Sharanagati

There is no other way than to be united always. Because if we lose the connection to God, our dharma will become karma. And karma brings reaction. Pure dharma does not bring reaction. Dharma is to protect the family, for example. So if you have to protect your family, there is no karma involved. Something is involved if you have to apply violence, but it is a different case if you have to protect, or if you want to enjoy for yourself. But if you are not connected to Krishna, all your, so to say, “dharma” will become karma. And sooner or later we have to pay the price for all our activities. It is said that we are punished not for our activities, but we are punished by our activities. So if I meet an aggressor, this is already fruit of my karma. Still, you have the right to protect your family, to protect your subordinates.

Be always united. Arjuna was asked by Krishna to fight – fight a war! Kill enemies! Usually it is very difficult to understand – what kind of advice is this: just kill your gurus, fathers and relatives. Very offensive, ha?! But Arjuna was given this advice: fight for the higher principle. Because the normal principle is to respect your elders; and usually this is our dharma. But at that point, in that situation Arjuna’s duty was to work and fight for a higher ideal. What was that – the divine truth!

And if we examine “Bhagavad-gita” deeply, in the Eleventh Chapter Krishna says: “I have already killed them. I have arranged everything. You just follow my advice.” From that we can understand that the arrangement is done from some higher sources. But personally, individually, we can fulfill the role that is necessary. So we should always work for the higher ideal.

Is it possible to always remember the higher ideals? Not really. Arjuna was the same. At the evening, after sunset, you know they finish fighting. During the day they were fighting very heavily with each other, but after sunset sometimes even happened that opposite parties were giving massage to the feet of the other. “By profession we are opponents, but otherwise we are good friends.” But one evening Yudhisthira Maharaja was making a comment to Arjuna. You know, Yudhisthira is the son of Dharma, he is also called Dharmaraja. He was so chaste and so honest, that it is said that his chariot was moving over the earth a little bit. And the whole fight was for what reason – to establish the Pandavas back to reign. From among the five brothers, Yudhisthira was the boss. So to establish the order it means that Yudhisthira becomes a king. The whole fight was going on for re-establishing Yudhisthira on the throne. And Arjuna was a great fighter. You know, fighters are very powerful, energetic and emotional people. If you are too much sattvic, you cannot fight. If you are sattvic, you say: “All right, as you like…” But Arjuna was sanguine – so to say rajasic, full of passion. And Yudhisthira said: “Hey, Arjuna! What were you doing today?! I was fighting so heavily, I was surrounded by enemies and you did not come to help me. Fie upon your Gandiva bow!” Immediately Arjuna was enraged. “Hey! You criticize my Gandiva!” And so much passion came to him that what happened? He took the bow immediately to fire Yudhisthira. He said: “You know I had made a vow: anybody who criticizes my bow, I will kill him on the spot! You used such harsh words on my bow, so this is end for you.” Then Krishna interrupted: “”Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute, Arjuna!” But he said: “No, no, no! He was criticizing my bow! I will kill him! I am a fighter, I have to keep my vows.” But then Krishna said: “Hey, any other vows you have made? Have not you made a vow to fight for Yudhishthira?” “Yes, yes, but my bow…” Then Krishna pacified him: “You should always work for the higher ideal. All right, you’ve made a vow to protect the dignity of your bow. But you have also made a vow to help your brother in any circumstances, to fight for the truth.” Then Arjuna was pacified.

So, be a yogi in all circumstances. If some difficulties come to you, do not react from the first passion. Because then it is very easy to forget about the higher principle. We should always cultivate the memory, to keep dhyana – to be deeply absorbed: what is the ultimate goal of our life.