“Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad­-gita, 18.63)

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इति ते ज्ञानम् आख्यातं
गुह्याद् गुह्यतरं मया
विमृश्यैतद् अशेषेण
यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु

iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ
guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā
vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa
yathecchasi tathā kuru

1. You stole butter in your youth

“Wow, that was a wonderful presentation. I not only agree with everything you say, but I think your wisdom will help so many people. Anyone who is struggling, in fact, can find their way into the light through that timeless instruction. Thank you for sharing. I really needed to hear that.

“Nevertheless, I think I will politely decline. I will not follow your advice. This is because you stole butter as a child. I have heard all about it. The mothers in Gokula-Vrindavana tried to complain, but as they were voicing their concerns, something amazing would happen. They would eventually relent and then ask for leniency for you. They did not want your mother to punish you. That is a nice story, but I don’t think it is wise to take advice from a thief.”

2. You are relatively the same size as the rest of us

“Your instruction was great. I commend you for holding such valuable wisdom. The thing is, you are practically the same size as everyone else. That would be a little silly to think that you are in a superior position. There was that amazing vision you just displayed. Thanks for giving me the special set of eyes to witness it. Still, this is who you are. It would be kind of odd to think that you hold the answers to life’s most important questions.”

3. You are not famous for skill in battle

“That advice was tremendous. Thank you so much. The thing is, I am the one known for skill in battle. I am the one who will have to fight the enemy. I don’t think you are sufficiently qualified to guide the warrior class. You have had your own battles, sure, but this Bharata War will be on another level.”

4. You have a bluish complexion

“You are so kind to instruct me. You have always been there for our family. You are like a brother to me. Still, you have that strange complexion. Some compare it to the cloud just about to drop rain from the sky. It is the most beautiful complexion, I must admit. But it still stands out. I think the difference is sufficient justification for declining your offer.”

5. You should be listening to me

“That was nice of you. I am glad for the talk. I appreciate that you honored my wishes for upliftment. The thing is, you are the driver. You should be listening to me. I do not think it would be wise for me to turn into a disciple. It would set the wrong example for the world. Let’s return to the proper roles.”

…

The peer pressure finally got to you. Though you previously vowed to never purchase a home, to never go through the process of applying for a mortgage and making an offer, waiting to see if there are competing bids, the needle finally moved across to the other side. All your friends told you that you were wasting your money every month in paying rent, that you would never recoup that expenditure. A house is a way to grow wealth. It is an asset into which you pour money. There is value being accumulated with the passage of time.

Well, the one reason you were hesitant to make a purchase finally showed itself, in the ugliest form. There is now a plumbing disaster within the home. This disrupts the entire day, the whole schedule that you carefully planned out the day before. Other people live in the house. They depend on you to address the situation, except you have no clue what to do. You have no skill at home improvements. You do not even know where to find the shut-off valve for the water that everyone keeps bringing up.

In the apartment days, you could call the superintendent. You could call the maintenance crew, who tended to be expeditious in their handling. The entire apartment community could collapse, after all, through one incident, if neglected. There was an underlying interest to fixing the problems. But now that you are on your own, you have to find someone. You call a few places, and thankfully one person is kind enough to arrive in a few hours. Upon assessing the situation, they make the following recommendation:

“Okay, so I will have to change that entire area. Fortunately, I have the parts already in my truck. I can get started right away. It will only cost you this much. I am licensed and insured. I have handled such issues many times before. I just need your approval prior to starting the work. Let me know.”

The quoted price is quite reasonable. The plumber is kind and courteous. They appear to know what they are doing. Their online public profile has stellar reviews. Everyone raves about their service. Upon careful consideration, however, you decide to decline. You offer the following in response:

“Wow, thanks so much for arriving so quickly. This is a reasonable price you have quoted. I am really in a bind here. If I don’t do something soon, there might be water everywhere. The damage will be extensive. I might have to find another place to live. But alas, since you are of a different ethnicity, I cannot hire you. It would go against everything that I stand for. No offense to you. In all other areas, I think that you are great.”

Upon hearing this story, the outsider might be quick to apply the label of “racist.” They could also apply the word “bigot.” Another person thinks that you are stupid for holding onto such a rigid ideology. A discussion can be held to determine the proper term to apply, but at the end of the day, your refusal is simply rooted in a gross lack of intelligence.

In a similar manner, if we study the historical scene of the Bhagavad-gita conversation, between Krishna and Arjuna, the student could have offered many similar excuses rooted in ignorance as a way to set aside the words of advice. Arjuna could have found many excuses, drawn many lines of division, to maintain the state of ignorance.

In an honest and sober assessment, what is more important? Dogmatic insistence. Blind allegiance. Loyalty to an institution that is steady through many previous generations within the family. Or actual knowledge. Assertiveness in the path forward, in knowing that you are doing the right thing. Seeing time in the greatest scale, which is the proper understanding.

सहस्र-युग-पर्यन्तम्
अहर् यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः
रात्रिं युग-सहस्रान्तां
ते ऽहो-रात्र-विदो जनाः

sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te ‘ho-rātra-vido janāḥ

“By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahma’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.17)

The rescue of Bhagavad-gita is not exclusively offered to Arjuna. It is there for everyone, whether they are from the past, within the present, or set to appear in the future. The words of wisdom from Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, lift us out of despair, sadness, chaos, fear, and uncertainty over the future.

The recommendation from the wise, the acharyas, is to take the medicine. Accept the help. Don’t be a fool. There are otherwise so many excuses that we could make, but the better approach is the one followed by Arjuna, who is always aligned with the godly side, in close proximity to Krishna.

In Closing:

Always aligned,
With Krishna to find.

Not an excuse to make,
For medicine to forsake.

Or imaginary line to draw,
Dismissing what he saw.

That wisdom for everyone to apply,
Right now for my benefit can try.

Categories: the five

Tags: advice, arjuna, bhagavad-gita, dailyprompt, poem, poems, poetry, racism