One of the most fundamental discussions in the world of spirituality is the difference between love and attachment. Pandavas "love" Draupadi to the extent that they fight the battle of Kurukshetra to take revenge for the insult to Draupadi. They kill the Kauravas, Karna and all the people who caused the insult to Draupadi. We may call it a perfect example of love. But the question is: "Whether it is love or attachment?"
When Arjuna enters the battlefield of Kurukshetra, he gets confused. He wants to run away from the battlefield because he feels that killing his own cousins, teachers, and elders will send him to hell. He feels quite anxious, and then Krishna rips apart his logic. Krishna helps him see reality from a broader perspective and, in the process, answers many of Arjuna's questions. When Arjuna is still not convinced, Krishna shows him Vishwaroop to make him realise the vastness of the universe and the limitations of the body. He makes Arjuna realise that all human beings take birth from Krishna and merge back into Krishna. Krishna is not attached to Arjuna, and that's why He is not disturbed by Arjuna's emotions. Krishna knows that all the emotions are primarily creations of the "ego", the sense of separation.
We want to possess people we claim to "love" and take revenge on the people who hurt these "loved" ones. However, when these "loved" people do not act as per the standards set by us, they become our "enemy" and we want to harm them and insult them. Isn't this all just a play of "ego"? Isn't Bhima so angry with the thought, "How can Duryodhana insult my wife?" Darupadi is also angry, "How can Duryodhana insult me, being the wife of 5 strongest men on this Earth?" Isn't that just a play of ego at both ends, and we call it "love"? What if Draupadi decides to stay back with the Kauravas? She will become the Pandavas' greatest enemy. Is that love?
Love is an impossibility without freedom. Krishna is free. He does not bind anybody. He is constantly exploring the world. He loves everybody, but only a few understand that. He could find only Arjuna in his whole life who was worth Geeta, because Arjuna chose Krishna even against his mighty army. Arjuna was ready to challenge the boundaries of his own ego. Most people identify so strongly with their thoughts that it is impossible to travel beyond the domain of their thoughts. Their rights and wrongs. They will not even spare a minute to judge the other person and fire a barrage of words at them, presuming their thought process to be the gospel truth.
Until the ego is solid, we can at best mix with a few individuals who have the same mindset. We can share a few thoughts and experiences. That's not love. In some cases, people are more like liquids. Their strong ego boundaries are no longer there. That's why they gel together easily. They form good teams and carry out complicated tasks. In a way, they flow together. However, they are still affected by gravity. They are still in the material world and equally stuck there. In fact, to flow together, they need the same density. Oil and water can't mix. They still carry their strong sense of identity. It's very different when it comes to gases. There is no strong sense of identity, and therefore gases of different types float together. Apparently, the alloys are very strongly tied together, and the liquids that mix with each other are inseparable. However, love of Krishna is very different. It will not mix with a solid or liquid. Rather, it will metamorphose the solid and liquid into gas so that it can explore its fullest potential.
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