How Were The Pandavas Able To Tolerate All The Injustices

“I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.” (Queen Kunti speaking to Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.8.25)

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विपदः सन्तु ताः शश्वत्
तत्र तत्र जगद्-गुरो
भवतो दर्शनं यत् स्याद्
अपुनर् भव-दर्शनम्

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat
tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam

“I am sure I am not alone in this area. When I see someone fighting for what’s right, for being brave in an arena that otherwise frightens people, I naturally want them to succeed. I applaud their efforts. I support them, in any way that I can.

“Sometimes such a person has the entire world aligned against them. The news media. The film producers. The actors. The entirety of pop culture. Heads of the local government. Career bureaucrats. The judiciary. Name a group and you will likely find an enemy.

“Except this person is standing up for what is right. He is for the ordinary man. He wants to correct the many injustices that have taken place over decades. He is the voice for the people lacking one. He is a hero in every definition of the word.

“I find it appalling when such a person meets defeat. When the forces of evil are able to emerge victorious, it is something I cannot stand. This got me to thinking of the plight of the Pandavas, as described in the Mahabharata. I don’t think anyone has ever had it worse.

“And these were saintly people in the true definition, though they were of the occupation of warrior. They took one insult after another from the rival Kauravas, headed by Duryodhana. How were they able to maintain their composure? Why didn’t they strike against the entire world in retaliation? Why wouldn’t they give up on dharma?

Kuntidevi, the mother of the Pandava brothers, provides the answer in a single verse from Shrimad Bhagavatam. She prays directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna. She asks to have every past calamity repeat, for then she would further remember His lotus feet.

This is a remarkable prayer, since the natural tendency is to go in the opposite direction. Ask from God. Take something from Him. View the Almighty as a sort of order supplier, who is never out of stock and has online availability twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Even if we don’t directly ask Him for something, we at least expect to be insulated from enemy attack, that the evil elements of society will not harass us. We want to worship, after all, so Krishna should facilitate that desire.

The Pandavas had the worst crimes perpetrated against them. It would be difficult to rank the offenses from most egregious to least. They were cheated out of their kingdom and humiliated in seeing their wife, Draupadi, almost stripped naked in front of an assembly of respected gentlemen and dignitaries.

As Shri Rama says in the Ramayana, eventually the sinful deeds arrive. The comparison is to the flowers blossoming on trees. We would love them to show at the present time, but it is winter. We have to wait for the next season.

Trust the process. Have faith that the grand coordinator is managing everything in this temporary and miserable world, which presents a false reality. Every person arrives, remains for some time, and then eventually leaves. But the protector of the Pandavas and devotion to Him is forever: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Calamities worst to see,
Poorly situated to be.

Pandavas on dharma’s side,
But insulted and alone to reside.

Blessed considered still,
Destiny eventually to fulfill.

Remember Krishna entire time,
The best predicament to find.