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

[Divya Meedin]

Yes, the book is available with Sri Vidyatheertha Foundation, Chennai. Has
over a thousand pages and hundreds of archival photographs. It is a
collector's edition and a complete encyclopedia on Sringeri Jagadguru
Srimad Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji's life and teachings. The hard copy
is priced at Rs 300.

The pdf can be downloaded here:
https://svfonline.net/publications-2/





On Wed, 13 Jan, 2021, 15:41 Vishesh Bhat, <visheshlives at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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