[Advaita-l] Subtle Aspects of Truthfulness - The Multifaceted Jivanmukta

[Vishesh Bhat]

This is a truly beautiful story. Is the book available online?

On Wed, 13 Jan 2021, 08:04 Divya Meedin via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> An excerpt from The Multifaceted Jivanmukta, page 479 onwards
>
> Subtle Aspects of Truthfulness
>
> After the death of Droṇa, Karṇa became the commander-in-chief of the
> Kaurava forces. In an encounter with Karṇa, Yudhiṣṭhira, Nakula and
> Sahadeva were worsted and injured. Humiliated and in much pain, Yudhiṣṭhira
> withdrew from the battlefield to his tent to take some rest. The battle
> raged on. After a while, being anxious about Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna wanted to
> see him. So, leaving the Pāṇḍava forces under
> the control of Bhīma, he asked Kṛṣṇa to take him to Yudhiṣṭhira’s tent.
> When Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna came to pay their respects, Yudhiṣṭhira wrongly
> assumed that Karṇa had been killed by Arjuna. He sought to know the
> details. Arjuna explained to him that till that point of time, he had not
> been successful in putting an end to Karṇa’s life. He averred that he would
> definitely do so.
>
> On hearing Arjuna’s words, Yudhiṣṭhira felt greatly dissatisfied and gave
> way to wrath. He severely censured Arjuna saying, “Unable to defeat Karṇa,
> and moved by fear, you have left Bhīma in command of the forces and come
> away here. Had you told me long ago that you would not fight Karṇa, I would
> have taken my decisions in a different manner. You promised that you would
> kill Karṇa but have not fulfilled your promise. Your chariot has been
> fashioned by Viśvakarma and on it, there is a flag with the symbol of
> Hanumān. You have the Gāṇḍīva bow with you. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself is your
> charioteer. Still, out of fear of Karṇa, you have run away and come here.
> Give away your Gāṇḍīva to Kṛṣṇa. Let Him do the needful by killing Karṇa.
> Alternatively, give your Gāṇḍīva to somebody else. You are unfit to have
> it. Shame on you! Shame on your prowess! Shame on your Gāṇḍīva!”
>
> Yudhiṣṭhira’s rebuff stung Arjuna enough to make him lose his temper. He
> started to pull out his sword. Seeing this, Kṛṣṇa asked him, “What is it
> that you are trying to do? There are no foes here. Why do you want to pull
> out your sword?” Arjuna said, “I am going to kill Yudhiṣṭhira. I had
> secretly vowed that if anyone were to tell me, ‘Give away your Gāṇḍīva’, I
> would certainly slay him. Now, in fulfilment of my promise, I am going to
> murder Yudhiṣṭhira, for he has insulted me by asking me to give away the
> Gāṇḍīva
> to another and regarded me as unfit for wielding it.”
>
> Kṛṣṇa said, “Shame on you, Arjuna! Nobody who knows the true nature of
> dharmawould behave the way you intend to. Upholding the truth is most
> exalted. However, the nature of truth, as upheld by noble persons, is not
> readily comprehensible. There are occasions when a person may tell a lie
> without incurring sin. For instance, one can utter a falsehood to save
> one’s life or to protect oneself from complete ruin or for the well-being
> of a holy one. By doing so, one does not become guilty of unrighteousness.
> There are also occasions when, by bluntly speaking the truth, one incurs
> not merit but sin.”
>
> Kṛṣṇa then narrated the story of a man named Kauśika who was not very
> learned but who wanted to be truthful. He was well-known as a speaker of
> the truth. One day, when he was seated, certain people ran past him. A
> short while later, he saw a gang of dacoits. They approached him and asked
> him about the whereabouts of the persons they were following. Deeming
> utterance of truth to be priceless, Kauśika indicated where the people had
> gone. The dacoits resumed their pursuit and finally massacred them.
> Kṛṣṇa then explained that by virtue of his factual speech, Kauśika not only
> did not acquire merit, he incurred sin. The Lord said that in the
> circumstances, Kauśika should have remained silent. Alternatively, if his
> silence itself would have been a hint to the effect that the persons had
> run in that direction, he could have misled the dacoits.
>
> Kṛṣṇa clarified to Arjuna that Yudhiṣṭhira was in great pain and had been
> humiliated by Karṇa. Karṇa had attacked Yudhiṣṭhira even after the latter
> had stopped fighting. Thus, Yudhiṣṭhira was in a sad plight when he
> censured Arjuna. Further, by his sharp words, he sought to exhort Arjuna to
> bring about the death of Karṇa, for he knew that Arjuna had the requisite
> capacity. The Lord explained that since Yudhiṣṭhira was a noble person who
> deserved to be venerated by Arjuna and since his words could be
> satisfactorily justified, it would be thoroughly improper for Arjuna to
> slay him; such an act would be a gross violation of ahimsā, which is
> paramount.
>
> Arjuna requested Kṛṣṇa to unequivocally specify what he should do, for, on
> the one hand, it was wrong for him to assassinate Yudhiṣṭhira and, on the
> other, he had to fulfil his vow. The Lord said, “When extreme opprobrium is
> inflicted on a great, highly-respected person, he dies, as it were. The
> Atharva-veda teaches that speaking disrespectfully to an august leader is
> tantamount to slaying him without extinguishing his life. Taking recourse
> to this scriptural pronouncement, fulfil your vow by insulting
> Yudhiṣṭhira.
> Thereafter, fall at his feet and seek his forgiveness. Being pious and
> understanding, he will excuse you.”
>
> As instructed by Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna began to rudely reproach Yudhiṣṭhira. “You
> have escaped to this place that is far removed from the battlefield and are
> fully dependent for your safety on the prowess of your well-wishers. What a
> contrast there is between you and the heroic and powerful Bhīma!
> Unlike him, you are quite unfit to find fault with me. You are addicted to
> gambling. It is  because of you that we lost our kingdom and had to face
> severe hardships,” said Arjuna.
>
> As he finished his tirade, he was overcome with remorse. He again drew out
> his sword. Seemingly surprised, Kṛṣṇa queried, “What is the problem
> now?” Arjuna said that he intended to get rid of his body with which he had
> behaved in an unbecoming manner towards his elder brother who was truly
> worthy of being worshipped by him.
>
> The Lord stopped him saying, “Think of how terrible it would have been if
> you had slain Yudhiṣṭhira. It was only to avoid that unrighteous act that
> you spoke rudely to him. Why, then, are you drowned in grief? You want to
> commit suicide but that is something that wise men never do. If you kill
> yourself, the sin you shall incur will be more than the sin that would have
> accrued to you had you assassinated your brother; you will experience
> overwhelming agony in hell. Self-glorification is on par with suicide. So,
> eulogize yourself and thereby commit the equivalent of the self-killing
> you
> intended to indulge in.”
>
> Arjuna then began to boast, “With the sole exception of Lord Śiva, the
> wielder of the bow Pināka, there is none who is a match for me in archery.
> I can single-handedly destroy the entire world with its inhabitants. I was
> the one who earlier defeated the kings ruling in the various directions and
> made them subservient to you, O Yudhiṣṭhira. I have now destroyed half the
> Kaurava forces.” Having been saved by the Lord from the sins of breaking
> his vow, slaying Yudhiṣṭhira and committing suicide, Arjuna paid obeisance
> to his brother and begged to be forgiven.
>
> Having propitiated Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna readied himself to return to
> battlefield. “My life is for doing what is pleasing to you,” he asserted.
> In the meantime, Yudhiṣṭhira, who had earlier listened silently to Arjuna’s
> stinging rebuke, became dejected and felt that he was despicable. He said,
> “I am a vile sinner  who has caused all of you so much trouble. I deserve
> to be killed. Bhīma is fit to rule and should become the monarch, not I who
> am impotent. I shall depart for the forest.”
>
> Yudhiṣṭhira got up from his cot to leave but Kṛṣṇa fell at his feet and
> pleaded, “Arjuna could not falsify his vow to kill anyone who asked him to
> give
> the Gāṇḍīva to another. Hence, in keeping with my advice, he spoke
> disrespectfully to you and thereby fulfilled his promise. We seek refuge
> in
> you. Prostrating before you, I beseech you to kindly forgive our
> transgressions. You desired the death of Karṇa. Today, he shall be slain
> and
> the earth shall drink his blood.”
>
> Thoroughly appeased, Yudhiṣṭhira lifted Kṛṣṇa up and said to Him, “Arjuna
> and I were deluded and would have drowned in the ocean of calamity and
> sorrow. You saved us. Your wisdom is the boat that enabled us to safely
> reach the shore.”
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