Posted on: 21 Jul 2021
[A question from internet forum asked through Shri Anil]
Swāmi Replied:- The unimaginable God does everything and at the same time, you will have the impression that He is not doing anything. For this reason, He is unimaginable. This shows that God Kṛṣṇa is the unimaginable God or Parabrahman. We say salutations to Kṛṣṇa, the unimaginable God (Śrī Kṛṣṇa Parabrahmaṇe namaḥ). God has given full freedom to souls and God remains as witness (Sākṣī) while observing the practical procedure of every human being and interfering wherever injustice overcomes justice. Pāṇḍavas were also wrong in attending the gambling. Of course, Kauravas were totally wrong. Hence, God Kṛṣṇa guided the war by His unimaginable power in such a way that Kauravas were totally punished and Pāṇḍavas were also punished to some extent. God Kṛṣṇa actually interfered in the war through His unimaginable power appearing as an ordinary human being following the laws of nature and the laws of war. He broke the laws of war also to establish that one should not believe always that means justify ends and if necessary, for the victory of justice one shall believe that ends justify means. He established that theoretical guidance is more important than practical interference because the Jñānayoga or knowledge is the source of practice. Practice is inert phenomenon that follows the guidance of the knowledge, which is related to awareness.
Awareness is greater than inert item. But, the inert practice alone yields the fruit. Without practice, knowledge is useless. At the same time, if knowledge is not there, there will be no right direction due to which the correct fruit will not come. In the war, Kṛṣṇa stood in the place of Sadguru giving theoretical guidance or knowledge. Pāṇḍavas stood as the devotees having some little defects. Dharmarāja did not repent for gambling and moreover supported himself that if a king invites other king for war or gambling, the other king shall not refuse. This type of supporting oneself through logic is not correct because if one supports his faults with logic and misinterpretations of scripture, such soul will never recognise its fault and will never be reformed. Reformation is possible only when one accepts his/her faults (realisation), then repents and then does not repeat the same fault once again. Gambling is said to be one of the five greatest sins (Pañcamahāpātakas). Hence, God Kṛṣṇa allowed some destruction (like killing of Abhimanyu and sons of Pāṇḍavas) on the side of Pāṇḍavas also since there was no reformation. All these aspects are to be taken from Kṛṣṇa sitting in the chariot of Arjuna giving only theoretical advice without directly participating in the practical war.