Mantralaya-2045
(Why didn’t Sri Krishna stop the infamous game of dice ?)
Date : Jun 5, 2025
Dear Devotees : Namaskara.
| Sri MannMoolaRamastu Mannmathe Moolamahasamsthhaana Mantralaya Sri Rayaramathe||
|| OM SRI RAGHAVENDRAAYA NAMAHA||
Background
Why
didn’t Sri Krishna stop the infamous game of dice ? and Sri Krishna’s
response to this in Uddhava Geeta is described in Mantralaya (2045).
Meaning
In
the great Mahabharata, one question often troubles the minds of
devotees and thinkers alike: Why didn’t Sri Krishna stop the infamous
game of dice, especially when it was played with such evil intent by
Duryodhana and Shakuni? Where was He during that moment of deceit and
humiliation?
Interestingly, Sri Krishna Himself answers this
profound question when His dearest devotee Uddhava poses it in the
divine dialogue known as the Uddhava Geeta. Let us explore not only
Krishna’s answer but also understand what the Uddhava Geeta truly is,
and when this sacred conversation took place.
To grasp the depth
of Krishna’s response, we must first travel back in time—to that
fateful day in Hastinapura, in the sacred land of Bharatavarsha. There
unfolded the game of dice—not a mere gamble, but a sinister plot
wrapped in smiles and courtesies. It was a carefully laid trap by
Duryodhana and his cunning uncle Shakuni, designed to rob the righteous
Pandavas of their kingdom, their dignity, and their peace. The dice
rolled, fate turned, and dharma was tested in one of its most painful
trials.
The assembly hall was majestic, shining with gold and
pride, but within it stood shadows darker than night. Yudhishthira, the
eldest of the Pandavas and a dharmic soul, sat upon his throne, unaware
that the dice in Shakuni’s hand were no ordinary dice. They were
loaded, not just with numbers, but with intentions soaked in adharma.
One
by one, Yudhishthira wagered and lost. His jewels. His palace. His
kingdom. His brothers. And then, with a trembling hand and a heart
clouded by honor and confusion, he placed his wife Draupadi as the
final stake. A gasp filled the court, but the game continued.
And
when Draupadi, the empress of Indraprastha, was dragged into the hall
by her hair, stripped of dignity and thrown before the leering glances
of men who had lost their sense of right, there arose a question in the
hearts of gods and men alike:
“Where is Krishna? Why does He not come?”
Many
years passed. As the Dvapara Yuga was coming to a close, Sri Krishna
had fulfilled the purpose of His avatar, the establishment of dharma,
the destruction of evil, and the protection of His devotees. The
Kurukshetra war had passed, the Yadava clan had descended into
self-destruction, and the time had come for Krishna to end His earthly
leela.Krishna knew this moment was inevitable. But for His beloved
devotee Sri Uddhava, this truth was unbearable.Uddhava was not just a
companion or a messenger. He was Krishna's dearest friend, his
spiritual confidant, and a highly evolved jnani-bhakta, a devotee whose
devotion was rooted in wisdom. When Uddhava came to know that Krishna
would soon leave the world, his heart shattered.
Uddhava
approached Krishna with tears in his eyes and humility in his voice,
and asked: “O Krishna, how can I live in this world without You? What
should I do once You leave this earth?” He requested Krishna:“Please
give me Your final teachings. Teach me how to live, how to think, how
to be free. Give me the ultimate wisdom—just like You gave to Arjuna on
the battlefield.”
This moment is emotionally very different from
the Bhagavad Gita. In Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna was confused and in the
middle of war; there was urgency and action. But here, in Uddhava Gita,
there is deep stillness, a calm before the spiritual sunrise.
Sri
Krishna looked at Uddhava with eyes full of compassion and divine love.
He did not preach immediately. First, He consoled Uddhava. He praised
his devotion. And then, Krishna said:"Uddhava, you are not an ordinary
soul. You are a great yogi. And because of your devotion and sincerity,
I will give you the essence of all knowledge."
Then, seated on
the banks of the Saraswati river in Prabhasa Kshetra, Krishna began to
teach Uddhava.This discourse, spanning eleven chapters in the Srimad
Bhagavatam (Canto 11, chapters 7–27), is what is known as the Uddhava
Gita, sometimes also called the Hamsa Gita, because it contains the
pure essence of Vedantic and Bhakti knowledge, like the swan (hamsa)
that separates milk from water.
Uddhava, who had walked with
Krishna, laughed with Him, learned at His feet, and absorbed His divine
wisdom, now stood heavy-hearted. The time had come for Sri Krishna to
depart, and Uddhava was not ready to let go. His heart brimmed with
unasked questions, especially one that had haunted him for long.
With
folded hands and moist eyes, Uddhava finally spoke, “Prabhu, I wish to
ask something that has long burdened my soul. During the terrible game
of dice in Hastinapura, where Draupadi was humiliated before all, why
did You not intervene? You are the Lord of the Universe. You, who
lifted Govardhana with a finger, who destroyed evil at every step, why
were You silent then? Where were You?”
Sri Krishna’s lotus eyes
softened. His divine smile did not waver. And in a voice as gentle as
the wind that rustles the sacred fig leaves, He replied: “Uddhava, I
was there. I am always there. I see every tear before it falls. I hear
every cry before it escapes the lips. But I do not act unless I am
called, not by duty, not by expectation, but by pure love and
surrender.”
Uddhava was puzzled. “But Yudhishthira was a dharmic king. Why did he not call You, O Madhava?”
Krishna's
eyes softened, a gentle sorrow flickering in their depths as He spoke,
His voice calm as the still waters of a sacred river. He
said,“Yudhishthira,believed that his suffering was the fruit of his own
karma. He felt it was his duty to endure it in silence, to shoulder the
burden of his choices without question. He mistook resignation for
righteousness, and in that, his surrender was incomplete.” A pause hung
in the air, heavy with divine compassion.“Though he knew I am present
everywhere—within and without, in every breath, in every moment—even
then, he did not call out to Me from the depths of his heart. He knew I
was near, yet his ego, subtle and silent, stood like a veil between us.
He walked into the hall of dice, knowing it was against dharma, knowing
Duryodhana’s intentions were vile. Yet he believed he must face it
alone.”
Krishna’s gaze turned inward, as if remembering.“I stood
there, waiting—not with anger, but with love. I waited for a single
heartfelt cry, a whisper of surrender, a moment of true devotion. But
it never came. Not from Yudhishthira.”
“But Draupadi..” Sri
Krishna’s voice softened, and a divine glow flickered in His eyes. “Ah,
Draupadi!” He said, almost in a whisper, filled with both pain and
pride. “At first, she tried to defend herself. She clutched her sari
with trembling hands, she argued with reason, she pleaded for justice.
She turned to elders, to dharma, to the law of the land. But no one
answered. Her strength faltered. Her voice broke. And then…” He paused,
as if reliving the moment etched in eternity. “When every human support
collapsed… when her pride dissolved into helplessness… when she raised
both her hands to the heavens and cried, ‘Govinda! Dwarakanatha! Raksha
Maam!’—in that moment of pure, unconditional surrender… I came”
A
silence followed, deep as the cosmos. “I did not come because I was
compelled to. I did not come because I was near or far. I came because
her cry and devotion pierced through the veils of ego and reached Me
not from her lips, but from her soul. It was a call soaked in faith,
stripped of all pretense. That one call moved the universe.”
Krishna’s
smile was serene, timeless. “And so I manifested. I made her sari
endless. I protected her honor, not as a miracle, but as a response to
her surrender. Such is the power of one true call to the Lord.
Draupadi, the very embodiment of Bharati Devi, kept Me ever in her
heart. Her unwavering devotion and pure surrender compelled Me to stand
by her side every time she called out to Me in Mahabharata.”
Uddhava
stood still, the truth piercing his heart. The silence that followed
was not emptiness, it was filled with divine presence. Krishna
continued, “Know this, Uddhava, I am not bound by karma, nor by time,
nor by rule. I am bound only by bhakti, pure, selfless devotion. When
the devotee surrenders all, I become theirs entirely.”
Tears welled in Uddhava’s eyes. He bowed low, now understanding a divine secret hidden from even the gods.
From
Sri Krishna’s divine answers to Uddhava, we understand one essential
truth: we must remember and surrender to Lord Narayana at all times,
especially in moments of doubt, weakness, and suffering. It is this
constant remembrance that becomes our shield, our guide, and our
liberation.
Our so-called logical and intellectual minds are
often plagued with doubts—especially when we encounter the sacred
narratives of our Vedic scriptures, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Questions arise: Why did this happen? Why didn’t that event unfold
differently? How can we accept this as truth? And when we don’t find
immediate answers, we either dismiss these epics as mere stories or
say, “It’s divine, we shouldn’t question it,” and move on with
skepticism.But the truth is—when one dives deep into these scriptures
with sincerity, guided by the wisdom, Sri Raghavendra Teertharu,
we begin to see that every event, every dialogue, and every character
has profound purpose and logic. There is no incident in our shastras
without meaning. The problem is not in the scriptures—the limitation is
in our shallow reading of them.
As Sri Raghavendra Teertharu
beautifully declares, the ultimate path is surrender to Sri Krishna,
the Supreme Lord, Sri Narayana. When we make this surrender the center
of our life, something miraculous happens. Every action, every thought,
every decision becomes an offering: “Idam Krishnaarpanamastu , I offer
this to Lord Krishna.”
This mindset becomes your guiding dharma.
Whether in personal life or in your professional career, when you begin
to dedicate your efforts to Him, the temptations of adharma lying,
manipulation, unhealthy competition, corporate politics, slandering
others, chasing titles without merit, lose their grip on you. You begin
to rise above ego, greed, and insecurity.
When your every act is
done with the consciousness: “I am offering this to Sri Krishna,”
you will naturally walk the path of righteousness, integrity, and
humility.
Let this become our way of living. Not just a
spiritual ideal, but a practical guide. Whether we speak, write, lead a
team, raise a child, or offer a prayer—let each of these be infused
with the spirit of devotion.
Sarvam Sri Krishnarpanamastu - May every thought, word, and action be an offering at the divine feet of Sri Krishna.
The devotion towards
Sri Raghavendrateertharu is the ultimate truth and is the most simple
and effective way to reach Sri Hari - "NAMBI KETTAVARILLAVO EE
GURUGALA"! “Those who have complete faith in this Guru will never be
disappointed.”
|| BICHALI JAPADAKATTI SRI APPANACHARYA PRIYA MANTRALAYA
SRI RAGHAVENDRATEERTHA GURUBHYO NAMAHA||