MAHABHARATA

HARE KRISHNA

The battle of Mahabharata ended with a defeat for the Kaurvas and a glorious victory for the Pandavas. So, Krishna drove Arjuna's chariot back to the Pandava camp and asked him to get down at once. But Arjuna refused saying that conventionally it was the charioteer who got down first followed by the warrior. But Krishna insisted on Arjuna's getting down from the chariot first. Arjuna could not afford to disobey Krishna and got down along with his bow and quiver of arrows. It was after this that Krishna came down from the chariot. Arjuna was surprised to see that the chariot along with the horses, was burnt to ashes as soon as Krishna got down from it. He was at a loss to understand how and why it had happened. He asked Krishna to explain the puzzle in detail. Krishna said, "The chariot was already going to be burnt but had checked this phenomenon deputing Hanumana on guard. If conventionally I had got down earlier than you did, you would also have been burnt along with the chariot and the horses. That was why I insisted on your getting down first. As soon as I got down, Hanumana flew away leaving the chariot unguarded and it was burnt to ashes.