Karna's Death

Replies

Sevak

Bharat January 6, 2024 at 5:19pm

Hare Krsna

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind - Mahatama Gandhi" where does this point plays in the event. ?

It doesn't. The statement attributed to Mr.Gandhi above is not a universal fact. If there is a person who is going around taking eyes of everyone, it may be better to make that one person blind at the earliest to save other people's eyes. This is clearly common sense.

Shouldn't God be this or that ?

One of the easiest and universally accepted attributes that sets apart God from other ordinary entities is that the Supreme Personalityof Godhead is not limited or restricted by any force or any entity. God is supremely independent. There is no scope for any entity/force/energy in this entire material creation that is capable of saying/shaping/imposing what God SHOULD be or SHOULD NOT be.

God is Supremely independent in His disposition always. Irrespective what God does, it will always be dharma. Because as mentioned by Madhava Das below, the definition of dharma comes from God. Dharma doesn't define what God should or should not do. Dharma can only define what ordinary living entities are supposed to do. It does not apply to God. Having said this, God almost always follows dharma as He says in Bhagavad Gita

na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ
triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana
nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ
varta eva ca karmaṇi

O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties. ( BG 3.22)

This is said by lord Sri Krsna giving His own example to motivate Arjuna to follow his Kshatriya dharma.

Shouldn't God be more forgiving ?

God is the most forgiving. God is the most cruel. God is the most magnanimous. God is the most protective. God is the most destructive. God is the most honest. God is the most dishonest. God is the most fair. God is the biggest cheat. God is the original source of all these qualities. God is that Supreme Person who is the embodiment of almost everything at it its fullest that there is, all at the same time.

But which aspect of God affects us ordinary living entites is dependent on our disposition towards God. This is what Sri Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham

As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. ( BG 4.11)

So for Prahlad, Lord Sri Krsna is the Supreme Protector. But for Hiranyakashipu, Lord Sri Krsna is the personification of death.

So if someone feels that Sri Krsna was not forgiving towards Karna, then it is attributable to Karna's own actions and decisions.

trying to make 'two wrongs as right'?

In the battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Sri Krsna was not making two wrongs as right. Lord Sri Krsna was punishing all people for all of their past wrong doings. Dhritarashtra, Dushasana, Duryodhana, Jayadratha, Shakuni, Karna, Ashwatthama, Drona, Bhishma all were tainted with their wrong doings to some extent or other, in some way or other. This is what Lord Sri Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kālo ’smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho
lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ
ṛte ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve
ye ’vasthitāḥ praty-anīkeṣu yodhāḥ

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you [the Pāṇḍavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain. ( BG 11.32)

Shouldn't he allowed the proper fight to actully let Arjun prove that he was mightier and it is the righteousness that wins inspite of all evil designs?

Battle of Kurukshetra was not exactly an olypmics competition where participants show their prowess and get medals in the end. Arjuna had several times in the past already proven that He is mightier and better than Arjuna. In fact even Abhimanyu (Arjuna's not completely trained son) and Bhima each single handedly defeated Karna. There is however not a single incident where Karna has defeated Arjuna. At best Karna only matched to the level Arjuna, but never defeated Arjuna. This link in detail lists all the battles between Arjuna and Karna and how Karna was defeated many times.

These are reasons why people of Kaliyuga sympathise with Karna is

1.Arjuna sympathises with Karna, and was hesitant in shooting Karna when he was not on his chariot. This is the greatness of Arjuna that he did not want his own victory to be tainted with a blemish.

2. Karna is portrayed as the underdog who is selfmade, shows the promise to rise from unprevileged background to ranks of champion , but was a victim of circumstances. This character very well resonates with many people of kaliyuga who think of themselves as underprevileged, high aspirations, high peotential, but who are successful only in making excuses why they are a failure.

Please check this link for the objective analysis of Karna's succes...

Hare Krsna

Karna by Caitanya Carana Dasa ( Part 1 )
- Puneet Juneja > Bharat January 6, 2024 at 8:23pm
  
  Hare Krishna Prabhu,
  
  Thanks a lot for taking out time to reply point by point and providing links to enhance my knowledge.
  
  I will go through these and come back to you for any further clarifications.
  
  One point I do not agree the way put across: "The statement attributed to Mr.Gandhi above is not a universal fact. If there is a person who is going around taking eyes of everyone, it may be better to make that one person blind at the earliest to save other people's eyes. This is clearly common sense. "
  
  Knowledge of Bhagvat Geeta is not so common that it becomes common sense that is the one of the features of this scripture [उप्कर्मो उपसंवार [Beginning & End ], अभ्यास [repeatedly told ], अपूर्वता [novelty ], फल [Result ], अर्थवाद [Praise ] & उपपत्ति [Reasoning ] These are the 6 features one can look for in a scripture to understand the essence.
  
  So it is the अपूर्वता, the novelty of this scripture that makes us contemplate and ask.
  
  Once again thanks a lot for such elaborate explanation that too with relavant verses and links.
  
  Hare Krishna
Madhava das January 6, 2024 at 9:14am

Hare Krishna Prabhu

The only dharma is to join Krishna because that is what dharma means. dharma'm tu saksad bhagvat pranitam.

Arjuna was given the vision of the universal form where he was shown all the great fighters including Karna getting crushed in the great and terrible teeth of the Lord in his Virat feature. That is dharma and Arjuna choose to act according to this dharma, like an instrument,whereas, Karna declined Lord Krsna's offer, before the war to prevent the war as depicted in the Mahabharat.

the 'eye for an eye' theory can only exist in a state of irreligion. Wherever there is dharma, there is also protection by the Lord.

Hari Bol

Hari Bol
- Puneet Juneja > Madhava das January 6, 2024 at 8:09pm
  
  Hare Krishna Prabhu,
  
  Thanks for the reply.
  
  It has initiated more contemplation and right perspective of Krishna as 'Dharma'.
  
  I agree to your explanation.
  
  Hare Krishna
  - Madhava das > Puneet Juneja January 6, 2024 at 9:31pm
    
    Hare Krsna Prabhu ji
    
    The dharma of Krsna is to abandon all other types of dharma and surrender to Him alone. Sarva-dharman-paritajya ma'm ekam saranam vraja...(18.66)
    
    The most confidential instruction.
    
    Hari Bol
  - Madhava das > Puneet Juneja January 6, 2024 at 9:27pm
    
    Hare Krishna Prabhu
    
    It is said in the Bhagavatam that only twelve great personalities (mahajanas) know the confidential meaning of dharma, they are as follows:
    
    1) Lord Siva
    
    2) Lord Brahma
    
    3) Narada Muni
    
    4) Janaka Maharaja
    
    5) Prahlada Maharaja
    
    6) Kapila
    
    7) Sukadeva Gosvami
    
    8) Yamaraja
    
    9) Bhismadeva
    
    10) Bali Maharaja
    
    11) Svayambhuva Manu
    
    12) The four Kumaras
    
    Taking shelter of these personalities or even one of them say Prahlada Maharaja will help to understand the confidential meaning of dharma.
    
    Hari Bol