![](\"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads6\/tumblr_p78afeLaaV1sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Why did Krishna not save the Pandavas when they played dice with Duryodhana & Shakuni?
\nWonderful explanation given by Krishna Himself:
\nFrom his childhood, Uddhava had been with Krishna, driving His chariot and serving Him in many ways. He never asked for any wish or boon from Sri Krishna. When Krishna was at the verge of completing that particular Avatar lila, he called Uddhava and said,\u2018Dear Uddhava, in this avatar of mine, many people have asked and received boons from me; but you never asked for anything from Me.
\nWhy don\u2019t you ask something now? I will give you what you want.
\nLet me complete this incarnation with the satisfaction of doing something good for you also\u2019.
\nEven though Uddhava did not ask anything for himself, he had been observing Krishna from his childhood. He had always wondered about the apparent contradiction between Krishna\u2019s teachings and actions, and wanted to understand the reasons behind.
\nHe asked Krishna, \u2018Lord, You taught us to live in one way, but You lived in a different way.
\nIn the drama of the Mahabharata, the role You played and Your actions; I could not understand many things. I am curious to comprehend the reasons for Your activities.
\nWould You fulfil my desire to know these truths?\u2019
\nKrishna said, \u2018Uddhava, what I told Arjuna during the war of Kurukshetra was Bhagavad Gita.
\nToday, My responses to you would be known as \u2018Uddhava Gita\u2019.
\nThat is why I gave this opportunity to you. Please ask without hesitation.\u2019
\nUddhava starts asking \u2013 \u2018Krishna, first tell me who is a real friend?\u2019
\nKrishna says, \u2018The real friend is one who comes to the help of his friend in need even without being called\u2019.
\nUddhava: \u2018Krishna, you were a dear friend of the Pandavas. They trusted you fully as Apadhbhandava (protector from all difficulties). Krishna, you not only know what is happening, but you know what is going to happen. You are the greatest jnani.
\nJust now you gave the definition of a true, close friend.
\nThen why did you not act as per that definition. Why did you not stop Dharmaraj (Yudhishtra)
\nfrom playing the gambling game?
\nOk, you did not do it; why did you not turn the luck in favour of Dharmaraja, by which you would have ensured that dharma wins. You did not do that also.
\nYou could have at least saved Dharmaraja by stopping the game after he lost his wealth, country and himself.
\nYou could have released him from the punishment for gambling.
\nOr, you could have entered the hall when he started betting his brothers.
\nYou did not do that either.
\nAt least when Duryodhana tempted Dharmaraja by offering to return everything he lost if he bet Draupadi (who always brought good fortune to Pandavas), You could have intervened and with Your divine power, You could have made the dice roll in a way that is favourable to Dharmaraja. Instead, You intervened, only when Draupadi almost lost her modesty and now You claim that you gave clothes and saved Draupadi\u2019s modesty; how can You even claim this \u2013 after her being dragged into the hall by a man and disrobed in front of so many people, what modesty is left for a woman? What have you saved?
\nOnly when You help a person at the time of crisis, can You be called \u2018Apadhbandhava\u2019.
\nIf You did not help in the time of crisis, then what is the use?
\nIs this Dharma?\u2019 As Uddhava posed these questions, tears started rolling from his eyes.
\nThese are not the questions of Uddhava alone. All of us who have read Mahabharata have these questions. On behalf of us, Uddhava had already asked Krishna.
\nBhagavan Sri Krishna laughed.
\n\u2018Dear Uddhava, the law of this world is: *\u2018Only the one who has Viveka (intelligence through discrimination), wins\u2019.
\nWhile Duryodhana had viveka, Dharmaraja lacked it.
\nThat is why Dharmaraja lost\u2019.
\nUddhava was lost and confused. Krishna continued:
\n\u2018While Duryodhana had lots of money and wealth to gamble, he did not know how to play the game of dice.
\nThat is why he used his Uncle Shakuni to play the game while he placed the bet.
\nThat is viveka.
\nDharmaraj also could have thought similarly and offered that I, his cousin, would play on his behalf. If Shakuni and I had played the game of dice, who do you think would have won?
\nCan he roll the numbers I am calling or would I roll the numbers that he is asking for?
\nForget this.
\nI can forgive the fact that he forgot to include me in the game.
\nBut, without viveka, he performed another blunder.
\nHe prayed that I should not come to the hall as he did not want Me to know that through ill-fate he was compelled to play this game.
\nHe tied me with his prayers and did not allow Me to get into the hall;
\nI was just outside the hall waiting for someone to call Me through their prayers.
\nEven when Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva were lost, they were only cursing Duryodhana and brooding over their fate; they forgot to call me.
\nEven Draupadi did not call Me when Dushasana held her hair and dragged her to fulfil his brother\u2019s order.
\nShe was also arguing in the hall, based on her own abilities.
\n-She never called me.
\nFinally, good sense prevailed; when Dushasana started disrobing her, she gave up depending on her own strength, and started shouting \u2018Hari, Hari, Hey Govinda! Hey Krishna! And shouted for Me.
\nOnly then did I get an opportunity to save her modesty. I reached as soon as I was called. I saved her modesty. What is my mistake in this situation?\u2019
\n\u2018Oh what a wonderful explanation, Kanha, I am impressed.
\nHowever, I am not deceived. Can I ask you another question\u2019, says Uddhava.
\nKrishna gives him the permission to proceed.
\n\u2018Does it mean that You will come only when You are called?!
\nWill You not come on Your own to help people in crisis, to establish justice?\u2019, asks Uddhava.
\nKrishna smiles. \u2018Uddhava, in this life everyone\u2019s life proceeds based on their own karma.
\nI don\u2019t run it; I don\u2019t interfere in it.
\nI am only a \u2018witness\u2019. I stand close to you and keep observing whatever is happening. This is My Dharma\u2019.
\n\u2018Wow, very good Krishna. In that case, You will stand close to us, observe all our evil acts; as we keep committing more and more sins, You will keep watching us. You want us to commit more blunders, accumulate sins and suffer?!\u2019, says Uddhava.
\nKrishna says. \u2019Uddhava, please realise the deeper meaning of your statements.
\nWhen you understand & realise that I am standing as witness next to you, how could you do anything wrong or bad. You definitely cannot do anything bad. You forget this and think that you can do things without my knowledge.
\nThat is when you get into trouble.
\nDharmaraja\u2019s ignorance was that he thought he could play the game of gambling without My knowledge.
\nIf Dharmaraja had realized that I am always present with everyone in the form of \u2018Sakshi\u2019 (witness), then wouldn\u2019t the game have finished differently?\u2019
\nUddhava was spellbound and was so very overwhelmed by Bhakti.
\nHe said, \u2018What a deep philosophy, Kesava.
\nWhat a great truth!\u2019
\nEven praying and performing puja and calling Him for help are nothing but our feeling\/beliefs.
\nWhen we start believing that nothing moves without Him, then how can we not feel His presence as Witness?
\nHow can we forget this and act?
\nThroughout Bhagavad Gita, this is the philosophy Krishna imparted to Arjuna.
\nHe was the charioteer as well as guide for Arjuna, but he did not fight Arjuna\u2019s War\u2019:-
\nRealize that the Ultimate Sakshi\/the One who is the Witness is within & without! We are never alone and the Lord is waiting for us to be a \u2018conscious willing participant\u2019 in our remembrance of Him in our activities. Then someday we will be actually be promoted to do just that within His.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![](\"http:\/\/78.media.tumblr.com\/8a77cc9db0ca4f726388dc59b5cdca16\/tumblr_p78afeLaaV1sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Why did Krishna not save the Pandavas when they played dice with Duryodhana & Shakuni?
\nWonderful explanation given by Krishna Himself:
\nFrom his childhood, Uddhava had been with Krishna, driving His chariot and serving Him in many ways. He never asked for any wish or boon from Sri Krishna. When Krishna was at the verge of completing that particular Avatar lila, he called Uddhava and said,‘Dear Uddhava, in this avatar of mine, many people have asked and received boons from me; but you never asked for anything from Me.
\nWhy don’t you ask something now? I will give you what you want.
\nLet me complete this incarnation with the satisfaction of doing something good for you also’.
\nEven though Uddhava did not ask anything for himself, he had been observing Krishna from his childhood. He had always wondered about the apparent contradiction between Krishna’s teachings and actions, and wanted to understand the reasons behind.
\nHe asked Krishna, ‘Lord, You taught us to live in one way, but You lived in a different way.
\nIn the drama of the Mahabharata, the role You played and Your actions; I could not understand many things. I am curious to comprehend the reasons for Your activities.
\nWould You fulfil my desire to know these truths?’
\nKrishna said, ‘Uddhava, what I told Arjuna during the war of Kurukshetra was Bhagavad Gita.
\nToday, My responses to you would be known as ‘Uddhava Gita’.
\nThat is why I gave this opportunity to you. Please ask without hesitation.’
\nUddhava starts asking – ‘Krishna, first tell me who is a real friend?’
\nKrishna says, ‘The real friend is one who comes to the help of his friend in need even without being called’.
\nUddhava: ‘Krishna, you were a dear friend of the Pandavas. They trusted you fully as Apadhbhandava (protector from all difficulties). Krishna, you not only know what is happening, but you know what is going to happen. You are the greatest jnani.
\nJust now you gave the definition of a true, close friend.
\nThen why did you not act as per that definition. Why did you not stop Dharmaraj (Yudhishtra)
\nfrom playing the gambling game?
\nOk, you did not do it; why did you not turn the luck in favour of Dharmaraja, by which you would have ensured that dharma wins. You did not do that also.
\nYou could have at least saved Dharmaraja by stopping the game after he lost his wealth, country and himself.
\nYou could have released him from the punishment for gambling.
\nOr, you could have entered the hall when he started betting his brothers.
\nYou did not do that either.
\nAt least when Duryodhana tempted Dharmaraja by offering to return everything he lost if he bet Draupadi (who always brought good fortune to Pandavas), You could have intervened and with Your divine power, You could have made the dice roll in a way that is favourable to Dharmaraja. Instead, You intervened, only when Draupadi almost lost her modesty and now You claim that you gave clothes and saved Draupadi’s modesty; how can You even claim this – after her being dragged into the hall by a man and disrobed in front of so many people, what modesty is left for a woman? What have you saved?
\nOnly when You help a person at the time of crisis, can You be called ‘Apadhbandhava’.
\nIf You did not help in the time of crisis, then what is the use?
\nIs this Dharma?’ As Uddhava posed these questions, tears started rolling from his eyes.
\nThese are not the questions of Uddhava alone. All of us who have read Mahabharata have these questions. On behalf of us, Uddhava had already asked Krishna.
\nBhagavan Sri Krishna laughed.
\n‘Dear Uddhava, the law of this world is: *‘Only the one who has Viveka (intelligence through discrimination), wins’.
\nWhile Duryodhana had viveka, Dharmaraja lacked it.
\nThat is why Dharmaraja lost’.
\nUddhava was lost and confused. Krishna continued:
\n‘While Duryodhana had lots of money and wealth to gamble, he did not know how to play the game of dice.
\nThat is why he used his Uncle Shakuni to play the game while he placed the bet.
\nThat is viveka.
\nDharmaraj also could have thought similarly and offered that I, his cousin, would play on his behalf. If Shakuni and I had played the game of dice, who do you think would have won?
\nCan he roll the numbers I am calling or would I roll the numbers that he is asking for?
\nForget this.
\nI can forgive the fact that he forgot to include me in the game.
\nBut, without viveka, he performed another blunder.
\nHe prayed that I should not come to the hall as he did not want Me to know that through ill-fate he was compelled to play this game.
\nHe tied me with his prayers and did not allow Me to get into the hall;
\nI was just outside the hall waiting for someone to call Me through their prayers.
\nEven when Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva were lost, they were only cursing Duryodhana and brooding over their fate; they forgot to call me.
\nEven Draupadi did not call Me when Dushasana held her hair and dragged her to fulfil his brother’s order.
\nShe was also arguing in the hall, based on her own abilities.
\n-She never called me.
\nFinally, good sense prevailed; when Dushasana started disrobing her, she gave up depending on her own strength, and started shouting ‘Hari, Hari, Hey Govinda! Hey Krishna! And shouted for Me.
\nOnly then did I get an opportunity to save her modesty. I reached as soon as I was called. I saved her modesty. What is my mistake in this situation?’
\n‘Oh what a wonderful explanation, Kanha, I am impressed.
\nHowever, I am not deceived. Can I ask you another question’, says Uddhava.
\nKrishna gives him the permission to proceed.
\n‘Does it mean that You will come only when You are called?!
\nWill You not come on Your own to help people in crisis, to establish justice?’, asks Uddhava.
\nKrishna smiles. ‘Uddhava, in this life everyone’s life proceeds based on their own karma.
\nI don’t run it; I don’t interfere in it.
\nI am only a ‘witness’. I stand close to you and keep observing whatever is happening. This is My Dharma’.
\n‘Wow, very good Krishna. In that case, You will stand close to us, observe all our evil acts; as we keep committing more and more sins, You will keep watching us. You want us to commit more blunders, accumulate sins and suffer?!’, says Uddhava.
\nKrishna says. ’Uddhava, please realise the deeper meaning of your statements.
\nWhen you understand & realise that I am standing as witness next to you, how could you do anything wrong or bad. You definitely cannot do anything bad. You forget this and think that you can do things without my knowledge.
\nThat is when you get into trouble.
\nDharmaraja’s ignorance was that he thought he could play the game of gambling without My knowledge.
\nIf Dharmaraja had realized that I am always present with everyone in the form of ‘Sakshi’ (witness), then wouldn’t the game have finished differently?’
\nUddhava was spellbound and was so very overwhelmed by Bhakti.
\nHe said, ‘What a deep philosophy, Kesava.
\nWhat a great truth!’
\nEven praying and performing puja and calling Him for help are nothing but our feeling\/beliefs.
\nWhen we start believing that nothing moves without Him, then how can we not feel His presence as Witness?
\nHow can we forget this and act?
\nThroughout Bhagavad Gita, this is the philosophy Krishna imparted to Arjuna.
\nHe was the charioteer as well as guide for Arjuna, but he did not fight Arjuna’s War’:-
\nRealize that the Ultimate Sakshi\/the One who is the Witness is within & without! We are never alone and the Lord is waiting for us to be a ‘conscious willing participant’ in our remembrance of Him in our activities. Then someday we will be actually be promoted to do just that within His.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10650,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[152],"class_list":["post-61213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-media","tag-nectar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10650"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=61213"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78276,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61213\/revisions\/78276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=61213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=61213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=61213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}