The Relative Who Never Leaves Your Side
During the Mahabharata war on the 13th day, to distract Arjun Kauravas created an uprising elsewhere in the kingdom. Unbeknownst to Arjun, he had to leave the war to squash the uprising. When Arjun left Kauravas generals hatched out a plan to kill Abhimanyu's son of Arjun and an excellent warrior.
On the same day the Kauravas general Guru Dronacharya organized the Kaurava army in the form of a complicated maze called Chakra-vyuh. That war formation has 7 gates.
If the Pandava warriors could penetrate all 7 gates and defeat the fierce Kaurava warriors in the innermost circle and then exit all the 7 gates then Pandavas would be considered the winner. If not then Kauravas would be the winners. On Pandavas' side only Arjuna knew how to penetrate that formation and come back out victorious. Arjun's son Abhimanyu, knew to enter 6 of those gates.
How Abhimanyu leaned to enter the 6 gates
Arjun's wife Subhadra was pregnant with their son Abhimanyu. During that time one day Arjun told her how to penetrate the seven gates of Chakra-vyuh. She listened to Arjun intently till he described how to penetrate the 6th gate, after that she fell asleep. The child in her womb also heard how to penetrate up to six gates and then fell asleep. He did not hear the strategy to be employed for penetrating into the seventh gate [1][2].By the time the Mahabharata war started, Abhimanyu was 16 years old, he was not of age to go to battlefield. Also, he knew how to penetrate six gates. So, Pandavas were in a pickle because Arjun was away, Abhimanyu was not old enough to fight a war alone and not sending any warrior to the battlefield would mean automatic defeat of Pandavas.
So the generals of the Pandavas army came up with a plan. That being Abhimanyu would lead the way into the 1st 6 gates and other warriors will follow behind him. The valiant Pandava warriors would support him in penetrating the 7th gate and also keep the path open for Abhimanyu to return after defeating Kaurava King Duryodhana inside the 7th gate.
However, the plan didn't go as planned. Since only Abhimanyu knew how to enter the maze. But before others could enter the maze closed and all others were left outside.
Abhimanyu fought alone yet valiantly and managed to successfully penetrate through the six gates causing massive damage to the Kaurava army. While Abhimanyu was fighting to penetrate the seventh gate Kauravas violated all the rules prescribed by Vedas e.g. as fighting one on one, no one attacks unarmed warrior, always attack from the front only, respect all fallen warriors etc. Multiple Kaurava warriors attacked Abhimanyu all at once, when he was left with no weapons they still kept attacking him. Finally, together they managed to kill Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu fighting bravely in the ChakravyuhWhen Arjun returned he heard of the tragic death of his young son, he was remorseful. He requested Shri Krishna to bring back Abhimanyu just once. Shri Krishna laughed and said, "you have seen him for 16 years. If your thirst to see him is still not quenched, then how will seeing him one more time quench your thirst". Arjun was a friend, so he dismissed all the logic and insisted, "Yes, I know all that. Still show me my son. I know You can do it".
With His Yogmaya power Shri Krishna called the soul , gave him a body just like that of Abhimanyu and situated Abhimanyu in the sky in front of Arjun. Seeing his son's form, Arjun extended his arms and said, "My son!". At that, Abhimanyu chided him and said, "Who are you calling your son? You consider the body as your son. I left your son with you. I have been born several times as your son and you have been born several times as my son. I am a soul and I am the son of the one who's standing next to you (Shri Krishna)".
Gita Gyani Arjun was stunned upon hearing Abhimanyu’s words for he knew them to be the truth.
Moral
Whom we address as parents, they are the mother and father of the physical body only. A material being cannot give birth to the soul. In fact, the parents are completely unaware of the gender, complexion, form and nature of the child before the birth. Neither they know the child's past nor future. God is the eternal father of every soul. The truth is that each and every relationship of every soul is with God and God alone.
No souls are created anew. Based on the past Karmas of the soul, God chooses the life-form of the mother and sends the soul in that mother’s womb [3][4]. The Vedas say -
यतो वा इमानि भूतानि जायन्ते, येन जातानि जीवन्ति, यत्प्रयन्त्यभिसंविशंति, तद् विजिज्ञासस्व । तद्व्रह्मेति ।yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante, yena jātāni jīvanti, yatprayantyabhisaṃviśaṃti, tad vijijñāsasva । tadvrahmeti ।
“The one, who is the origin of all the living beings, sustainer of all the beings and the ultimate place to merge at the time of total annihilation, is God.”
Multiple waves surge from the ocean. They might develop camaraderie but the very next moment they might annihilate or separate. Only the ocean knows from where they emanated from and wherein they merged.
Hence instead of getting attached to the temporary ones, a wise man ought to recognize the eternal relative [5] and increase love for Him. Also, He is the ocean of bliss, so, as you approach Him, your heart will keep getting filled with more and more bliss.
LEARN MORE
[1] Are Vedic Scriptures "Mythology"?
[4] Types of Life Forms
