When Does God Perform a Miracle

2:47·1080p·Hindi audio, English subtitles

“In that hall of the dice game, too, many injustices were done to the Pandavas; yet they did not let go of Dharma.”

Krishna, in this teaching

About this teaching

Drawn from the teaching's own words — auto-transcribed and translated. The full transcript is further down.

The question this teaching puts

I am speaking the truth, am I not, my friend (sakhi)?

Asked in the teaching itself, in its own words — not a summary.

Chapter 31 — When Does God Perform a Miracle

Chapter 31 of 35 — a single teaching, 3 min in total.

Miracles, and how rarely the epic uses them.

For a text of its scale the Mahabharat is sparing with divine rescue. People die who could have been saved, and the war is not prevented by anyone who could plainly have prevented it. Krishna's presence is constant and his intervention is almost entirely persuasion.

The famous exception is Draupadi in the assembly, and it is worth noticing what it is an exception to: the room is full of men with the standing to stop what is happening, and none of them does. The epic reserves its one great intervention for the moment human dharma has completely failed.

Background on the theme of this chapter, not a summary of this particular clip. Watch it for what Krishna actually says.

Transcript

English translation

When the desire to destroy the unrighteousness (Adharma) that has spread through society, and to establish Dharma, takes birth in the heart of every person; when sin reaches a certain limit, then, to protect Dharma, God does indeed work wonders, my son. And to establish Dharma — when a person renounces both his selfishness and his attachment and stands ready for sacrifice, then all creation fills with wonders. It was because of the sacrifices of my mother Devaki and my mother Yashoda that the miracle came to pass in that prison cell, Vats. This is the very balance of creation. But God works a wonder only when unrighteousness has spread on every side in society, and yet Dharma still dwells in the human heart; when a person is never afraid to struggle. Whenever a person fights against sin to the very last drop of his strength, then, to protect him, God surely works a wonder, dear child. In that hall of the dice game, too, many injustices were done to the Pandavas; yet they did not let go of Dharma. Even after so much dishonor, pain, and oppression, your mother did not accept defeat. That is why God worked a wonder, dear child. In other words, if one would receive help from the world, from creation, and from God, one must first renounce one's selfishness and attachment and struggle on. I am speaking the truth, am I not, my friend (sakhi)?

हिन्दी — as spoken

जब समाज में फैले अधर्म का नाश करके धर्म की स्थापना करने की इक्षा प्रतेक मनुष्य के रुदे में जन्म लेती है। जब बाप एक सीमा तक पहुँच जाता है तब धर्म की रक्षा करने ही तू ईश्वर चमदकार करते ही हैं पुत्र। धर्म की स्थापना ही तू मनुष्य जब अपना स्वार्थ, अपना मोह इन दोनों का त्याग करके बलिदान के लिए सज हो जाता है। तब सारी स्रिष्टी चमदकारों से भर जाती है। मेरी माता देवकी और माता यशोदा के बलिदानों के कारण ही उस कारागार में चमदकार हुआ था वंस। यही स्रिष्टी का संतुलन है। किन्तु ईश्वर चमदकार तभी करते हैं। जब समाज में चारों और अधर्म फैला हो फिर भी मनुष्य के हृदय में धर्म का वास्तु। मनुष्य संघर्ष करने से कभी भयभीत ना हो। जब जब पाप के सामने मनुष्य अपनी शक्ति की आखरी बूंद तक युद्ध करता है। तब उसकी रक्षा के लिए ईश्वर चमदकार करते ही हैं वत्स। उस द्यूत सभा में भी पांड़वों के साथ अनेक अन्याय हुए। किन्तु इन्होंने धर्म का साथ नहीं छोड़ा। इतने इतने अपमान, पीड़ा और दमन के बाद भी तुम्हारी माता ने पराज़य को स्विकार नहीं किया। इसलिए ईश्वर ने चमदकार किया वत्स। अर्थात यदि संसार से, सृष्टि से और ईश्वर से सहायता प्राप्त करनी है तो सबसे पहले अपने स्वार्थ और मोह का त्याग करके संघर्ष करना पड़ता है। यथार्थ कह रहा हूँ न सखी।

Auto-transcribed from the audio; lightly imperfect on Sanskrit names and terms.

Keyboard shortcuts