On one side, there is Hanuman, the supreme devotee of Shri Ram. On the other side, there is Arjun, the most beloved friend of Shri Krishna. That are two different forms of God and the most beloved devotees of both those forms. And if both devotees become arrogant with pride, there is bound to be a war. Yes, today The Karma will make you witness that moment when a competition broke out between Hanuman ji and Arjun and Bhagwan crushed their egos in a fraction of a moment.
It is a story about the end of Dwaparayug. One day Arjun went hunting in the forest leaving Shri Krishna alone. On his way to the South, he killed many animals. After that, he prepared to take a bath. After taking a bath at Rameshwar’s Dhanushkoti pilgrimage, Arjun proudly started roaming on the shore. Then he saw an ordinary Vaanar on a mountain who was chanting the name of Ram. When Arjun asked the monkey for his introduction, he said –
यत्प्रतापाच्च रामेण शिलाभिः शतयोजनम्।
बद्धोSयं सागरे सेतुस्तं मां त्वं विद्धि वायुजम्।।
आनन्द रामायण, मनहोरकाण्डम्, सर्ग 18
Hanuman ji says with great pride, “I am the same Vayuputra Hanuman, with whose majesty Ramchandra ji built a bridge of a hundred Yojans on the sea”.
Arjun’s dialogue
“Ram suffered so much in vain! why did he not manage it by making a bridge of arrows?”
Hanuman Dialogue –
“That arrow bridge would have sunk with the weight of big Vaanars like us. ”
Arjun Dialogue –
“If there is a fear of the bridge sinking due to the burden of Vaanars, where is the skill of that archer? Right now, with my skill, I will make a bridge of arrows. You can dance and jump on it with joy. This will be a demonstration of my archery skills as well”.
Hanuman Dialogue –
“What will you do if the bridge sinks due to the weight of my toe?”
Arjun Dialogue –
“Then I will burn myself in the funeral pyre. Now your bet. ”
Hanuman Dialogue –
“I will help you by sitting near the flag of your chariot throughout your life.”
After this, Arjun made a bridge over the ocean with a bunch of arrows. Veer Bajrangi drowned it with the weight of his toe. At that time, the gods showered flowers on Hanuman ji. Seeing this, Arjun, chagrined, made a funeral pyre, and prepared to jump in it. Even after Hanuman Ji tried to stop him, he did not consent. Then Bhagwan Krishna came there in the form of a celibate. He said to Arjun, “There was no witness to your conversation”. Now you guys compete again. I will decide the winner and the loser.
Arjun once again made a bridge on the sea and as soon as Hanuman ji started sinking it with the weight of his toe, Shri Krishna placed his Sudarshan Chakra under it. Seeing that the bridge was not falling, Bajrangbali tried with the force of his whole body. And he realized that this celibate was none other than Bhagwan Krishna himself.
त्वत्साहाय्यार्थमायातः सत्यं ज्ञातो मयाSर्जुन।
अनेन रामरूपेण त्रेतायां मे वरोSपिंतः।।
Here, Hanuman ji tells Arjun, “Bhagwan himself has come here to your rescue. By assuming this same form, Ram had given us a boon in Treta that at the end of Dwapar, he will appear to us in the form of Krishna”. Hearing this, Shri Krishna came in his own form and said to Arjun, “You tried to compete with Ram, so Hanuman ji made your Dhanurvidya useless and in the same way, Pawansut, you also competed with Ram and were defeated by Arjun. Did you see how Bhagwan destroyed the pride of both his devotees?
