Varana: The Choice of Krishna
Arjuna chooses Krishna over army
When both Arjuna and Duryodhana race to Dwaraka seeking Krishna's alliance, a single choice will reveal the difference between wisdom and arrogance. One will gain a vast army; the other will gain something far more valuable, the Lord himself.
The Race to Dwaraka
News of the coming conflict spread like wildfire through Bharatavarsha. Every kingdom, every warrior of note, every wielder of celestial weapons would have to choose sides. And there was one alliance that mattered above all others, the support of Krishna Vasudeva, Lord of Dwaraka.
The Yadava kingdom was no ordinary power. Dwaraka, the golden city built on an island in the western sea, commanded the formidable Narayani Sena, an army of elite warriors numbering in the millions, trained in the arts of war that had made the Yadavas feared throughout the land. More than that, Krishna himself was renowned as the greatest strategist of the age, a man whose counsel had never led to defeat.
Both Duryodhana and Arjuna understood this. Both set out for Dwaraka at the same time, their chariots racing across the plains of Bharata. The fate of the coming war might well be decided before either army took the field, decided in the quiet chambers of Dwaraka's palace.
Two Seekers, One Destination
Duryodhana arrived first. His horses were swift, his purpose urgent, and he pushed through the night without rest. When he reached Krishna's palace, he was informed that the Lord was sleeping. Rather than wait in the antechamber, Duryodhana strode into Krishna's bedchamber and seated himself on a throne near Krishna's head.
He would not wait like a supplicant, he told himself. He was the Emperor of Hastinapura, ruler of the greatest kingdom in the land. Krishna should wake to see his equal.
Arjuna arrived shortly after. Learning that Krishna was asleep and that Duryodhana was already waiting, he too entered the chamber. But where Duryodhana had claimed the seat of honor near the head, Arjuna walked quietly to the foot of the bed. There he sat on a low stool, his hands folded, his eyes fixed on his beloved friend and cousin.