“O King, as I repeatedly recall this wondrous and holy dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, I take pleasure, being thrilled at every moment.” (Sanjaya, Bhagavad-gita, 18.76)

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राजन् संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य
संवादम् इमम् अद्भुतम्
केशवार्जुनयोः पुण्यं
हृष्यामि च मुहुर् मुहुः

rājan saṁsmṛtya saṁsmṛtya
saṁvādam imam adbhutam
keśavārjunayoḥ puṇyaṁ
hṛṣyāmi ca muhur muhuḥ

1. Jumping out of a plane

“I have done it five times already. It is not cheap. People know that I like to do it, so I often get Christmas presents that are like gift certificates to be exchanged for redemption. I was not really scared the first time. It is a little strange to fall out of the sky, to intentionally jump out of an airplane.

“But there was something liberating about it. Like you are back to your roots, one with nature. We are not birds, at least in this lifetime. We may have been previously, but there is no memory of the experience. I finally feel alive while falling from the sky. It sure beats sitting at a desk for eight hours a day, staring into an electronic box. I will take anything else, at this point.”

2. Riding a motorcycle

“Yeah, yeah, I am risking my life. Yeah, yeah, there are no proper safety protocols. Sure, sure, just one mistake and I could go flying through the air, hitting a truck or a utility pole. I am well aware of the dangers. That might be one of the reasons I like to ride. I have to finally pay attention. There is no margin for error. I cannot be distracted by a phone call or a text message. There is no radio to tune into. I am out in the open road, on my own. No one to bother me. It is exhilarating.”

3. Playing in front of an audience

“The rush from having a stadium full of people singing your song is indescribable. You feel as if you can lift mountains, soar through the sky, or walk on water. The energy from the collective is far greater than from a single individual. I am so fortunate that people will pay money to attend a live performance. If not for them, where would I find the motivation to wake up every day, to live life to the fullest?”

4. Public debate

“You are correct; I do not discriminate. I will go on anyone’s show. I am not shy. I am not afraid of what they will say. I have no problem being challenged. Rather, I would prefer it if someone presented a different point of view. I will tip my hat to them if they can find holes in my arguments. I want to evolve to a proper level of understanding, and I am not going to get anywhere settling for preaching to the choir. You know what I mean. I need to engage with those who strongly disagree with me.”

5. Reliving Bhagavad-gita

It is amazing to think that the thrills derived from the experiences described above can actually be surpassed through simply reading words. Reading is hearing. It is decoding sounds that have been printed on paper or similar media that can retain images for a long period of time. The person reading sees the characters and then converts them into sounds. It is like listening to an audio presentation, but without the reliance on a specific recording.

The famous Bhagavad-gita took place on a battlefield. That was the scene, if wishing to depict in a dramatic production. There are two principal participants: Arjuna and Krishna. Arjuna is like the student or the disciple. He is confused. He has a dilemma. He is not sure what to do.

Krishna is like the teacher or the guru. Krishna knows not only what to do in that specific situation, but for every single person and for every single problem. He is actually all-knowing. He is indeed the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but peculiarly assuming the subordinate role of charioteer in that scene. Krishna basically accepts orders instead of giving them. Yet, He is not above changing roles, if kindly asked for assistance in clearing confusion.

That change in roles is itself thrilling to contemplate. That the highest being of all would be so kind as to oblige a simple request. As if He has nothing better to do. As if He can be controlled by anyone. As if He would have any interest in an outcome of temporary significance. As if anyone can ever command Him to do anything.

And yet, Krishna agrees to help Arjuna. In the written form, Bhagavad-gita appears within the much larger Sanskrit work known as Mahabharata. The transcript of the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna comes to us via the person named Sanjaya. Through the assistance of the venerable Vyasadeva, Sanjaya is essentially relaying what is happening on the battlefield to a blind king named Dhritarashtra. Sanjaya is like a reporter out in the field, but actually seeing things from a studio set in a different location.

Sanjaya confirms that by recalling that conversation, he feels a thrill. The sensation is at every moment. This is one of the benefits of connecting with God in truth. The thrill-seeker has found their permanent home in this way of life described as bhakti-yoga within the manifest realm. In the spiritual world there is no such thing as yoga, dharma, right and wrong, and the like, since the entire existence is appreciating the Supreme Lord, working for His interests, and taking pleasure from His association, which is constant.

A person may argue that they have browsed through some of the shlokas in Bhagavad-gita already. They have sat in attendance in a formal classroom setting, led by an expert instructor. They have yet to experience a thrill, though. They perhaps have some appreciation, but they are not anywhere near identifying with the sentiment of Sanjaya, in relation to the thrills.

To help us understand, we see that certain individuals, who might be close to the age of retirement, are suddenly able to run for considerable distances. Outside, in the cold, through the rain, whether in the winter or the summer, they have completed many marathons. It is easy to overlook the fact that in the beginning, they could barely complete a mile in distance. Their stomach hurt. Their quad muscles tightened up. They were completely out of breath. The whole experience was miserable.

Through practice, through dedication, through steadiness tied to a vow, the experience eventually changed. They grew comfortable with running to the point that they began to thoroughly enjoy it. The same transformation will take place in bhakti-yoga, with the difference being that every person is inherently suited for this way of life. Whether young or old, male or female, or coming or going, the inherent characteristic of the living being, who is eternally vibrant, is service to the Almighty. One way to serve is to remember, in the manner of Sanjaya recalling the wondrous dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna.

In Closing:

On debate stage to speak,
My way thrill to seek.

Vehemently defending a side,
From spotlight nowhere to hide.

For whichever avenue to go,
From word of Sanjaya know.

That simply through conversation to recall,
Steady in greatest thrill of all.

Categories: the three

Tags: dailyprompt, god, hare krishna, life, poem, poems, poetry, thrills