Intimate Dealings of Krishna with Arjuna and Bhishma

Sunday 22/4/07

Notes paraphrased from Gauri prabhu’s class: “For His devotees, Krishna will even disregard His own reputation. Bhishmadeva made a vow to kill the Pandavas unless Krishna gets off His chariot and fights. When Bhishma was on the verge of finishing off Arjuna, Krishna in madness of love for His devotee charged at Bhishma with a chariot wheel in order to protect Arjuna. His own vow of not fighting in the war was to be broken and His reputation thus tarnished, but Krishna didn’t care, He just loved Arjuna too much (bhakta-vatsalah). Bhishma felt ecstatic upon seeing Krishna in His kshatriya (warrior) form and his ecstasy heightened when he saw Arjuna, out of madness, lunge and grab on to Krishna’s waist to prevent Him from killing Bhishma in order to protect the reputation of his beloved Lord. Thus Krishna pleased both His devotees, Bhishma and Arjuna.”

Notes from Shrimad Bhagavatam reading (3.30.3 purport): “The materialist thinks that persons engaged in Krishna Consciousness are crazy fellows wasting time by chanting Hare Krishna, but actually he does not know that he himself is in the darkest region of craziness because of accepting his body as permanent.”

Monday 23/4/07

Shrimad Bhagavatam Reading notes (3.30.9 purport): “Here in this material world, happiness means successful counteraction to the effects of distress.”