In the Bhagavad Gītā, Krishna asks Arjuna to fight in the Kurukṣetra war. How is this reconciled with Krishna as a benevolent, compassionate Supreme Lord? Is this an endorsement of violence, or is it metaphorical / symbolic? This raises deep ethical issues: does Krishna’s counsel justify killing, or is it a higher “cosmic duty / dharma” approach? There’s also the debate on free will vs. predestination: to what extent is Arjuna (or any human) acting by his own choice, and how much is Krishna orchestrating?
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Hare Krsna
Is this an endorsement of violence, or is it metaphorical / symbolic?
No, instructions/ guidance given by Sri Krsna is not metaphorical or Symbolic. It is real. Sri Krsna literally encouraged Arjuna to perform his duty of limiting those who are on the side of adharma
How is this reconciled with Krishna as a benevolent, compassionate Supreme Lord?
Just like a loving mother who nurtures/ nourishes her child is also willling to correct / chastise her child to teach what is right and what is wrong.
This raises deep ethical issues: does Krishna’s counsel justify killing, or is it a higher “cosmic duty / dharma” approach?
No, it doesn't. By definition Sri Krsna who is the Supreme Personality Absolute Truth is the source of dharma (even ethics). Sri Krsna defines what is ethics. If ethics or dharma have any meaning other than that which is endorsed by Sri Krsna, then such ethics/dharma have no foundation. Sri Krsna is the basis, the purpose, the beneficiery and the upholder of all dharma and all ecthics.
dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ
na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ
na siddha-mukhyā asurā manuṣyāḥ
kuto nu vidyādhara-cāraṇādayaḥ
Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṇas. (SB .3.19)
to what extent is Arjuna (or any human) acting by his own choice, and how much is Krishna orchestrating?
Arjuna fully by his own independent will agrees to act according to Sri Krsna's instruction in orchestrating the balance of justice in favour of dharma.
arjuna uvāca
naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā
tvat-prasādān mayācyuta
sthito ’smi gata-sandehaḥ
kariṣye vacanaṁ tava
Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions. ( BG 18.73)
Hare Krsna
Hare Krishna,
Doctor does surgery to a patient. It is the duty of the doctor to cause pain thru surgery ...to remove pain which was caused by the tumor inside the stomach....isn't it? Can the doctor become compassionate with the patient and say .. you suffer your pain .. If I do the surgery it will cause you more pain?
Painful procedure is undertaken to remove the even more painful tumor.
So, also Krishna told Arjuna as he is a Kshtriaya it is his duty to fight again adharma. Krishna just made Arjuna realise what is his swadharma ( being a Kshetriya). To fight or not to fight it is in Arjuna's hands. Krishna told this is your duty Arjuna. After that he said it is upto you to take my advice or not to take. Arjuna was ready to go away take sanyasa also like a coward.
Krishna went Himself to Indraprastha for peace talks. When the peace talks were rejected and the offer given by Krishna to give the Pandavas just 5 villages was rejected by Duryodhana. Then it was time to fight against adharma the war was imminent and inevitable.
Krishna gave Arjuna the necessary wisdom and options to chose war or not to chose war. He never imposed. The freewill was provided.
Hare Krishna