Sai message for the day

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We hear that Arjuna was the only one capable of breaking open and

emerging victorious from the Padmavyuha, the lotus-like military

formation or manoeuvre, set up as a death trap. But, Abhimanyu knew

only how to get in and not how to get out of it; a fact that resulted

in his death. There are some stories heard about this episode from

the Mahabharata. It appears that when Narada was describing the whole

manoeuvre to Abhimanyu who was still in the mother's womb, Krishna

prevented him from teaching the unborn baby the way out of the

Padmavyuha! What are your comments on this story, Swami!

 

The ancient literature of Bharat has many secrets to be unravelled

and grasped. So, many subtle points are not known to everybody. They

show the goal and the way of life. They remind you of the duties,

responsibilities, and obligations you owe to the society you live in.

They point out your mistakes as well so that you may correct and

rectify yourself and thus experience the divinity within. Every

episode or anecdote in the epics or in the religious texts in story

form has a message for you.

 

Arjuna had, to his credit, many titles like Savyasachi, Phalguna,

Partha, Vijaya, etc that are much higher than our modern Padmasri,

Padmavibhushan and other honours. Arjuna's surrender to Krishna was

total. This was the reason for his acquiring the skill to manage to

come out of the impenetrable Padmavyuha. The word 'Arjuna' means

whiteness or purity and it was the purity of his mind and heart that

gave him the needed capacities.

 

But things were different in respect of Abhimanyu. He was challenged

to fight and proceed to the battleground at a time when his wife,

Uttara was pregnant, His father Arjuna was not at home and his uncle

Krishna was away. Abhimanyu had much abhimana, attachment to his wife

and his father. This attachment trapped him in the Padmavyuha and as

such, he couldn't come out of it and ultimately died.

 

Similarly, the whole world is a Padmavyuha. Our life is a Padmavyuha.

Man is caught in this Padmavyuha and his sense of attachment and

possessive instincts will not release him out of it. Since he had

abhimana, he bore the name Abhimanyu.