- What we often fail to realize is that Lord Krishna was neither the protector of the Pandavas nor the destroyer of the Kauravas. He was the embodiment of dharma (righteousness), acting as its supreme establisher, and remained neither a friend nor an enemy to anyone.
For reference - this is what Lord Krishna says to Yudhishthira in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata, explaining how he would have prevented the dice game from ever taking place:
Vasudeva said, "O lord of earth, if I had been present at Dwaraka, then, O king, this evil would not have befallen thee! And, O irrepressible one, coming unto the gambling-match, even if uninvited by the son of Ambika (Dhritarashtra), or Duryodhana, or by the other Kauravas, I would have prevented the game from taking place.
- Interestingly Bhagwan Krishna is with Arjun and other Pandavas in almost every difficult situations, but during the game of dice he was absent due to certain unforeseen circumstances - (he has been attacked by Salva, enraged by his brother Sisupala’s death.)
As Narayana, or the supreme one, Lord Krishna may only serve as a witness to the unfolding of events, as individuals exercise their free will, while the universal order continuously arranges and rearranges itself in response.
ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति |
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ||
The Supreme Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings, O Arjun. According to their karmas, He directs the wanderings of the souls, who are seated on a machine made of material energy.
Hare Krishna!!
