yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjam-yaham
– Bhagavad Gita (4.7)
In the above sloka, Lord Shri Krishna tells Arjuna that whenever and wherever there’s a decline in religious practices and a predominant rise in irreligion – at that time he (The Lord himself) reincarnate himself to destroy the evil and to protect the good, to restore righteousness. The Bhagavad Gita was narrated to Arjun by Lord Shri Krishna, just before the epic battle of Mahabharat. The book contains all the principles that one should follow to lead a ‘perfect life’ like Lord Shri Krishna.
Greetings to everyone on Krishna Janmashtami! Lord Shri Krishna was the 8th avatar of Lord Vishnu. Various studies have shown that the Lord lived in this world for 125 years in Dwapar Yuga. During his lifetime, he re-educated the world about devotion, dharma and Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
Those who love kids, they worship Lord Krishna in Baal roop (baby form). Lovers want their love story to be like that of Lord Shri Krishna and Shreemati Radharani. Their love story is eternal and sublime. He was also a great warrior, yogi, politician, ruler and an able administrator. He fulfilled all these roles perfectly.
Lord Shri Krishna was the perfect all-rounder. In the fast-moving life of the 21st century, all of us want to achieve perfection in every sphere of our lives – professionals want to excel in their field, students want to get good marks in the exams, etc. Lord Krishna had mastered 64 different forms of art and 14 different forms of science in his childhood. In this article, we will look into the life of Lord Shri Krishna and understand what we can learn from those events so that we can also try to lead a perfect life like Lord Shri Krishna.
Perfect Life of Lord Shri Krishna: What we can learn?
Planning and Execution
Lord Shri Krishna was the 8th avatar of Lord Vishnu. He was the Supreme Lord. But he never hesitated to change his roles as per the situation. The Lord became Arjun’s charioteer in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. This was a masterstroke by Lord Shri Krishna. He chalked out the plan with the Pandavas and ultimately they won the battle. When Arjun reached the battlefield, he became de-motivated and refused to fight the war. Here, the Lord also played the role of a guide by enlightening Arjun with knowledge of Srimad Bhagavad Gita in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. This knowledge motivated Arjun and encouraged him to perform his duties. Here, the Lord again switched his roles and became his guide who showed him the right path and motivated him to fight the greatest battles of all time.
After the division of Kingdom, Pandavas got Khandavavana (Khandavaprastha), a sparsely populated area with meagre facilities for trade and agriculture. Here, the Lord motivated the Pandavas and told them it was a great opportunity to build a new kingdom that will have all the facilities. You can call this a ‘Vedic Startup’.
Lord also advised Arjuna to collect Divyashtras by performing Tapasya. In modern times, we can call it Defence Research and Development.
Similarly, in our daily life, if we are preparing for any competitive exam or any kind of competition then, planning is the first step. You need a plan which you can follow. Some say that if you are without a plan then, you plan to fail. A person without a plan is like a ship without a radar.
Friendship and maintaining healthy relations
When Lord Shri Krishna’s friend Sudama, was going through times of extreme poverty. His wife then advised him to visit the Lord and seek his help. When Sudama offered him beaten rice, he accepted them with happiness. In return, he transformed his house into a massive mansion filled built with precious stones. Here, we learn the importance of life-long friendship and to treat everyone with love.
Similarly, when the Pandavas were going through tough times, he helped them in all possible ways. Even if he was the Supreme Lord, he was still humbled and showed respect for his elders. He didn’t support any differentiation and treated everyone with equality. That’s why people always welcomed him with open arms and was loved by everyone.
Here, we learn that there shouldn’t be any differences in friendship and relations.
Politics and Diplomacy
When Jarasandha repeatedly started attacking Mathura. Instead of spending his energy in fighting a battle, he decided to leave Mathura and established Devbhumi Dwarka.
Lord Shri Krishna also played the role of a peace messenger from Pandava’s side. When the negotiations failed, he showed his Vishwa Swaroop and asked the Kauravas to prepare themselves for the war. In this way, he transferred the onus of the war of Mahabharat on the Kauravas.
It was difficult to defeat Bhisma on the battlefield. Through Yudhistir, he told Arjuna to go to Bhisma and return his prayers and blessings of victory. When Arjuna approached Bhisma to return his blessings, the latter told him the way to defeat him. Here, we see how we can consult our opponents even when we are fighting a battle like Mahabharata.
Live in the Present
The Lord was aware of the future, but he always lived in the present without worrying about it The Lord faced a lot of difficulties right from his birth. Yet he didn’t panic and faced them with a cool, calm and composed mind. Lord Krishna always smiled because smiling helped his positive vibes and the melodious music from his flute used to increase his smile.
Through the teachings of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, the Lord tells us to stop worrying about the future and to live in the present. Nobody knows the future but it is dependent upon the actions that we take in the present.
To lead a perfect life like Lord Shri Krishna, you need a teacher like Lord Shri Krishna. You just need to surrender yourself before him, become his devotee and give him your unconditional love. You can reach him with the help of love only, and do read the Bhagavad Gita at least once.
Jai Shree Krishna Radhey Radhey!!