[Advaita-l] Was Arjuna an Aparoksha Jnani

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

Subrahmanian,

<quote>From the above (anugita) it would be clear beyond doubt that Arjuna
had not become enlightened and thereby become liberated from samsara. The
Lord even chastises Arjuna for having allowed the teaching to slip away
</quote.

We have clear evidence that KrishnArjuna is NaraNarayana, an incarnation.
There is no question of delusion for the Lord in his avatar as he is ever
endowed with jnana shakti. His apparent delusion such as fear of Yasoda or
Rama forgetting that he is Vishnu is lila. We have to see Arjuna's delusion
in the same light. Krishna is chasting Arjuna for forgetting in anugita but
who will chastise him for forgetting that he admits in the same
breadth? Krishna says that he cannot recollect his own teachings (na ca
sadya punar bhuyah smrtir me sambhvishyati). Krishna who is the omniscient
lord cannot have real forgetfulness. It is just a lila. Arjuna loves to hear
from Krishna repeatedly acting as if deluded for our benefit and we should
not conclude he is deluded.

In addition to defining moha as ajnana aja and samasta samsaranartha hetu:
and smrti as atma vishayalabhdha yasya labhat sarvahrdaya grantinam vipra
moksha, Sankara specifically says with respect to Arjuna aham tvat prasadat
krtarta: na me kartavyam. A karma yogi might be free from hankering for
results and may perform karma as isvararpanam but he cannot declare aham
krtarta: na me kartavyam. Only the Lord or aparoksha jnani is free from all
duties.