Verse 18.78

Verse 18.78: “Where Krishna, the Master of the Yoga, is, and where the Son of Pritha, the wielder of the bow, is, there of certainty abides Fortune, Victory, Prosperity, (and) Just Policy: thus (stands) my belief.” (1631)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

To this Samjaya said,

“I do not know which of the two parties will be victorious. Yet as is clear,-where there is longevity, there must be survival,-or where there is the Moon, there must be the moonshine,—or where there is the God Shiva, there must be the Goddess Ambika,-or where there are the saints, there must abide right-thinking,—or where there is the King, there must be the army,—or where there is warm and affectionate feeling there must be consan-guinity,—or where there is fire, there must be the burning power,-or where there is kindness, there must be piety, and where there is religion, there must be happiness,—or where there is happiness, there must be Purushottama (The Supreme Man),—or where there is the spring (season), there must be gardens, and where there are the gardens there must be flowers, and where there are flowers there must be swarms of black-bees.

(Further), where there is a preceptor, there must be knowledge, or where there is knowledge, there must be the vision of the Self, and where there is the vision of the Self there must be contentment,—and all these must follow as a matter of course. Enjoyment associates with good luck; so high spirits go with happiness, and the light with the Sun.

In all these ways, where there is Lord Krishna, through whose favour all the four objects of human life become powerful and have patronage, there must abide the Goddess Lakshmi, and where there abides the Mother of the Universe in association with Lord Krishna, how could there not abide, as mere servants, the (eight) Siddhis—such as Anima etc. (siddhi—Supernatural power or faculty said to be acquired through the performance of certain Yogic processes, etc.) The party by whose side is arrayed personally Lord Krishna, shall compel Victory to run to it in hot haste and stand there firmly.

Arjuna is also known by the name ‘Vijaya’ (Victory), while Lord Krishna is ‘Victory’ personified: (Where both these abide) there must as of certainty also abide victory along with the Goddess Lakshmi. How could not ordinary trees in that country which claims such parents (as Lord Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi) compete with Kalpataru trees (desire-yielding trees)? Or why should not ordinary stones (in such a place) claim to be the very Chintamani gem, and why should not the earth (of that place) claim the quality (worth) of gold? Just consider, Oh King, would it be surprising if rivers of such a place should (also) flow with ambrosia? Why not they (the dwellers) of such a place be themselves (like) the Lord of Supreme Bliss in human form, and their crude talk be taken as the very Vedas? One who can claim Lord Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi as his parents has (as it were) both the Heaven as also the salvation in his possession. Therefore, all the (eight) Siddhis abide voluntarily in that party which has on its side the husband of Goddess Lakshmi. I know that much and not anything more.

The clouds which arise out of the sea are of greater (more beneficient) use than the sea itself, and similar is the case in regard to Lord Krishna and Arjuna. The preceptor-Paris-converts iron into gold, but it is only gold that efficiently carries on business transactions in the world. On this some might raise a point that this line of thinking, attributes an inferior status to the preceptor. (But this should not even be thought of)—fire sheds its own light through the agency of a lamp; in that way it is through the power of God that Arjuna became more beneficent than the very Lord.

The Lord thinks his own glory is exalted through this praise (of his devotee and disciple). A father wishes that his son should excel him in all qualities; and that very desire became fruitful in the case of Lord Krishna (śāmragapāṇī[?]) Nay, O King, that party on whose side abides Partha—through the kindness of Lord Krishna—that very party is bound to have a victory. Why should there be any uncertainty about it? The word ‘Vijaya’ would be meaningless were it not to be so. Therefore wherever there is Goddess Lakshmi, there must also be her Lord as also where there is the Son of Pandu, there is bound to be complete victory as also Prosperity.

Should your mind have the least faith in the truthfulness of Sage Vyasa’s words, then take this say (of mine) as firm and as fixed as the very Dhruva (North-polar star) himself. Where there is the Lord of Lakshmi and where there is the master devotee (Arjuna) there abides also happiness, as also the gain of all that is auspiciousness. Should this talk of mine prove untrue, then I would forfeit my claim as a disciple of Sage Vyasa”,

so declared loudly Samjaya, raising aloft his arms. (1658)