Canto 1 Chapter 9 Flashcards
Why did Lord Sri Krsna want the Pandavas to be present in aristocratic array before Bhismadeva at the time of his death? (3)
So that he might be pleased to see them happy at the time of his death as they have endured so much difficulty in their life.
Summarize Bhéñmadeva’s explanation of the sufferings of the Päëòavas (11-17)
The sufferings of Kuntīdevī are doubly lamented. She suffered greatly because of early widowhood and to get her minor children brought up in the royal family. And when her children were grown up, she continued to suffer because of her sons’ actions. So her sufferings continued. This means that she was destined to suffer by providence, and this one has to tolerate without being disturbed.
Why did Bhéñmadeva choose to fight against the Päëòavas? (16)
Bhīṣmadeva was a great devotee of the Lord, but he chose to fight against the Pāṇḍavas by the will of the Lord because the Lord wanted to show that a fighter like Bhīṣma cannot win on the wrong side.
List reasons for Krsna’s wanting Bhismadeva to instruct Mahäräja Yudhisthira (25)
-Yudhisthira was inspired by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to ask him of the principles of religion
-Though Bhisma was lying on a bed of arrows,Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa wanted to prove that His pure devotees are always sound in body and mind by dint of spiritual enlightenment
-Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, wanted to establish the glories of His devotee.
Identify three significant points from Bhismadeva’s instructions on varëäçrama (25-28)
- 4 castes and orders of life is to accelerate transcendental qualities of the individual person.
- to make him/her realise his spiritual identity,
- He will act accordingly to get free from material bondage
Describe Bhismadeva’s relationship with the Lord (33-34, 38)
As a great fighter he was relishing the relation of Kṛṣṇa in the chivalrous humor.
Śrī Bhīṣmadeva is a great devotee of the Lord in the relation of servitorship.
The Lord enjoyed the wounds created by His great devotee Bhīṣmadeva, and because Bhīṣmadeva is a devotee in the chivalrous relation, he fixes up his mind on Kṛṣṇa in that wounded condition.
Explain how the Lord enjoyed the wounds created by His great devotee Bhisma (34)
He says that the wounds created on the body of the Lord by the sharpened arrows of Bhīṣmadeva were as pleasing to the Lord as the biting of a fiancee who bites the Lord’s body directed by a strong sense of sex desire. Such biting by the opposite sex is never taken as a sign of enmity, even if there is a wound on the body. Therefore, the fighting as an exchange of transcendental pleasure between the Lord and His pure devotee, Śrī Bhīṣmadeva, was not at all mundane. Besides that, since the Lord’s body and the Lord are identical, there was no possibility of wounds in the absolute body.
Why did Krsna seemingly break His own promise? (37)
Seemingly He broke His own promise. He promised before the beginning of the Battle of Kurukṣetra that He would remain without weapons and would not use His strength for either of the parties. But to protect Arjuna He got down from the chariot, took up the wheel of the chariot and hurriedly rushed at Bhīṣmadeva in an angry mood, as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He dropped His covering cloth on the way, and out of great anger He did not know that He had dropped it. Bhīṣmadeva at once gave up his weapons and stood to be killed by Kṛṣṇa, his beloved Lord.
Explain how Bhismadeva observed Pärtha-särathi with more relish than Arjuna (39)
Arjuna was behind the beautiful Pārtha-sārathi while Bhīṣmadeva was just in front of the Lord. As far as the military feature of the Lord is concerned, Bhīṣmadeva observed this with more relish than Arjuna.
What was the destination of all those who saw Kåñëa on the field of Kurukñetra? (39)
All the soldiers and persons on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra attained their original spiritual form like the Lord after their death because by the causeless mercy of the Lord they were able to see Him face to face on that occasion.
What destination was achieved by Bhéñmadeva? (44)
Bhīṣmadeva, as a pure devotee of the Lord, entered the spiritual realm in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets where the Lord in His eternal form of Pārtha-sārathi predominates over the unconditioned living beings who are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord.
Why do the votes cast by the mass of people actually have no value? (49)
The mass of people, especially in this Age of Kali, are all born śūdras, basically lowborn, ill-trained, unfortunate and badly associated. They themselves do not know the highest perfectional aim of life. Therefore, votes cast by them actually have no value, and thus persons elected by such irresponsible votes cannot be responsible representatives like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
