Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.40
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
Arjuna was a great soul undoubtedly, which is proved here also. He is encouraged herein personally by the Lord to kill the son of Droṇa, but Arjuna considers that the son of his great teacher should be spared, for he happens to be the son of Droṇācārya, even though he is an unworthy son, having done all sorts of heinous acts whimsically for no one’s benefit.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa encouraged Arjuna outwardly just to test Arjuna’s sense of duty. It is not that Arjuna was incomplete in the sense of his duty, nor was Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa unaware of Arjuna’s sense of duty. But Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa puts to the test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense of duty. The gopīs were put to such tests as well. Prahlāda Mahārāja also was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out successful in the respective tests by the Lord.
Though incited by Kṛṣṇa who was testing Arjuna’s sense of justice, Arjuna did not want to kill him, even though he had killed his son (ātma-hanam), because he was intelligent (mahān) - he knew the nature of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa’s nature is that, though he is omniscient, he tests the devotees in this way in order to show their sense of justice to others. He tests Arjuna, possessor of dharma, by showing vīra and raudra rasas when he says “You should not release him.” (SB 1.7.35)
In the same way he tested the gopīs, possessors of prema, by showing karma and jñāna in such verses as bhartuḥ śuśrūṣaṇaṁ strīṇāṁ paro dharmaḥ: the highest religious duty for a woman is to sincerely serve her husband (SB 10.29.24); bhavatīnāṁ viyogo me na hi sarvātmanā kvacit: you are never actually separated from me, for I am the Soul of all creation (SB 10.47.29); ahaṁ hi sarva-bhūtānām ādir anto ’ntaraṁ bahiḥ: dear ladies, I am the beginning and end of all created beings and exist both within and without them. (SB 10.82.45)
He also tested Pṛthu, Prahlāda and others, who were filled with devotion, by showing or promising enjoyment and powers to them. Varaṁ ca mat kañcana mānavendra vṛṇīṣva: dear Pṛthu, you may therefore ask from me any benediction you like. (SB 4.20.16) Varaṁ vṛṇīṣvābhimataṁ kāma-pūro ’smy ahaṁ nṛṇām: it is my pastime to fulfill the desires of all living beings, and therefore you may ask from me any benediction that you desire to be fulfilled. (SB 7.9.52) Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti: though I offer these benedictions, they do not accept. (SB 3.29.13 )
Even his siddha devotees test others. Thus Śukadeva tests Parīkṣit. In the Sixth Canto, he tests his knowledge of siddhānta when he speaks of regular atonements when Parīkṣit asks the method of getting free of sin. In the Ninth Canto, Śukadeva tests Parīkṣit’s eagerness for Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes by summarizing those pastimes, and in the Twelfth Canto, he tests his steadiness in bhakti by talking of brahma-jñāna. The real meaning is not always in the directly observed events.
- SKrishnaPr SB 01-07-40-41
- BVMS SB 01-07-40 - 2012-03-19 ISKCON Mayapur
- BVMS SB 01-07-40 - 2012-03-18 ISKCON Melbourne
- BVMS SB 01-07-40 - 2012-03-19 ISKCON Melbourne
- SP Tamil Translation SB 01-07-40 - The Callous Can%27t Pass Krishna%27s T - 1976-10-01 VRN
- SP SB 1-07-40 Vrindavan 1976-10-01 The Callous Can%27t Pass Krishna%27s Test
- Where have I been given 'permission' to do something I sense is wrong?
- What inner refusal of mine is actually a sign of soul, not weakness?
My note
Source: vedabase.io