[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Re: Subtle Aspects of Truthfulness - The Multifaceted Jivanmukta

[Vishesh Bhat]

Thank you for the link.

On Wed, 13 Jan 2021, 15:57 Divya Meedin, <divyameedin at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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