Abhimanyu

 

Abhimanyu

For any devotee who put himself in the shoes of Arjun and followed the lessons taught by Shri Krishna there comes a juncture when they reflect on the life lived, the challenges faced and the summarization of what really matters. Above all, it is a life of honesty that remains the center point. Honesty with oneself and honesty with the world. In the process you expose the nakedness of the human side of you. The vulnerability, the fragility, the sensitivity that underlies the brave face with which you confront the world outside. You come to recognize what experiences have shaped you thus far and which parts need some more chiseling. You also realize why the world can never understand you fully and yet will be quick to judge you for the slightest errors you make. Are you ready for those judgments? Sadly, most honest people are not prepared to digest unkind judgments from the world. 

This is the point in life that calls for fortification. To identify your vulnerability and teach yourself to create an impenetrable barrier between yourself and the world’s judgement. There is a fine line to master wherein you consistently navigate yourself on a righteous path but be kind to yourself. Also, learning from your own fragility, remain aware of the fragility of other beings. Remain slow to pass judgements on them. Understand that each of them have their own story which you don’t fully know. 

As a mother, one raises kids to live with the highest values. But then she wonders, if she taught them the finer art of self preservation and instilled in them the ability to discount the shortcomings of others. Abhimanyu is the prototype of the progeny of the finest devotee of the Supreme Reality. He knew how to penetrate deep into the enemy strongholds( read world). Alas, no one taught him how to come out of it intact. That impenetrable shield was not put on him by his teachers. He was too young when he got surrounded by the enemies and the enemies did not follow the rules of war. 

The tools that came handy for me during my most vulnerable times were, not necessarily in any particular order,

The Name of God

Choosing the higher option

Letting it go 

Valuing relationships even when they hurt

Forgiving cheaters

Taking a break from my identity as an object! 

The last one was the most powerful of them all but not always easy. It basically dissipated the problem into triviality. The renewed perspective enabled coping and moving forward. Ultimately the biggest devil to tame is inside our own head. Let the world behave in whichever way it wants. It’s our being that needs to be trained how to respond or to refrain from responding. Here, for once, the power of the person within me was a hindrance, not an asset. It sought to retaliate against wrongdoers. That would mean continued engagement with the outside world. And if I had to return to my state of Being, the outward energy was/is an impediment. 

In quieter times when I tried to clear the chaos and confusion of life it was necessary to put priorities in a nutshell. The answers were surprisingly simple. Keep SERVICE at the forefront as the reason for any action. If it is not for service, know that you are wrong, no matter what you are doing. Keep the word RISE in focus when confronted with choices in reason and action. And maintain the ultimate personal goal to  return to the raw state of Being, discarding any objectification whatsoever.

It was in the moments that oscillated between the objective existence and pure Being that the actual meaning of commonly used words often became understood better than ever before. Love. Abundance. Generosity. Intelligence. Kindness. Conversely, the interpretation of these words in the context of objective existence began to look hollow and utterly insignificant, even laughable. 

As Krishna, one would want Arjun to irrevocably become Krishna. As Arjun, one would strive all lifelong to merge into Krishna. But when he is at the threshold, he is bound to look back and want Abhimanyu to irrevocably become Krishna. For that is the highest shield he recognizes for his offspring. All other tools are ok and can protect up to a certain level. But none can make Abhimanyu invincible. 

For any Arjun tethering to Krishna on the outskirts of the mortal realm, Abhimanyu is not just the offspring related to him by blood. Abhimanyu to him is any pure minded person who is seeking to live an honest life, seeking happiness and yearning to find a higher meaning to his existence. The world can be a bloody battlefield for such a person. May every potential Abhimanyu metamorphose into Arjun before the world can swallow him. May every Arjun learn to not look back even when parental instincts draw him in. May Maya let go her hold on every Arjun and his Abhimanyu. 

Jai Shri Krishna 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Saree is a cotton Irkal from Northern Karnataka.