Royal Decision
Toronto, Ontario
Monday is the day at the ashram where the residents sit down and, as attentively as possible, hears a recording of our founder speaking some message of truth. Today we were hearing a selected class Srila Prabhupada gave on Oct. 1/76. The topic dealt with a warrior’s option to kill or spare the life of a captured foe. Today’s story dealt with Arjuna, waiting for the consent to end the life of Asvattama, the son of Arjuna’s martial arts guru. Arjuna had held down Asvattama while making his decision after due consultation with his wife, brothers and Krishna himself. The final verdict was; the murderer of the Pandavas children, Asvattama, would live, considering how his mother would be distraught if she lost him.
These are the sensitivities that arise amongst the ksatriya or warrior class in the times of ancient India. Prabhupada went on to discuss the heinous acts of intrigue amongst royal members in the not so distant times in the family of Shah Johan, Auranzeb during the period of the Taj Mahal’s construction. Royal blood is often regarded as rival blood by someone from another kingdom. It becomes a different dynamic when an ambitious prince, for instance, extinguishes his own brothers and even holds hostage his father, feeling under threat of not gaining the throne.
Our guru expressed that so much mistrust exists in the world. On various occasions he explained that because of our bodily identity there is mistrust. There is always the fear of when will my life be taken or, for animals, when will I be eaten. Fear is pervasive in a world where one concludes, “I am this body.” This is, of course, a mistaken notion.
My walking today remained within the neighbourhood of bursting buds and blossoms that flair like royal egos.
5 Km
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