No matter what conditions you encounter in life, your right is only to the works--not to the fruits thereof. You should not be impelled to act for selfish reasons, nor should you be attached to inaction.
The Mahabharata is the longest and, arguably, one of the greatest epic poems in any language.-Columbia University
The Mahabharata is said to have been written by Sage Vyasa sometime between 400 B.C. and 200 A.D. The word Maha in sanskrit is an adjective that means something that is great or extraoridary and Bharata is India, but this Epic is about much more than just India. It transcends culture and religion and at the very core of the ancient storyline lies a simple theme that all of mankind can relate too. It is a story of good versus evil, of families in turmoil, of jealousy and betrayal and at the heart of it all, a fight for the truth.
What is found in this epic may be elsewhere;
What is not in this epic is nowhere else.
--from The Mahabharata, condensed from Sanskrit and translated into English by P. Lal.
The Eighteenth Book: Heaven
The story is essentially about the war between the Pandavas, the sons of King Pandu, and the Kauravas, the sons of Pandu's older, blind brother, King Dhritarastra. The Epic is written in eighteen books.
The Mahabharata and the Gita have inspired me in many ways. Krishna revealing his true form to Arjun, to me, is the defining moment in both books. I tried to imagine what it was that Arjun saw that day on the battlefield. My imagination turned into a poem I wrote in the summer of 1994 called Lord Krishna.
No matter what conditions you encounter in life, your right is only to the works--not to the fruits thereof. You should not be impelled to act for selfish reasons, nor should you be attached to inaction.
To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
Out of Compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
Having seen this terrible form of Mine do not be afraid or bewildered. Rid of fear, with a cheeful heart, now behold again My previous form.Arjun said: O Janardana, having behld Your human form, I am now free of fear, my mind is composed, I have resumed by normal awareness.
Pincking up his conch, the golden Devadatta, Arjun blew on it fiercely; the heavens echoed with the noise, and the chariot warriors stood petrified on the field. Their horses stood paralysed, with eyes wide open...
O Countless formed Divinity, You are the First of the Gods, the Supreme Being, the Ancient Self, and You are the resting place of the world. You are the knower, the knowable, and the Supreme Abode of Lord Vishnu. This entire world is pervaded by You.
Krishna said,"Do you duty, Arjun, as your nature dictates. All work fetters, as all fire gives smoke. Only selfless duty saves. Fix your mind on me. Surrender all deeds to me. All problems will be solved by my grace. Pride will lead only to your moral ruin. If, filled with pride, you say, 'I will not fight,' it is all in vain. You are foolish. Fight you will, your nature will make you fight. Your karma will make you fight. Youe will fight in spite of yourself."
Krishna drove the white-horsed chariot to where Bhishma stood, shining like the sun. Obscured by an arrowy shower from Bhishma, Arjun's chariot was hidden from view, but Krishna, with great skill and patience, drove the wounded horsed through. With his cloud-booming Gandiva bow, Arjun shot Bhishma's bow out of his hands.
Urged on by Krishna, Arjun displayed his full prowess. He seemed like the Destroyer himself at the end of creation. Many heroes, hoping
to win glory and with death as their goal, came befoe Arjun as he let loose his shafts. They fell by the thousands. Arjun carved a parth through the Kauravas.
Krishna drove the horses forward and the fine chariot moved into the center of the field. Krishna smiled. "Just behold,
O Arjun, all the Kurus assembled here." Arjun looked across the field. Krishna could understnad Arjun's mind. The long-awaited time for war had arrived--a terrible fratricidal
war. There was now no turning back. Suddenly seeing the horror of it before him, Arjun gazed at his relatives and friends arrayed across from him--med who were like fathers,
brothers, sons, and grandsons, as well as teachers, uncles, friends, in-laws, and well-wishers.
Life without Krishna has no joy for me. Tell me what is good for me. I am a wanderer with a hollow heart.
Arjun chose Krishna, though Krishna had vowed to lay down his arms on the battlefield...
...Krishna asked: "Why did you pick me, knowing I would not fight?"
"I can handle the soldiers myself, O Krishna, if I have your presence to give me moral support. Some of your glory will surely rub off on me."
Krishna threw down the reins and leapt from the chariot. Taking up a nearby chariot wheel, he raised it above his head as if it were
his own favorite weapon, the Sudarshan chakra. He ran toward Bhishma as a lion might run at an elephant. The end of his yellow silk garment fluttered in the dusty air,
resembling lightning dancing in a dark cloud. The wheel in his hand seemed to glow with his own effulgence, and it looked as beautiful as the primeval lotus from which
Brahma was born. Krishna's dark arm appeared like the stalk of the lotus, and his charming face, covered with beads of perspiration, was its filament.
Pandu's sons sat silently, overtaken with affection for their dying grandfather. Seeing this, Bhishmadeva was himself overwhelmed
with love. Tears sprang to his eyes and he said, trembling, "Oh, my dear son Yudhisthir, what terrible sufferings and injustices you good souls have suffered, even though
you are the son of relion personified. Only because you were protected by the brahmins, religion and the Supreme Lord himself did you manage to survive."
The Blessed Lord said: This form of Mine that you have seen is very difficult to behold; even gods are ever desirous of beholding this form.
Deciding to surrender himself to whatever Krishna advised, Arjun said,"O Krishna, I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure due to weakness of heart. Surely I am being consumed by miserly and selfish considerations, but I am not able to overcome them. In this condition I ask you to please tell me what is best for me. Now I am your disciple and a soul surrendered unto you. Please instruct me. I can see no means to drive away this grief. Even winning a prosperious kingdom equal to that of the gods will not assuage my sorrow. O Govinda, I will not fight."
"What will you do if Karna is able to kill me?" Arjun asked Krishna. Krishna smiled and replied, "The sun will fall, the earth shatter into a thousand fragments, and fire lose its heat before he kills you. But if he does, it is a sign that the end of the world has come. As for me, I shall kill him with my bare hands."
Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, and wherever there is Arjun, the wielder of the bow, there will indeed abide, prosperity, victory, glory, and righteousness; this is my firm conviction.
May there be peace in the heavens, in the atmosphere, on earth, and in the waters. May the herbs and shrubs grow in peace. May there be peace among the divine beings and in Brahman, the absolute reality. May all be at peace and only peace. And may the peace come unto me.
Om shanti, shanit, shanti
The best version of the Mahabharata that I have found is the one by Krishna Dharma. It is 909 pages not including the appendices and glossary, both of which are very helpful. I would highly recomend it to any who want to read a good english translated version.
Click on the book to order it online.
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