Arjuna Vow to Kill Yudhishthira

Dadi: "Beta, have you ever made a promise that later put you in a very difficult situation?"

Guddu: "Once I promised two friends I would play with them at the same time, Dadi. That was very confusing!"

Dadi: "That is a small example of a much bigger problem. Let me tell you about a time when Arjuna's own promises nearly made him kill his eldest brother."

Guddu: "Kill Yudhishthira? But they were brothers! They loved each other!"

Dadi: "They did, beta. But this happened on the seventeenth day of the terrible Kurukshetra war. Karna, the commander of the Kaurava army, had been fighting so fiercely that Yudhishthira had to withdraw from battle, wounded and exhausted."

Guddu: "Yudhishthira ran away from the fight?"

Dadi: "He retreated to his tent to rest. And for thirteen years, beta - thirteen long years of exile and hiding - Yudhishthira had lived in fear of Karna. He could not sleep at night thinking about him. He could not be happy during the day. Karna was like a shadow over his life."

Guddu: "Why was he so afraid of Karna?"

Dadi: "Because Karna was the only warrior on the Kaurava side who could match Arjuna. When Yudhishthira saw Krishna and Arjuna entering his tent, his heart leaped with hope. "You have killed Karna!" he exclaimed. "You have freed us from our greatest enemy!""

Guddu: "But that was not true, was it?"

Dadi: "No, beta. Arjuna had come to check on his brother, not to announce victory. When Yudhishthira learned that Karna was still alive, something broke inside him. All his fear, all his frustration, all the pressure of war came pouring out as anger at Arjuna."

Guddu: "What did he say?"

Dadi: "Terrible things, beta. Things an elder brother should never say to a younger one. He called Arjuna worthless. He accused him of being a coward. He said it would have been better if Arjuna had never been born. He even suggested that Krishna should have been the warrior and Arjuna the charioteer!"

Guddu: "That is so cruel!"

Dadi: "It was, beta. And here is where Arjuna's promises created the problem. Long ago, Arjuna had made two vows. One was that he would kill anyone who insulted his skill in archery. The other was that he would kill anyone who hurt Yudhishthira."

Guddu: "Oh no! Yudhishthira had just insulted his archery!"

Dadi: "Exactly. Arjuna drew his sword. His eyes were red with anger. He was ready to kill his own brother to keep his vow. "Krishna," he said, "Those words cannot be forgiven. I must kill him.""

Guddu: "What did Krishna do?"

Dadi: "This is where Krishna's wisdom saved the day, beta. He knew that a vow is important, but killing your brother would be a far greater sin. So he asked Arjuna to think carefully about what truth really means."

Guddu: "What did he say?"

Dadi: "Krishna said, "There is nothing higher than truth. But it is extremely difficult to understand how truth should be applied in every situation. Sometimes, what seems like truth can cause great harm. And sometimes, what seems like breaking a rule is actually the wiser path.""

Guddu: "That is confusing, Dadi!"

Dadi: "It is deep wisdom, beta. Krishna explained that Yudhishthira had spoken those harsh words out of great sorrow and pressure. "Your brother knows that only you can defeat Karna. He said those things to motivate you, even if he expressed them badly. He does not deserve death for losing his temper in a moment of despair.""

Guddu: "So how could Arjuna keep his vow without killing Yudhishthira?"

Dadi: "Krishna had a clever solution. He said, "In our culture, if a younger person insults an elder, it is as painful as death for that elder. And if a person praises himself too much, it is like killing his own humility - a kind of death for oneself.""

Guddu: "So Arjuna should insult Yudhishthira?"

Dadi: "Yes! Arjuna criticized Yudhishthira harshly, pointing out that it was his gambling that had brought the family to ruin in the first place. Can there be anything more painful than having your own sins pointed out to you? In this way, Arjuna symbolically "killed" Yudhishthira without actually harming him."

Guddu: "And praising himself was like killing himself?"

Dadi: "Exactly, beta. By boasting about his own achievements, Arjuna killed his own humility - another symbolic death. So both vows were technically kept without any real bloodshed."

Guddu: "That is so clever!"

Dadi: "Afterward, Arjuna felt terrible for insulting his brother and wanted to kill himself for real. But Krishna stopped him again. This time, he said that praising oneself in front of elders is also like death. So Arjuna praised himself to keep the second vow."

Guddu: "Krishna solved an impossible problem!"

Dadi: "He did, beta. And then the brothers embraced. Yudhishthira was ashamed of his harsh words. Arjuna was ashamed of his response. But they forgave each other because they understood - war puts terrible pressure on people. Even the best of us can say things we do not mean."

Guddu: "What does this teach us, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Several precious lessons, beta. First, be careful what vows you make - they can trap you in impossible situations. Second, truth and dharma are not always simple - sometimes you need wisdom to understand how to apply them correctly. Third, anger makes us say things we regret - it is better to wait until we are calm before speaking. And finally, not every problem needs to be solved with a sword. Sometimes, wisdom and cleverness can resolve even the worst conflicts without real harm."

Guddu: "I will remember this, Dadi. Especially when I get angry with someone."

Dadi: "Good, beta. Count to ten before speaking when you are upset. Ask yourself - will these words help or hurt? Even the great Arjuna needed Lord Krishna to remind him of this in the heat of war."