Chapter 11 Shloka 51
अर्जुन उवाच
दृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन।।
इदानीमस्मि संवृत्त: सचेता: प्रकृतिं गत:।।५१।।
Upon witnessing the Lord’s benign demeanour and human form similar to his own, Arjuna said:
O Krishna, Chastiser of mortals! I have now become self-composed and have returned to my natural state upon witnessing this benign, human form of Yours.
Little one, listen to Arjuna’s words. Now that he is witnessing the Lord as an ordinary human being, he is again at peace and says:
a) O Lord, I have now regained my consciousness.
b) I have now come to my senses.
c) I am now at peace.
d) I am now free of my agony.
e) I have at last ceased to tremble.
f) I have become fearless.
Little one, listen! Now that the Lord has reassumed the form of a simple human being, Arjuna is once more at peace and happy. Yet, Arjuna addresses the Lord as ‘Janardhana’ (जनार्दन)!
1. You are the one who inflicts punishment on people.
2. You give pain to people.
3. You trouble people.
4. You torment people.
5. You destroy people.
Look little one, Arjuna is not troubled when all this happens to others; however, when he himself is the recipient, he begins to feel perturbed, and finds it difficult to accept the fearsome form of the Lord.
This is what generally happens in the world too. The individual worships the Lord only as long as he feels that the Lord will support him. When misfortune befalls others he simply says, “This was their destiny.” When that same misfortune befalls him he feels tormented, and turns against the Lord.
This is the basic difference between a sadhu – a man of virtue, and an ordinary man. The sadhu smiles when he is personally afflicted by trouble or pain, but is ready to give even his life to alleviate the other’s pain.