Arjuna Was a Military Man - the Perfection of Duty
A common misconception in spiritual circles is that one must retire from active, worldly life and become a monk to understand God. The Bhagavad-gītā entirely defeats this idea. Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasizes the professional identity of Arjuna to prove that absolute spiritual perfection is accessible to anyone. By examining the life of Arjuna, we learn that true renunciation means dedicating our practical talents to the Supreme Lord, rather than abandoning our natural duties.
The Qualifications of a General
Arjuna's identity was completely forged in the discipline of martial arts. He was not a philosopher but a highly trained commander. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Arjuna's expertise was universally recognized. He had received the highest blessings and military certifications from his earthly teacher, Droṇācārya, and had even traveled to the heavenly planets to learn advanced military science directly from King Indra.
- Dronacarya accepted him (Arjuna) as a first-grade scholar and loved heartily to bestow upon him all the blessings of military science.
- He (Arjuna) met Indradeva, who not only presented him with his vajra weapon, but also taught him the military and musical science as used in the heavenly planet.
- He (Arjuna) was credited with so many military certificates from many authorities, including his adopted father Indra, the heavenly king.
- Arjuna and his family were indebted to the family of Dronacarya because of Arjuna's learning the military science from him. If ingratitude were shown to such a benevolent family, it would not be at all justified from the moral standpoint.
The Choice of the First Disciple
When the ancient chain of disciplic succession was broken, Lord Kṛṣṇa needed to select a new recipient for the science of yoga. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out a fascinating fact: Kṛṣṇa bypassed all the highly educated brāhmaṇas and renounced sannyāsīs of the time. Instead, He chose a royal householder and military general, simply because Arjuna possessed the ultimate qualification of being a pure, loving devotee.
- Arjuna was not a great scholar, nor a brahmana; he was a family and military man. But still Krsna selected him to be the recipient of Bhagavad-gita and the first authority in the disciplic succession. Why? - Because you are My devotee.
- Arjuna was a military man. He was not a Vedantist. He was a grhastha, not even a sannyasi. Why Krsna selected to instruct Arjuna as the disciple of the renovated parampara system? That is also spoken by Krsna.
- The first-class example is Arjuna. He was a military man, a politician, and grhastha, ksatriya - not brahmana, not sannyasi - but still Krsna accepts him: sakha ceti, - For you are My dear friend.
- Arjuna was not a great scholar, nor a Vedantist; he was a family and military man. But still Krsna selected him to be the recipient of Bhagavad-gita and the first authority in the disciplic succession. Why? - Because you are My devotee.
The Refusal to Abandon Duty
When Arjuna saw his relatives on the battlefield, he wanted to cast aside his weapons and abandon his military duty. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Lord Kṛṣṇa heavily criticized this mentality. Kṛṣṇa did not want Arjuna to artificially imitate the nonviolent lifestyle of a sage. Because Arjuna was born with the nature of a kṣatriya, his prescribed duty was to fight, and he was instructed to execute that duty without hesitation.
- In the beginning of Bhagavad-gita Arjuna was talking to Krsna just like a friend, and Krsna was questioning how he, as a military man, could give up fighting.
- Arjuna was a military man, and born of the nature of the ksatriya. Therefore his natural duty was to fight. But, due to false ego, he was fearing that by killing his teacher, grandfather and friends, there would be sinful reactions.
- We have discussed that point. Arjuna was talking with Krsna in friendly terms, just like friend. Krsna was saying something, - Oh, you cannot . . . you are a ksatriya. You are a military man. How can you give up the fighting.
- Arjuna was a householder and a military general, and therefore it was better for him to remain as such and perform his religious duties as prescribed for the householder ksatriya.
Perfection Through Military Service
The ultimate teaching of the Bhagavad-gītā is the spiritualization of practical action. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that after hearing the complete philosophy from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna did not change his profession. He remained a military commander, but his consciousness was utterly purified. By utilizing his military science exclusively to execute the will of the Lord, Arjuna achieved the highest perfection of life.
- So we generally speak that Arjuna was military commander. So before understanding Bhagavad-gita, he was commander, and after understanding, he remained a commander, but he became Krsna conscious.
- What is the aim of varnasrama? Simply by becoming a brahmana he's successful? No. Nobody can become successful unless he satisfies Krsna. That is real success. Just like Arjuna did. By the military art, he satisfied Krsna.
- One has to make the best use of his talent for the service of Krishna. That is wanted. Best example is Arjuna, that he utilized his talents, military science, in the service of Krishna.
- Arjuna offered his service fully as a military man, and he became perfect. Similarly, an artist can attain perfection simply by performing artistic work under the direction of the spiritual master.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the life of Arjuna as a military man provides the ultimate proof that spiritual perfection is independent of social or occupational status. Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully illustrates that Lord Kṛṣṇa chose Arjuna—not a monk or a scholar—to be the primary recipient of the Bhagavad-gītā because of his unalloyed devotion and friendship. By refusing to let Arjuna abandon the battlefield, the Lord established that real renunciation is not the rejection of work, but the rejection of the fruits of work. Arjuna’s transformation from a confused soldier to a surrendered instrument of the divine will teaches us that any profession can be spiritualized. Whether one is a commander, a politician, or an artist, the key to success is to utilize one's natural talents and "military certificates" in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Ultimately, the example of Arjuna proves that we do not need to change what we are doing; we simply need to change for whom we are doing it. By satisfying the senses of the Lord through our prescribed duties, we can attain the same highest platform of perfection that Arjuna achieved on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra.
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