This is an incident from Mahabharat that is not widely
known. The below text shares the incident explaining how a
Guru guides his disciples on the path of righteousness and
rescues him from life threating situations.
The great war of Kurukshetra had been going on for many days. The battlefield was filled with dust, broken chariots, wounded warriors, and loud cries. Every day, brave soldiers from both sides fought with all their strength. Among the Pandavas, Arjun was the greatest warrior. His bow, Gandiva, was famous across the world. People believed that if Arjun held Gandiva, no enemy could defeat him. But on one difficult day, things did not go well.
Greats like Bhisma, Dronacharya, Kripacharya etc. were all defeated. Karna was now leading the charge from Kauravas. He attacked Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, with great force. Yudhishthira tried his best to fight, but Karna was not a match to him. His arrows struck Yudhishthira repeatedly. After defeating Yudhishthira miserably, Karna left him alive humiliated.
Karna had promised his mother, Kunti, that at the end of the war, five of her sons would be alive. He only wanted to kill Arjun because killing Arjun meant defeating Pandavas. He was not only in pain because of his wounds, but also because of his pride.
Yudhishthira was known as a righteous king, but now he felt humiliated. Sitting in his tent, wounded and tired, he kept thinking, “How could this happen? Why did Karna humiliate me?”
At the same time, Arjun was busy fighting in another part of the battlefield. He did not know what had happened to his elder brother. After finishing his fight, Arjun decided to visit Yudhishthira. He went to his tent with concern and respect.
When he entered, he saw his elder brother lying injured. Arjun folded his hands and asked softly, “Brother, are you alright? I heard you were hurt.” However, Yudhishthira was not calm, rather he was filled with anger and shame.
Even though He was a man of great composure, however, that day he left his cool. Instead of answering gently, he spoke in a sharp voice, “You ask if I am alright? Look at me, Arjun! I was defeated and forced to leave the battlefield! Where were you when I needed you? What is the use of your great bow Gandiva if you cannot defeat Karna?”
These words were spoken in anger, but they were very dangerous. Arjun suddenly became pale. Long ago, Arjun had taken a serious vow that if anyone ever insults my bow Gandiva or questions my strength, I will kill that person. This vow was known only to a few people.
Now, the one who had spoken those words was none other than his own elder brother, Yudhishthira. Arjun’s heart was torn apart. He thought, “How can I kill my elder brother? But how can I break my vow?” His hands started shaking. Slowly, he pulled out his sword.
Yudhishthira looked at Arjun and was shocked and asked, “What are you doing, Arjun?” But Arjun’s face was full of pain. “Brother… I took a vow. I must keep it. You insulted my Gandiva. I am bound to kill you.” Yudhishthira could not believe what he was hearing. The room became silent. The air felt heavy.
At that very moment, Krishna, who was always with Arjun, stepped forward. Krishna had been watching everything quietly. He knew that Arjun was a man of honor. He would rather die than break his word. But Krishna also knew that killing Yudhishthira would be a great sin. So, Krishna spoke calmly, “Arjun, think carefully. Is Dharma so simple that you follow your vow without thinking?”
Arjun replied with pain, “Govinda, I cannot break my vow. If I do, I lose my honor.” Krishna smiled gently and said, “Arjun, listen carefully. There are many ways to ‘kill’ a person. Physical killing is only one way.” Arjun looked confused. Krishna continued, “For a noble and respected person, harsh insult is equal to death. If you insult your brother, it will be like ‘killing’ him in a moral way.”
Arjun was surprised. “So, you are saying… I don’t need to kill him with my sword?” Krishna nodded and said, “Yes. Speak harsh words to Yudhishthira. That will fulfill your vow without committing a terrible sin.” Arjun felt very uncomfortable. He loved and respected his elder brother deeply. Speaking harsh words to him was like hurting himself. But he believed in Krishna’s wisdom. With great difficulty, Arjun turned to Yudhishthira and said, “You speak of bravery, but today we are all in this situation because of you. Who told you to play the game with Kauravas? Why did you put us on the stake?”
These words hurt Yudhishthira deeply. But Arjun’s voice trembled. It was clear he did not mean to hurt him. After speaking those words, Arjun suddenly dropped his bow. His face filled with sorrow and said, “What have I done? I have insulted my elder brother!”
His heart got filled with remorse and a thought came to his mind that the only way to pacify himself is to sacrifice his life. Without thinking further, Arjun picked up his sword again. Krishna quickly held Arjun’s hand and said, “Arjun! Stop! What are you doing now?” Arjun replied, “I have insulted my elder brother who is a father figure for me. Now I must end my life.”
Krishna shook his head and said, “Arjun, you are taking your vows too literally. Dharma is not about blind rules—it is about wisdom.” Arjun looked at him helplessly. Krishna said, “Listen carefully. Just as insult is equal to killing, self-praise is equal to destroying oneself.” Arjun was confused again and asked, “Self-praise?”
Krishna smiled slightly and said, “Yes. A wise person should never praise himself too much. It destroys humility and respect. So, if you praise yourself excessively, it will be like ‘killing yourself’ in a symbolic way.” Arjun slowly understood and said, “So, I don’t need to die?”
Krishna said, “No, Arjun. Speak with pride about yourself. That will fulfill your vow.” Arjun took a deep breath. Then, feeling awkward but trusting Krishna, he began, “I am Arjun, the greatest warrior in the world! No one can defeat me! Even Karna cannot stand against me!”
He continued speaking proudly, though it felt uncomfortable. Krishna watched calmly, knowing that Arjun had now fulfilled both his vows safely. Slowly, calm returned to the room. Arjun put down his sword and looked at Yudhishthira with tears in his eyes and said, “Brother, please forgive me. I spoke those words only because I was bound by my vow.”
Yudhishthira’s anger had also cooled down. He realized his mistake and said, “No, Arjun. I should not have spoken like that. I was angry and hurt. I questioned your strength unfairly.” Then Yudhishthira said, “Now go, Arjun. Fight Karna and win this war for us.”
Rest we all know the outcome of the war. However, it was Krishna, the great Guru, who helped Pandavas that day too otherwise both Yudhishthira and Arjun would have died that day and the outcome of the Mahabharat war would be entirely different.
Thus, it is extremely important to find a great Guru, get under His divine shade and thus follow the path of Dharma correctly instead of following a path blindly!
It is mandatory to obtain Guru Diksha from Revered Gurudev before performing any Sadhana or taking any other Diksha. Please contact Kailash Siddhashram, Jodhpur through Email , Whatsapp, Phone or Submit Request to obtain consecrated-energized and mantra-sanctified Sadhana material and further guidance,
