of the last 3 shlokas
yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo ’mbu-vegāḥ
samudram evābhimukhā dravanti
tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrā
viśhanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti (11.28)

In this shloka, Arjuna uses the analogy of the rivers merging with the vast ocean.

In this shloka, Arjuna describes with the analogy of the fire moth which burns itself in the fire.

Like a fire moth which is irresistibly drawn to the fire resulting in it's destruction, the warriors and generals from both camps are being drawn and engulfed by the blazzing mouths of the infinite cosmic form. The warriors from both sides (like a moth to a flame) are heading towards the jaws of death.

lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl
lokān samagrān vadanair jvaladbhiḥ
tejobhir āpūrya jagat samagraṁ
bhāsas tavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣhṇo (11.30)

In this shloka, Arjuna describes that the warriors of the war (from both sides) are being engulfed by the blazzing mouths of infinite cosmic form from all directions. The scorching heat and effulgence (which is brighter than a thousand suns in the sky) is heating up the entire material world.

The acronym GOD represents Generator; Operator; and Destructor:
It is the Supreme Divine who is the source of all creation, sustainence and anhilation of all creations. Arjuna is now witnessing the fierce form of the Supreme Divine as the death personified,  who is wiping out the armies from both sides.

Arjuna expected to witness the most enchanting form of the Supreme Divine in the Vishwaroopa (as described below):

The Supreme Divine is the source of causeless grace and mercy. But instead, he is now witnessing the form of creator, sustainer and the ultimate destructor in the fierce and terror-striking infinite cosmic form. He is gripped by terror, and enquires "Who are you indeed and what is your purpose?" from the infinite cosmic form.

Bhagavān replies that although HE is the source of all creations, the sustainer and the responsible for anhilation, the fierce cosmic form which HE is displaying currently is the personification of Maha Kaal (time personified) who is the destroyer of the three worlds.

Bhagavān says that whatever is pre-determined and has to happen will surely happen. HE says that even if Arjuna does not want to wage the war against his kinsman, the armies arrayed from the enemy camp will be annihilated and wiped out.

The reason for Arjuna's delusion

The verdict by Bhagavān

The law of karma
The law of Karma states that "As you sow, so shall you also reap".

The reason behind Bhīṣma pitāmaha enduring pain on the battlefield
Bhīṣma pitāmaha's suffering on the bed of arrows is attributed to past actions and present choices - Karmic Consequence. Let's understand this in detail.

Even the natural calamities can be seen as a reflection of nature's imbalance due to human actions and societal decline. These natural disasters are the result of human actions and collective consciousness. 

Bhagavān explains that everything is pre-determined as per HIS will. HE has already decided to annihilate the unvirtuous (The Kaurava camp) and ensure the victory of the virtuous (the pāṇḍavas). Hence, HE asks Arjuna to fight the war against the Kauravas, as the nimmita-matram or an instrument of Bhagavān's work. 

Bhagavān reminds Arjuna about his savya-sachin or ambidextrous skills of being able to discharge the arrows with either hand and asks him to arise and attain honor.

The principle of nimitta-matram is also followed in the Learngeeta program. Although there are 3000 zoom sessions conducted every day and over 12,000 volunteers working round the clock to discharge their seva, we all are an instrument of Bhagavān's work of imparting the Gita to one and all. 

Bhagavān declares that Bhīṣma Pitāmaha, Dronacharya, Karna and Jayadhratha have already been slayed by HIM. Arjuna is only the means or an instrument to discharge Bhagavān's work. HE wants Arjuna to reap the glory of slaying these great warriors and enjoy the pleasures of his kingdom.

All these great warriors had divine weapons and were almost invincible. We are aware about the might of Bhīṣma pitāmaha, Drona and Karna; let's understand more about Jayadhratha.

The boon granted to Jayadhratha 
Jayadhratha was the husband of Dushyala (The only sister of the Kauravas). He had a boon that the person who will cause Jayadratha’s head to fall to the ground, that person’s head get divided into thousand pieces and will die.

The role of Jayadhratha in Abhimanyu's death
On the thirteenth day of Kurukshetra war, Kauravas had aligned their soldiers in form of Chakravyuh. It was the most dangerous alignment and only greatest of the great soldiers knew how to enter and successfully exit the Chakravyuh. Only Arjuna knew how to enter, destroy and exit vyuh. But that day, as per Shakuni, the maternal uncle of Duryadhana’s plan, they attacked from the other side of Kurukshetra by attacking king Virat just to distract Arjuna. Arjuna felt obligated to rescue king Virat and was also challenged in a one on one battle. In those days, ignoring challenge wasn’t a warrior’s thing. So Arjuna decided to go in the other side of Kurukshetra to help king Virat, warning his brothers not to enter the Chakravyuh, untill he returns and engage the Kauravas in small battles outside the Chakravyuh. Arjuna was held up with the war. Upon seeing no signs of his father Arjuna, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, decided to enter the Chakravyuhyuh.

Abhinanyu's partial knowledge about the Chakravyuha 
One day, Arjuna was narrating to Subhadra how to enter Chakravyuh. Abhimanyu could hear the process from his mother’s womb. But after sometime Subhadra fell asleep and so Arjuna stopped narrating. So the art and skill for safely exiting the Chakravyuha was unknown to Abhimanyu.

The four Pandavas decided that Abhimanyu would enter Chakravyuh through one of the seven entrances, followed by other four Pandavas, they would protect each other, and fight together in the centre untill Arjuna arrives.

Abhimanyu successfully entered the Chakravyuh, but Jayadratha, being on that entrance stopped pāṇḍavas. He used the boon given by Lord Shiva. No matter how much pāṇḍavas fought, Jayadratha stopped them successfully. 

Abhimanyu was left alone in the Chakravyuh in front of all the greatest of the great warriors. Abhimanyu was brutally killed by everyone of the opposition. Jayadratha made pāṇḍavas watch the painful scene, keeping them helpless for that day. 

Arjuna's oath to slay Jayadhratha
Arjuna upon returning, heard the unfair and brutal demise of his beloved son, and specially blamed Jayadratha as he felt betrayed. Jayadratha was the reason that the other pāṇḍavas couldn’t enter and save Abhimanyu. So angry Arjuna took an dangerous oath. He said that if he couldn’t kill Jayadratha by the next day’s sunset, he himself will jump into the fire and give up his life.

Hearing such a fierce oath, the Kaurava camp conspired a plot to protect Jayadratha in the middle of that vyuh. Through out the day, all the great warriors like Dronacharya, Karna, and Duryadhana kept guarding Jayadratha and distracted Arjuna. Bhagavān Śrī Krishna observed that it was almost the time of sunset.

Bhagavān Śrī Krishna's divine intervention
Bhagavān Shri Krishna eclipsed the sun using his Sudarshana chakra and everyone thought sun has set. Kauravas became very happy. Jayadratha was relieved and came out to see that it was really the end of the day, Arjuna took that chance. He invoked Pashupat weapon and killed Jayadratha.

The death of Jayadhratha
Arjuna killed Jayadratha by ensuring that his head falls on the lap of his father. The death of Jayadratha led to the death of his father, Vriddhakshatra, who had a boon that his son's head falling to the ground would cause his own death.

Key learning
As they say "Rakhe Krishna mare ke, mare Krishna rakhe ke" which implies that "If Krishna wants to kill you, who can save you? And if Krishna wants to protect you, who can kill you?".

This phrase highlights Bhagavān Śrī Krishna's supreme power and control over life and death. Bhagavān's will is ultimate and no one can defy HIS protection or HIS decree. It is a statement about the divine power and control of the Supreme Divine. 

Sanjaya narrates to Dhritarashtra that Arjuna is gripped by fear upon hearing Sri Krishna's words. From a state of tremble (overwhelmed by fear), with his hands folded and throat dried up, Arjuna now says the following (which is stated in the forthcoming shlokas).

 Arjuna says that the entire material world experiences bliss by chanting the names and glories of the Supreme Divine. The devotees bow down to HIM with devotion (irrespective of the terror-striking spectacle of the cosmic form) and the saintly persons offer their prayers to the cosmic form.

On the other hand, the demons are gripped by fear and tend to tremble by the effulgence of fierce infinite cosmic form. Thus, Arjuna glorifies the infinite cosmic form.

Arjuna continues to glorify the infinite cosmic form as:

Thus, Arjuna glorifies the Supreme Divine from whom the entire creation emanates, who sustaines the same, and is the cause for annihilation where all creations merge into HIM.

Arjuna continues to glorify the infinite cosmic form as:

As the below shloka from Chapter 15 states:

I alone am to be known by all the Vedas, am the author of the Vedant, and the knower of the meaning of the Vedas.

HE alone is the knower, and the final objective of all knowledge is to know HIM.

 Arjuna glorifies the cosmic form as:

Bhagavān is the source of all creations. It is from HIM that the creator Brahmā Ji originated, and hence HE is also the grandsire of all creations. Arjuna offers HIS salutations yet again a thousand times.

Arjuna acknowledges that the infinite cosmic form is ananta-vīrya (possessing infinite strength) and ananta-vikramaḥ (immeasurably powerful). He bows down to the infinite cosmic form again and again by offerring his obeisance a multiple times from all directions.

The session ends with the prayer and Hanuman Chalisa.

Bikram Ji
Q: Is it possible to attain Bhagavad Prapti by reading the Gītā?
A: Slowly but steadily, one is on the path to attain Bhagavad Prapti (attaining the Supreme Divine).


Gopalakrishna Ji
Q: If Bhagavān has already killed Bhīṣma Pitāmaha, Drona, Karna and Jayadhratha, what is the point in Arjuna fighting the war?
A: The infinite cosmic form transcends the time (i.e., the past, present and future are all in one plane). Whereas for Arjuna, the distinction of past, present and future prevails. Hence Bhagavān instucts him to rise and to fight the war.


Sundari Ji
Q: Even after sadhana (chanting, pooja, meditation, reading the Gita etc.) the suffering prevails. Why doesn't the Divine intervene?
A: We are only counting the good deeds and we refrain from counting our bad deeds (accumulated from lifetime to lifetime). If there is suffering, it needs to be seen as the Divine intervention that depletes the negative karmic points. For those who engage in misdeeds, although they experience pleasure at the beginning, they will meet a painful end.


Savitri Ji
Q: Arjuna is able to see Bhagavān in all directions. Did he engage in parikrama?
A: Bhagavān is all-pervading and hence Arjuna could see Bhagavān in all directions.


Sirisha Ji
Q: Did Bhagavān display the death of Abhinanyu as well to Arjuna?
A: Bhagavān displayed only the annihilation of unvirtuous persons and the Kaurava army being wiped out.