With the advice and wise words spoken by Krishna relating to dharma, Arjuna went out onto the battle and was able to secure the victory against the Kauravas. This story shows why good will always prevail over evil and why people should choose to be righteous. When he asks earlier to Krishna who has received enlightenment, the image appears to show Bhishma as he is the person that Arjuna may believe has reached enlightenment because he too is fighting in the same battle against his own will. He is fighting in that battle because of dharma and it took Arjuna a long time and lengthy conversation with Krishna before he was able to recognize this concept. Ultimately, the text explains the important of dharma and why people should complete their duties even if there is no reward or gratification as it is the right thing to do and makes us better human beings. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Seeing Krishna requires divine vision and this honor being bestowed upon Arjuna shows the dharma he possesses and how he is a good being. The dazzling of the light shows that all beings and the entirety of creation cab e pointed to one experience which may be attributed to a divine insight to some extent. It goes beyond an ordinary perception which explains the need for divine vision and allows the interconnectedness of existence to be viewed. Diction in using words such as "staggering" and "stupefying" highlights how overwhelming it must have been for Arjuna to see this vision and how encountering something so divine can be humbling and also put him in awe. Because Arjuna was trusted to Krishna in his form, this is seen as a big blessing in Hinduism as he was able to learn more about the truth in regards to reality and was able to all of the creations. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

The jealousy held by Duryodhana over his cousin Arjuna explores an interesting theme and has significant implications. As the eldest of the Kauravas, it makes sense that he holds a lot of resentment and envy for Arjuna as he is one of the Pandavas and it is mainly rooted in the fact that they are in rival families. This spite is the reason why he wants to play the game of dice leading to the eventual exile of the Pandavas. In other readings like Giwe for example, he exemplifies what it means to sacrifice for others and to help a larger group of people by putting his pride aside. On the other hand, we can see how jealousy can cause conflict and inflict harm upon others which is what good leaders avoid and do the opposite of. Not to mention, we can see the destructive potential of jealousy and how it can become even larger conflicts. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

This is a very interesting point because it may be alluding to the fact that all religions believe in the same concepts but just have slightly different opinions on what they look like and the specific details relating to the story. It is quite interesting to see this point since all religions usually like to point fingers at each other and say that people from other religions will go to hell or receive some cruel punishment. Even though all religions may not be completely the same, the ideas and concepts are relatively similar as they all want their people to do good things and to fulfill their moral obligations as humans. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Bhishma agreeing with Krishna's point shows that the consensus is that Duryodhana should be happy to accept the peace offer. With the wisdom and loyalty that a figure like Bhishma holds, it carries a lot of weight even more so than any other character despite never being a king because of the oath he took on. It is also important to remember that Bhishma is related to both the Kauravas and Pandavas in which there is immense love for both sides. When he speaks on a matter, his advice and words are meant to benefit both sides. All these points goes to show that Duryodhana rejecting this offer is a wrongdoing and that he made a mistake. The Pandavas come in peace and made an offer that the Kauravas cannot refuse but his pride and ego does not allow them to take it. Not only is he making the wrong decision for the Kuru Dynasty in the coming years, but he shows how jealousy can consume a person that affect their decision making for the worse. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

This quote really shows how concepts like meditation and spiritual practice are needed for mental focus. It helps people control their emotional state and can allow them to engage in their goals much more effectively. Not to mention, desires are mentioned as distractions and explains why mind is overwhelmed when there are many desires and makes it difficult to reach the concentration level needed for meditation. Desires pull people in all types of direction which is why we hear people saying to avoid lust and pleasure as it can clutter our mind. From a modern lens, short term pleasure like social media fills our mind and distracts us from the duties we have which is why we do not feel satisfied after scrolling but end up going back to it because we cannot live without it. This goes along with the concept of self-discipline and how people must have control over their desires in order to remain centered and to become the person you want to be. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Another interesting facet to this story is the fact that Bhishma does not want to fight the Pandavas because they are family to him. Not only are they family, but he has helped them grow as people and watched them growing up when they were young. In this story, it does not mention this perspective as Bhishma appears to be ready for battle and wants to win. The image reflects the dharma of Bhishma as he must fight alongside the Kauravas because of dharma and loyalty. Another interesting thing is how they have rules set in place for the war to ensure fairness between both sides. From a modern lens, this seems very surprising because we grow up learning that there are no rules in war. People have to watch out for themselves and expect the unexpected. However, this is not the case for the battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas which show compassion and the fact that both sides acknowledge fairness. The concept of dharma extends to war which is why they want the battle to adhere to the standards of fairness and honor which is admirable to see. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Thinking about the perspective that the Pandavas are in, they have been exiled for a long time and were supposed to receive some of their land after many years. In addition, they made a good peace offer with the Kauravas that would benefit both sides but still rejected it because of Duryodhana's pride. When there are no other way for them to regain some of the land of their kingdom, the only option is to wage war and it brings up interesting moral implications. These two sides are families and have history that should not allow them to hurt one another. However, the Pandavas are set on wanting their land back especially after the way that they embarassed Draupadi many years ago. Not to mention, the pride and envy of Duryodhana does not aloow for any compromise showing the destructive nature of having too much pride or being stubborn altogether. Because the Pandavas are driven by dharma, the measures they have taken up to this point are fair and because Duryodhana lacks dharma. There is no choice for the Pandavas but to wage war against the Kauravas. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

The encounter between Arjuna and Krishna is very interesting as he decides that he cannot kill his fellow family members such as Bhishma. This is where Krishna comes into play as a mentor in order to help propel him forward and complete his dharma which is to fight this war. While there might not be a reward after completing the work or any type of gratification that we might feel, dharma teaches us to perform the duties in our day to day lives as it is our role in life and can help prevent conflicts from occurring. In this case, it feels more like a punishment for Arjuna as he does not want to kill people like Bhishma who have watched him grow up and are family to him. Their conversation truly highlights the importance of completing one's duty even when it conflicts with personal desires. Not only does it affect him personally, but it also highlights the importance of focusing on the process of completing goals rather than thinking about the outcomes that will happen as a result. This allows people to be committed to the task ahead and will yield better results. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)