KRISHNA. VS UDDHAVA.

Uddhava was a devotee of Lord Krishna. He was a scholar and intellectual.  He was so similar in appearance to Krishna that he was sometimes mistaken for him.

From his childhood, Uddhava had been with Krishna, charioting him and serving him in many ways. When Krishna was completing His Avatar, he called Uddhava and said,

“Dear Uddhava, you never asked anything. Why don’t you ask something now? I will give you.”

He asked Krishna, “Lord, I am curious to understand the reasons for your actions. Would you fulfil my desire to know?”

Krishna said, ‘Uddhava, what I told Arjuna was Bhagavad Gita. Today, my responses to you would be known as ‘Uddhava Gita’.

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, Pandavas trusted you fully. Then why did you not stop Dharmaraj (Yudhishtra) from gambling?

Why did you not turn the luck in favour of Dharmaraj, so that dharma won.?

You could have entered the hall and stopped the game when he started betting on his brothers.

At least you could have made the dice roll in a way that is favorable to Dharmaraj.

Instead, you intervened, only after Droupathi being dragged into the hall and disrobed in front of so many people.

Only when you help a person at the time of crisis, can you be called ‘Apadhbandhava’. If not what is the use? Is it Dharma?’

Bhagavan Krishna smiled.

Dear Uddhava, the law is: ‘only the one who has Viveka (intelligence through discrimination), wins’. While Duryodhana had viveka, Dharmaraj lacked it. That is why Dharmaraj lost’.

‘While Duryodhana had lots of money and wealth, 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 placed the bet. That is viveka.

Dharmaraj also could have thought similarly and offered that I, as 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 that he is asking for.

Forget it. 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 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. She was arguing in the hall. She never called me.

Finally good sense prevailed; when Dusshasan started disrobing her, she gave up and started praying , “Hari, Hari, Abhayam Krishna, Abhayam’.

Only then did I get 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. However, I am not convinced. Can I ask you another question’,says Uddhava.

'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?’, asked Uddhava.

Krishna smiled. ‘Uddhava, 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, 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?

If Dharmaraj had realized that I am standing as witness, then wouldn’t the game have finished differently?’

Uddhava was spellbound and was so very overwhelmed by Bhakti._

He said,‘What a deep philosophy, Kesava. What a great truth!

When we start believing that nothing moves without Him, how can we not feel his presence as Witness?

Realise that God who is the ultimate Witness is with & within you! Please realise that HE is with us all the time when we do good as well as bad.