YH December 2018 | Page 41

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 39