Arjuna's Remembering - The Supreme Instruction to Fight and Remember
The perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is defined by the ability to remember the Supreme Lord at all times, in all circumstances. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the history of Arjuna perfectly illustrates both the necessity of this constant remembrance during life's intense struggles and the profound spiritual solace it provides during times of great loss and separation.
The Difference in Memory
The living entity is infinitesimally small and prone to forgetfulness, while the Supreme Lord is infinite and omniscient. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that Kṛṣṇa specifically used Arjuna to demonstrate the fundamental difference between the supreme cosmic consciousness of God and the limited consciousness of the soul.
- The Lord says to Arjuna, "You and I had many, many births previously, but I remember everything, whereas you do not." That is the difference between the living entity, or conditioned soul, and the Supreme Soul.
- Krsna tells Arjuna that although they both took birth many, many times before, Krsna remembers everything about His previous appearances but Arjuna does not remember.
- The difference between the Lord and Arjuna is that the Lord remembered the incidence, whereas Arjuna could not remember. That is the difference between the part and parcel living entity and the Supreme Lord.
- The propaganda of the identity of cosmic consciousness with the consciousness of the individual living entities is completely misleading because even such a person as Arjuna could not remember his past deeds, although he is always with the Lord.
The Instruction to Fight and Remember
True spiritual life is highly active. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that Kṛṣṇa never told Arjuna to abandon his worldly occupation to meditate idly. Instead, the Lord gave him the ultimate formula for perfection: execute your difficult duty while continuously remembering Me.
- Krsna does not advise Arjuna simply to remember Him and give up his occupation. No, the Lord never suggests anything impractical.
- The Lord further tells Arjuna that as a ksatriya he cannot give up his fighting, but if Arjuna fights remembering Krsna, then he will be able to remember Him at the time of death.
- You don't sleep. Never Krsna said to Arjuna that "I am your friend. I am God. You sleep here. (laughter) I'll do everything." No! "You must fight." That is wanted. Yuddhyasva mam anusmara "You fight and remember Me. Then I'll do everything."
- The Lord tells Arjuna that if he doesn't practice remembering Krsna while he is struggling for existence, then it will not be possible for him to remember Krsna at the time of death.
Solace in Separation
When Lord Kṛṣṇa concluded His earthly pastimes, Arjuna was left completely devastated and bereft of his power. As Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, the only way Arjuna could overcome this crushing grief was by deeply remembering the transcendental instructions the Lord had given him on the battlefield.
- Due to grief, Arjuna's mouth and lotuslike heart had dried up. Therefore his body lost all luster. Now, remembering the Supreme Lord, he could hardly utter a word in reply.
- After the departure of the Lord from the vision of earthly people, when Arjuna was face to face with being vanquished in his acquired power and prominence, he wanted again to remember the great teachings of the Bhagavad-gita.
- From Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that when Krsna departed from this world, Arjuna was overwhelmed with sorrow, but when he began to remember the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, he became pacified.
- Arjuna was Krsna's constant friend, so when Krsna went to His abode, Arjuna was overwhelmed, but just by remembering His teachings he got relief from the pains of separation. Thus whenever we feel separation, it is best to remember the teachings.
Remembering the Lord's Friendship
Beyond the philosophical teachings, the personal reciprocation between the Lord and His devotee is unforgettable. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Arjuna, whether facing the terrifying universal form or experiencing the pain of separation, was always sustained by remembering Kṛṣṇa's intimate, loving friendship.
- Arjuna remembered all these (Krsna's relationship with him) one after another, and thus he became overwhelmed with such thoughts.
- Remembering Lord Krsna and His well-wishes, benefactions, intimate familial relations and His chariot driving, Arjuna, overwhelmed and breathing very heavily, began to speak.
- Although Krsna is manifested before Arjuna in His universal form, Arjuna remembers his friendly relationship with Krsna and is asking pardon and requesting Krsna to excuse him for the many informal gestures which arise out of friendship.
- Arjuna was able to regain the cows along with some booty taken by force - the jewels set on the turbans of the royal order. Arjuna remembered that all this was possible by the grace of the Lord.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully extracts the core practical lesson from Arjuna's relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa: the absolute necessity of constant remembrance. Because the conditioned soul is inherently forgetful, unlike the omniscient Supreme Lord, one must deliberately practice remembering Kṛṣṇa amidst the heavy demands of daily duties. Kṛṣṇa's instruction to Arjuna—to fight while keeping the mind fixed on Him—is the universal formula for conquering both material existence and the critical moment of death. Furthermore, Arjuna's life proves that the Lord's physical absence does not equate to separation; by faithfully remembering Kṛṣṇa's divine instructions and His unparalleled friendship, the pure devotee remains eternally connected to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, perfectly pacified and free from all lamentation.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Arjuna's Remembering. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.