April 2022

The stage is all but set.
For the biggest battle seen yet.
Egos and greed ensued.
Into a bitter family feud.
Likes of which, one can never forget.

Thousands of soldiers fill a view to hold.
Led by bejeweled crowns made of gold.
Men with valor on either end.
Men with courage hard to bend.
Now waiting for their destinies to unfold.

A chariot rides to the middle of the field.
Facing the power the enemies yield.
Brighter than the sun—
The charioteer is the mighty One.
The warrior, unexpectedly, lowers his shield.

Arjun finds himself terrified and unfit.
He just cannot go through with it.
Seeing family on the other side.
He turns to Krishna, his spiritual guide.
And declares his desire to quit.

I see my cousins and my teachers.
I see my elders. I see my preachers.
All I love so dearly.
I just can’t see clearly.
Any good reason to fight such creatures.

What good is this piece of land?
If on top of corpses I must stand?
No triumph in this glory.
Shameful will be my story.
I don’t want my prints on this time’s sand.

O’ Arjun, this is not about any glory or land.
I am afraid, you grossly misunderstand.
This concerns dharma.
And performing one’s karma.
And about following nature’s divine command.

Krishna then spoke of action without fruits.
And the soul’s eternal immortal pursuits.
Its indestructible beauty.
And accepting one’s duty.
While dealing with all of life’s disputes.

You see, you have a duty to perform.
And its fulfillment will surely conform.
With your purpose as defined.
And your destiny as designed.
Hey warrior, stand up and face the storm.

Every being has a role to play.
Yours is to battle and try to slay.
All that is unjust.
As a warrior always must.
Rise to fight and uphold justice this way.

Even if the other side is family or kin.
Wavering from one’s duty is a sin.
Perform without expectation.
For there’s no impact on reputation.
So long as you at least tried for a win.

And don’t worry about other souls.
They too are simply playing their roles.
Your grief is misplaced.
Their energy can’t be erased.
For it is unaffected by bullet holes.

Their soul, you just cannot destroy.
No matter what weapons you deploy.
It can never be dead.
Only bodies wear and shed.
Realizing this truth should bring you joy.

That all souls are nothing but part of me.
And everything else is just a fallacy.
Do not fear death.
Even upon your last breath.
As I am the only truth that sets you free.

Now satisfied, Arjun is ready for the fight.
He requests Krishna to show his divine might.
And so Krishna appears in a form so true.
Merging with everything in this view.
He encompasses everyone with his light.

This incredible sight never before occurred.
The war thus began, the conch shell is heard.