As they gathered their armies and sought allies to their opposing causes, both Arjuna and Duryodhana hurried to Krishna to secure his allegiance and the many thousands of warriors he commanded.
Krishna was asleep when Duryodhana arrived. He entered first, sitting near Krishna’s head. When Arjuna entered, he took his place and sat at Krishna’s feet.
Krishna awoke, and his eyes fell first on his friend, Arjuna. He said, “Welcome to you Arjuna, and to you, Duryodhana. Why have come to see me?”
Laughing, Duryodhana said, “Krishna, you know that war is coming. Stand with me and my brothers. If you are tied by bonds of blood and marriage to Arjuna, so too are you bound to me. Since I have come first, and was the first to enter your presence, by tradition and justice you should ally yourself with the first who came and who supplicated, if indeed you abide by justice!”
Krishna answered, saying, “Duryodhana, though you entered first, when I awoke I saw Arjuna first. So abiding in justice, I will help you both, and will give you a choice. By tradition, in choosing between two gifts, the youngest receives the first choice. Arjuna will choose first.” Krishna turned to Arjuna and said, “To you I offer my army, warriors as strong as I am, veterans of battle, armed and ready to obey. On the field of battle they will live and die by your command. Or, instead, you may have me, alone, unarmed. I will not fight. Choose what is best, knowing that of these two choices I will give Duryodhana whichever choice you reject.”
Without hesitation, Arjuna said, “I choose you.”
In delight, Duryodhana won the countless warriors of Krishna’s kingdom. In delight, Duryodhana knew that Krishna would not fight. He said in himself, “I cannot lose this war.”
When Duryodhana left, Krishna said, “Why, Arjuna, did you choose me, when I offered my armies.”
Arjuna said, “By our choices, you have chosen, knowing how it will end. Whatever you offer, if I cannot choose both, I choose you alone. For you alone are the best of choices.”
Krishna said, “And if you die on the field of Kurukshetra, and if Duryodhana prevails, what will you have gained through my friendship? And if you are victorious, how will my friendship alone have availed you?”
Arjuna said, “If my brothers are victorious, we will have attained our kingdom both now and in eternity. In defeat, we have only lost a moment, for our eternal kingdom, through your friendship, is preserved. By our choices, we have already defeated Duryodhana, whatever the outcome of the battle. The true battle was here, in this room, in your presence. If in battle my brothers and I fall, Duryodhana attains only a moment of mastery over a kingdom which is less than a fist of dirt beside your eternal friendship. I choose to be the hawk on the arm of the huntsman, not a broken-winged lark in a snare.”
Krishna said, “All that you say is true. And this moment was the very reason I created you.”
Krishna awoke, and his eyes fell first on his friend, Arjuna. He said, “Welcome to you Arjuna, and to you, Duryodhana. Why have come to see me?”
Laughing, Duryodhana said, “Krishna, you know that war is coming. Stand with me and my brothers. If you are tied by bonds of blood and marriage to Arjuna, so too are you bound to me. Since I have come first, and was the first to enter your presence, by tradition and justice you should ally yourself with the first who came and who supplicated, if indeed you abide by justice!”
Krishna answered, saying, “Duryodhana, though you entered first, when I awoke I saw Arjuna first. So abiding in justice, I will help you both, and will give you a choice. By tradition, in choosing between two gifts, the youngest receives the first choice. Arjuna will choose first.” Krishna turned to Arjuna and said, “To you I offer my army, warriors as strong as I am, veterans of battle, armed and ready to obey. On the field of battle they will live and die by your command. Or, instead, you may have me, alone, unarmed. I will not fight. Choose what is best, knowing that of these two choices I will give Duryodhana whichever choice you reject.”
Without hesitation, Arjuna said, “I choose you.”
In delight, Duryodhana won the countless warriors of Krishna’s kingdom. In delight, Duryodhana knew that Krishna would not fight. He said in himself, “I cannot lose this war.”
When Duryodhana left, Krishna said, “Why, Arjuna, did you choose me, when I offered my armies.”
Arjuna said, “By our choices, you have chosen, knowing how it will end. Whatever you offer, if I cannot choose both, I choose you alone. For you alone are the best of choices.”
Krishna said, “And if you die on the field of Kurukshetra, and if Duryodhana prevails, what will you have gained through my friendship? And if you are victorious, how will my friendship alone have availed you?”
Arjuna said, “If my brothers are victorious, we will have attained our kingdom both now and in eternity. In defeat, we have only lost a moment, for our eternal kingdom, through your friendship, is preserved. By our choices, we have already defeated Duryodhana, whatever the outcome of the battle. The true battle was here, in this room, in your presence. If in battle my brothers and I fall, Duryodhana attains only a moment of mastery over a kingdom which is less than a fist of dirt beside your eternal friendship. I choose to be the hawk on the arm of the huntsman, not a broken-winged lark in a snare.”
Krishna said, “All that you say is true. And this moment was the very reason I created you.”
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