Four Ways The Pandavas Receive Credit Through Krishna

“Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasachin, can be but an instrument in the fight.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.33)

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तस्मात् त्वम् उत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्
मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वम् एव
निमित्त-मात्रं भव सव्य-साचिन्

tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva
jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin

He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is a nice way to translate the Sanskrit word Bhagavan. Ultimately, God is a person, just like you and me. The distinction is that He is supreme. There is not only one manifestation of God the person. He is nirguna in that no qualities could ever bind Him. He is saguna in that He can display transcendental qualities in any manner that suits Him.

Among many other things, Bhagavan is the ability in man. We are purusha, which usually refers to males but also distinguishes an individual from their temporary covering. We are actually purusha, while what covers us is prakriti. Both have the original source of Bhagavan, except that prakriti has no animating force of its own.

Purusha has the ability to act, but the higher purusha, the Supreme Lord, must sanction the results. In this way, He is the true ability in man, which is known as paurusham. Therefore, when we have amazing achievements, it is only natural to give credit to God.

In the ancient history described in Mahabharata, we learn of amazing accomplishments by the Pandava brothers. They were always devoted to Krishna. They were fortunate to have a direct relationship, which included interaction. Krishna allowed them to receive credit for achievements, acting as but an instrument of the Divine will.

1. Tolerating the difficulties of aggressors wedded to adharma

One way to describe the bad guys is to say they are tied to adharma. They do things the wrong way. They exhibit bad qualities. Lying. Cheating. Stealing. Deceitfulness. Treachery. Duplicity. Selfishness to the detriment of others.

Adharma creates victims. Those who follow adharma infringe on the rights of others. They take what does not belong to them. They cause untold pain and suffering, without regret. They mock their victims, after the fact.

The Pandava brothers tolerated such difficulties for many years. They were the victims of the aggressors known as the Kauravas, who happened to be family. If comparing to the way modern society operates, the Pandava brothers would have had daily opportunities to complain about how offended they were.

2. Exemplary behavior

The leader of the Pandava brothers was Yudhishthira. He was born through the god of justice, Yamaraja. Yamaraja is also known as Dharmaraja. If a person follows dharma, they do not look upon that god with fear. If they are against dharma, that same god turns into an agent of punishment, with the countdown to the eventual meeting in what is often described as Judgment Day.

Yudhishthira followed dharma to the best of his ability. He was as sinless as a person can get. He was the ideal king, raja. He conducted grand sacrifices for auspiciousness. He had a difficult time telling lies. He was always concerned with the right thing to do.

This behavior was tied to Krishna. That was the ultimate credit for Yudhishthira. The alignment was with the interests of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The behavior did not go unnoticed. Yudhishthira is still one of the great examples of kindness, fearlessness, and attention to duty.

3. Victories on the battlefield

Dharma and adharma eventually clashed on the battlefield, in the conflict to finally settle things. Even with the skill of the Pandava brothers, there was always the chance of defeat. The other side consisted of great warriors, as well.

The best of the bow-warriors was Arjuna, who was one of the Pandava brothers. Arjuna was hesitant to proceed in the war. His subsequent doubt and approach towards Krishna for guidance turned into the conversation known as Bhagavad-gita.

Krishna assures Arjuna that everything will end up okay. If there is a link in consciousness to God, yoga, then everything will work out, win or lose. Destiny was already set. Krishna had decided who would win and who would lose. By fighting valiantly, Arjuna would be but an instrument in the workings of time. He would still receive the credit for the victory.

4. Reigniting the disciplic succession

In that process, Arjuna happened to reignite the disciplic succession. The information he heard from Krishna was actually timeless. In a historical sense, it was previously spoken to the sun-god. Krishna was the speaker at that time, as well.

एवं परम्परा-प्राप्तम्
इमं राजर्षयो विदुः
स कालेनेह महता
योगो नष्टः परन्तप

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.2)

A bow-warrior, of all people, would bring that knowledge to the people again, so that they would no longer be in the dark. The disciplic succession would continue through to the modern day, with acharyas like His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who has the link to Krishna and His teachings.

In Closing:

Because with dharma living,
Credit through them giving.

Yudhishthira a king ideal,
Theft of Duryodhana to repeal.

Showing forbearance’s height,
The wrongs to finally make right.

And after disciplic succession to break,
Arjuna a new start to make.