Arjuna represents the individual personality seeking happiness
and fulfillment while working through a mental maze of fear,
anger and self-willed desires. Arjuna is a warrior-prince and the
most accomplished military general of his time. He is about to
engage in a battle against family, friends and teachers to
defend his older brother’s legitimate claim to the ancient
throne of his kingdom. Krishna is not merely Arjuna’s trusted
counselor and charioteer, but also the Bhagavan, the Lord and
inner Guru within each human being, who fosters and
preserves the universe against the forces of ignorance and
darkness.
The opening scene takes place on the battlefield at
Kurukshetra, where civil war is about to begin. Arjuna asks
Krishna to drive him between the opposing armies to survey
the front lines. When Arjuna sees his relatives, friends and
teachers prepared to do mortal combat against one another,
he steps down from his chariot, drops his bow to the ground
and falls to his knees. Overwhelmed by sorrow and despair he
laments, “O Krishna, my limbs grow weak; my mouth is dry, my
body trembles and my hair stands on end. I am unable to stand
and my mind seems to be whirling . . . It would be better to
renounce the kingdom than to fight with those who are so
close to me.”
In modern parlance, Arjuna is having a major anxiety attack. He
has previously been successful in battles against foreign
enemies, but now finds himself faced with the responsibility of
Krishna represents the Lord, the
Higher Self within each person, and Arjuna
represents the individual personality
seeking happiness and fulfillment while
working through a mental maze of fear,
anger and self-willed desires.
Dec. 2018 www.yogicherald.com
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