Seeking and receiving help in times of distress : Uddhav Gita

 Uddhava Gita

The right approach to seeking and receiving right help from the right person (at times of stress) explained:

Why did Krishna not save the 

Pandavas when they played dice with Duryadhana and

 Shakuni?

Wonderful explanation by Krishna himself:

From his childhood, Uddhava had been with Krishna, 

charioting him 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 His 

Avatar, 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 me 

anything. Why don’t you ask something now? I will 

give you. Let me complete this avatar with the 

satisfaction of doing something good for you also’.

Even though Uddhava did not ask anything for

 himself, he had been observing Krishna from his

 childhood. He had always wondered about the 

apparent disconnect between Krishna’s teachings and 

actions, and wanted to understand the reasons for the

 same.

He asked Krishna, ‘Lord, you taught us to live in one

 way, but you lived in a different way.

In the drama of Mahabharat, in the role you played, 

in 

your actions, I did not understand many things. I am 

curious to understand the reasons for your actions. 

Would you fulfil my desire to know?’

Krishna said, ‘Uddhava, what I told Arjuna during 

the  war of Kurukshetra was Bhagavad Gita.

Today, my responses to you would be known as 

‘Uddhava Gita’. That is why I gave this opportunity 

to you. Please ask without hesitation.’

Uddhava starts asking – ‘Krishna, first tell me who is 

a real friend?’

Krishna says, ‘The real friend is one who comes to

 the help of his friend in need even without being 

called’.

Uddhava: ‘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 a great gyani. Just now you gave 

the definition of a true, close friend. Then why did 

you not act as per that definition. Why did you not 

stop Dharmaraj (Yudhishtra) from playing the 

gambling game? Ok, you did not do it; why did you 

not turn the luck in favour of Dharmaraj, by which 

you would have ensured that dharma wins. You did 

not do that also. You could have at least saved 

Dharmaraj by stopping the game after he lost his 

wealth, country and himself. You could have released 

him from the punishment for gambling. Or, you

 could 

have entered the hall when he started betting his 

brothers. You did not do that either. At least when 

Duryodhana tempted Dharmaraj by offering to return 

everything lost if he betted Draupadi (who always 

brought good fortune to Pandavas), you could have 

intervened and with your divine power you could 

have made the dices roll in a way that is favorable to 

Dharmaraj. 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? Only when you help a person 

at the time of crisis, can you be called

 ‘Apadhbandhava’. If you did not help in the time of

 crisis, what is the use? Is it Dharma?’

As Uddhava posed these questions, tears started

 rolling from his eyes. These 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.

Bhagavan Krishna laughed. ‘Dear Uddhava, the law 

of this world is: ‘only the one who has Viveka 

(intelligence through discrimination), wins’. While 

Duryodhana had viveka, Dharmaraj lacked it. That is 

why Dharmaraj lost’.

Uddhava was lost and confused.

Krishna continues "While Duryodhana had lots of 

money and wealth to gamble, he did not know how 

to play the game of dice. That is why he used his 

Uncle Shakuni to play the game while he betted. That 

is viveka. Dharmaraj 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? Can he roll 

the numbers I am calling or would I roll the numbers

 he is asking. Forget this. I can forgive the fact that he

 forgot to include me in the game. But, without

 viveka, he did another blunder. He 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. He tied me with his prayers and did not 

allow me to get into the hall; I was just outside the 

hall waiting for someone to call me through their 

prayers. Even when Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and 

Sahadeva were lost, they were only cursing 

Duryodhana and brooding over their fate; they forgot 

to call me. Even Draupadi did not call me when 

Dusshasan held her hair and dragged her to fulfil his 

brother’s order. She was also arguing in the hall, 

based on her own abilities. She never called me. 

Finally good sense prevailed; when Dushasana 

started disrobing her, she gave up depending on her 

own strength, and started shouting ‘Hari, Hari, 

Abhayam Krishna, Abhayam’ and shouted for me. 

Only then I got 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?"

‘Wonderful explanation, Kanna, I am impressed.

Can I ask you another question’, says Uddhava. 

Krishna gives him the permission to proceed.

'Does it mean that you will come only when you are 

called! Will you not come on your own to help

 people 

in crisis, to establish justice?’, asks Uddhava.

Krishna smiles. ‘Uddhava, in this life everyone’s life 

proceeds based on their own karma. I don’t run it; I 

don’t interfere in it. I am only a ‘witness’. I stand

 close to you and keep observing whatever is

 happening. This is God’s Dharma’.

‘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.

Krishna says.’Uddhava, please realise the deeper 

meaning of your statements. When 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. That is when you get into trouble. 

Dharmaraj’s ignorance was that he thought he can 

play the game of gambling without my knowledge. If 

Dharmaraj had realized that I am always present with 

everyone in the form of ‘Sakshi’ (witness), then

 wouldn’t the game have finished differently?’

Uddhava was spellbound and got overwhelmed by

 Bhakti. He said, ‘What a deep philosophy. What a 

great truth! Even praying and doing pooja to God and 

calling Him for help are nothing but our feeling /

 belief. When we start believing that nothing moves

 without Him, how can we not feel his presence as 

Witness? How can we forget this and act? Throughout

 Bhagavad Gita, this is the philosophy Krishna 

imparted to Arjuna. He was the charioteer as well as 

guide for Arjuna, but he did not fight on his own.’-

Realize that Ultimate Sakshi/ Witnesser within & 

without you! And Merge in that God-Consciousness!

Discover Thy Higher Self- 

The Pure Loveful & Blissful Supreme 

Consciousness!