Mantralaya-2056
(Answers to the doubts on the Geeta)
Date : Aug 21, 2025
Dear Devotees : Namaskara.
| Sri MannMoolaRamastu Mannmathe Moolamahasamsthhaana Mantralaya Sri Rayaramathe||
|| OM SRI RAGHAVENDRAAYA NAMAHA||
Background
Answers to the doubts on the Geeta are described in Mantralaya (2056).
Meaning
Recently,
we celebrated the sacred occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, invoking
the blessings and divine grace of Sri Krishna. In this spiritual
atmosphere, it becomes a perfect moment to address and clarify certain
popular misconceptions that have surrounded the great epic of
Mahabharata, especially the widely questioned scene of the Bhagavad
Gita's disclosure by Sri Krishna in the middle of the battlefield. Two
common queries often arise: How could the battlefield of Kurukshetra
accommodate such a colossal number of warriors and animals involved in
the war? And how could Sri Krishna possibly have had the time to recite
all 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita amidst an imminent battle?
To
understand this better, let us first turn our attention to the sheer
scale of the war. The Mahabharata war is said to have involved a total
of 18 Akshauhinis. Now, an Akshauhini is a specific ancient unit of
military formation, which consists of 21,870 chariots (Rathas), 21,870
elephants (Gajas), 65,610 cavalry (Ashvas), and 109,350 infantry
(Padatis). When multiplied by eighteen, the numbers become staggering,
amounting to nearly four million soldiers, not counting auxiliary
staff, supply lines, animals and non-combatants. At first glance, the
thought of such a multitude fitting into a single field may seem
implausible, especially if we imagine Kurukshetra as a small plot of
land confined to modern day boundaries.
However, such
interpretations are based on a narrow and overly literal understanding.
Kurukshetra was not a small ground, but a vast and sacred
dharmakshetra, land of righteousness whose expanse could very well have
extended across the contemporary regions of Haryana, Delhi, and even
parts of western Uttar Pradesh. It served as the central point, a
symbolic heart of the war, where the armies gathered initially. From
this epicenter, the battle fanned out over a wide geographical stretch.
The formations employed during the war, like Chakravyuh, Makara,
Garuda, and Sarpa vyuhas, were not merely poetic imagery, but
reflections of deeply strategic military arrangements. These formations
required vast spaces, intelligent positioning, and coordinated
movement, revealing the sophistication and discipline of ancient
warfare. The Mahabharata is not a fantastical tale, but a deep
chronicle of profound political, military, and philosophical
dimensions, where each detail, including logistics, is layered with
meaning and historical context.
Now let us turn to the more
spiritual and widely debated question: How did Sri Krishna have time to
disclose the Bhagavad Gita in the middle of a battlefield, with war
drums beating and conch shells echoing? Critics often scoff at the
idea, imagining that while two armies stood face to face, Krishna and
Arjuna somehow took a peaceful tea break to deliver a detailed
philosophical discourse stretching to 700 verses. This interpretation
again arises from a limited understanding of both the rules of the war
and the nature of divine intervention.
According to the codes of
engagement agreed upon by both sides before the war began, no soldier
was to initiate combat unless both the opponents were armed and ready
to fight. It was a solemn pact rooted in dharma, mutual respect, and
martial ethics. Now, Arjuna, upon surveying his kith and kin on both
sides, was overcome with sorrow and moral dilemma. He put down his bow
and refused to fight. Technically, at that point, he was not a
combatant, but a seeker, open, questioning, and in inner turmoil. Sri
Krishna, his charioteer and divine guide, took that moment to reveal
the eternal wisdom of the Gita. As Arjuna listened with full surrender,
Krishna spoke not as a man bound by time, but as the Supreme
Consciousness communicating eternal truths.
It is essential to
understand that this communication did not occur in the dimension of
time as we ordinarily perceive it. The words of the Gita were not
necessarily spoken aloud in a classroom-like manner, but flowed as an
intimate soul-to-soul transmission. What we read today as 700 verses,
compiled by the great Sage Vyasaru is the expanded and elaborate
transcription of a profound spiritual experience compressed into a few
moments. Vyasaru, endowed with divine vision and literary mastery,
unfolded the layers of that divine dialogue for the benefit of
posterity so that seekers across ages could access this sacred wisdom,
not just warriors of a bygone era.
Moreover, Sri Krishna, being
the embodiment of time itself, "Kaloham", as he declares in the Gita,
was not constrained by the ticking of a physical clock. The moment of
revelation was a suspension of ordinary temporality. For those who
still question the logistics, consider how a life-altering realization,
an epiphany, or a moment of profound clarity can occur in the blink of
an eye. The Gita was not a college lecture. It was a moment of divine
awakening. Arjuna’s transformation from despondence to clarity, from
doubt to duty, did not require hours. It required surrender, which he
gave, and wisdom, which Krishna bestowed.
Thus, these doubts,
whether concerning the scale of the battlefield or the duration of the
Gita's narration, stem more from a reductionist mindset than from any
flaw in the epic itself. When we try to measure the Mahabharata with
modern limitations of geography and time, we risk missing its deeper
essence. The Mahabharata is not merely a tale of war. It is a mirror to
human nature, a record of civilization, and above all, a spiritual
guide that transcends historical constraints.
The true grandeur
of Kurukshetra was not limited to its vast battlefield or the countless
warriors who assembled there. Its greatness was in what it represented,
a stage where the eternal conflict between dharma and adharma unfolded
before the eyes of the world. It was there, in the midst of clashing
weapons and trembling hearts, that the divine message of the Bhagavad
Gita was revealed. The Lord chose that very moment of confusion and
despair to speak words that would echo through eternity, showing
humanity that the highest truths are often born in the most difficult
trials.
The Gita is not just a scripture but a timeless light, a
lamp that continues to burn steadily upon the ever turning wheel of
human struggle. It reminds us that even in the darkest hours, when
doubts cloud the mind and fear grips the heart, the voice of divinity
can still be heard. But to hear it, we must become like Arjuna humble
enough to surrender, patient enough to listen, and courageous enough to
act upon that wisdom.
Let us therefore turn to the compassionate
refuge of Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy, the great saint who embodied the
very essence of dharma and Geeta. With folded hands, let us pray to him
to bless us with clarity of understanding, purity of devotion, and
strength of purpose, so that we may not only grasp the profound
teachings of the Gita but also walk steadfastly upon its path in our
daily lives.
The devotion towards
Sri Raghavendrateertharu is the ultimate truth and is the most simple
and effective way to reach Sri Hari - "NAMBI KETTAVARILLAVO EE
GURUGALA"! “Those who have complete faith in this Guru will never be
disappointed.”
|| BICHALI JAPADAKATTI SRI APPANACHARYA PRIYA MANTRALAYA
SRI RAGHAVENDRATEERTHA GURUBHYO NAMAHA||