Importance Of Witness

Siddhi B Ranjitkar

One sunny day, the most renowned archer called Arjun equipped with arrows on his backpack and carrying a bow in his hands has been enjoying the nice day walking so beautiful uphill and downhill areas in a valley. Arjun believes that nobody could challenge him in the archery, and nobody could perfect the art of archery as he has done. He has practiced shooting even in the darkness of nights and perfected the art of shooting. So, he has been very proud of his skill in archery. He has been especially very proud of his strength and skill in archery on that sunny beautiful day while walking uphill and downhill.

Arjun has learned archery from the most famous archery teacher called Dronacharya. Nobody could challenge him in the archery. So, his teacher Dronacharya has been very proud of his student Arjun, as not only he has made Arjun the most skillful archer but also the extraordinary archer that could build anything he wants from shooting arrows, he could cause rains, make fires and kill hundreds of thousands of adversaries by his most amazing skill in archery. So, not only Arjun has been very proud of his skill in archery but also his teacher Dronacharya has been very proud of his student Arjun.

On that very sunny day, Hanuman has also been enjoying the nice day walking in the beautiful wilderness. Hanuman is the son of Brahma creator of the Hindu universe. So, he can fly in the cosmic Hindu world at any speed he thinks is required to fly. He has extraordinary strength. He could transform himself into any sizes he likes. He could be as tiny as a bug and could be as large as any dinosaurs anybody has seen so far.

Hanuman runs across Arjun on the way while climbing a hill after crossing a river. Hanuman said to Arjun, “Is it not a nice day, today?”  Arjun replied, “Certainly, we don’t have many such sunny days. So, I am walking up and down hill to enjoy this sunny day.” Hanuman said, “why are you carrying your bow and arrows even in such an enjoyable day. Are you in a hunting mission?” Arjun said, “No, certainly not, I don’t use my bow and arrows for hunting much.” Hanuman said, “Then, why are you carrying such a heavy bow and so many arrows on your backpack?” Arjun said, “My bow and arrows are part of my daily life, I make everything from the arrows. I even draw water from underground wherever I don’t find any source of water. So, I carry my bow and arrows day and night.” Hanuman said, “Can you make a bridge over the river there? Arjun Said, “certainly, not only I can build a bridge over the river but also a permanent one? Hanuman, “what do you mean by permanent?” Arjun said, “Permanent means nobody can break it, so it will last forever.” Hanuman said, “how dare you to say such thing, I can break anything you make by your arrows.” Arjun said, “Would you like to bet on ‘you would serve me throughout your life if you could not break the bridge I would build, and I would serve you throughout my life if you break it’.”  Hanuman said, “ O.k., fine, let us do that.”

Both of them are very sure of their strength and the skills. However, both of them are risking their lifelong service to one another. Both of them walk down hill.

Arjun stands firmly on the strong ground and takes out one arrow after another from the backpack and shoots out to build a bridge over the river. Hanuman has been watching how Arjun has been gradually building a bridge over the river by his arrows. Hanuman is thinking, “It is just like a toy I can break it in one kick.” However, as the bridge has been building up, Hanuman sees it really a good challenge to him. However, Hanuman thinks, “I certainly will break it in one hard kick.”

Arjun completes the building of a bridge over the river, and takes a rest for a few minutes sitting on one of the large boulders, and said, “Hanuman-jee, I have done my job of making a bridge over the river; now, it is your turn to break it if you can.”

Hanuman finds Arjun words as challenges to his strength and has irritated him to some extent but he has not shown it to Arjun. Hanuman said, “Yes, Arjun, you have done a great job building such an extraordinary bridge over such a wide river. Certainly, it is my turn to break it. It won’t take too much of my efforts to break it up. I need to climb up the hill a little bit so that I can hit at the middle of the bridge and break it into pieces. Watch Arjun, How I fly in the air and come down on the bridge to crush it into small pieces.”  Arjun said, “Yes, Hanuman, please go ahead and do it. I will be very glad to see you breaking my bridge.” Arjun has not stopped boasting the strength of his bridge over the river.

Quietly and slowly Hanuman moves on to climb up the hill and looking back at Arjun and thinking, “Arjun, you are going to serve me for your whole life. Poor Arjun, you have never served anybody so far, you will feel hard initially but later on you will adapt my home as yours and we will live peacefully.”

Hanuman reaches the point of the hill where he thinks is need to reach to powerfully hit the bridge. Hanuman stands at the point and surveys the whole bridge from the point and believes the bridge at its mid is the weakest place so he needs to hit at this place to break it into two pieces if not several pieces.

Hanuman clasps his hands at his chest and prays to his Lord Ram, and shouting, “Jay Ram” files in the air and gradually coming down hits at the mid-point of the bridge smashing it into several pieces.

Arjun could not believe it how hanuman has broken his bridge into several pieces. He holds his head by both hands, and sweats profusely. He has been sure that nobody could break anything he builds by his arrows but Hanuman has not only proved his notion wrong but also has obliged him to be a lifelong servant. Arjun has felt that he is no longer a human at all.

Triumphantly Hanuman comes out of the broken bridge casually looking at the bruises on his legs caused by the broken pieces of the bridge but these injuries are nothing in comparison with the trophy he has won breaking the bridge. Arjun is going to serve him for a life. Hanuman thinks, “What a nice companion Arjun will be.”

Arjun accepts the defeat he has suffered at the hands of Hanuman. He could not look Hanuman at his eyes directly. He surrenders his bow and arrows to Hanuman, and clasping his hands at his chest said, “Hanuman-jee, I appreciate your strength, and I believe that perhaps nobody in this cosmic world is stronger than you, and I am glad to serve you for my life.”

Hanuman said, “Arjun, I am not the strongest person in this cosmic world as you have thought but your bridge has been the weakest one so I could easily break it into pieces. Arjun, you have wrongly assessed the strength of your bridge.”

Hanuman and Arjun are walking slowly to the world of Hanuman when from nowhere Krishna appears before them. Krishna said, “What you guys have been doing here in such a beautiful place; nobody seems to be here except for you guys. You must be enjoying the nice sunny day in such a calm area.”

Hanuman said, “Yes, it is a nice day but it is not so nice to Arjun as he has lost the bet.”
Krishna asks, “What bet you are talking about?” Hanuman said, “Arjun, tell, what you have lost to me in the bet.” Arjun dropping his head down said, “Hanuman has broken the bridge I have built with my arrows. So, I need to serve him for my life following our bet on it.” Krishna said, “How do I know that Hanuman has broken your bridge?” Arjun said, “You can see its debris.”

All three of them walk down to the river and find no debris of the bridge Hanuman has supposedly broken. Krishna said, “We don’t see any wreckages of the bridge. Have anybody seen it besides you two guys? Hanuman said, “No, nobody is here to see the bridge and the breaking of it.” Krishna said, “How could I believe what you guys have done not having the debris of the bridge supposedly built by Arjun and broken by Hanuman; you don’t have even a witness. So, I want to see Arjun make a bridge again and Hanuman break it again.” Hanuman said, “No problem, Arjun can make it and I can break it again.” Arjun said, “Yes, Hanuman has broken the bridge that I have built with my arrows. Surprisingly, no debris is seen here.” Krishna said, “I cannot believe what you two guys have done without a witness. Arjun, do it again and let me be the witness of you making the bridge and Hanuman breaking it.”

Arjun is not willing to make a bridge again because he is sure that Hanuman will break it without putting much effort on it. However, Krishna has already said to him to do it; so, he needs to do it again. This time, he does not make much effort on building a bridge. However, he thinks over the few words Hanuman has spoke after his defeat. So, he wants to make it as strong as possible.

Arjun completes the making of arrow-bridge and Hanuman prepares to break it again. Krishna is going to be the witness of both Arjun making a bridge and Hanuman breaking it.

Hanuman ascends the hill and takes the positions as he has done in the previous action. Hanuman again utters the name of Ram and flies in the sky and lands at the mid-point of the bride but not even shaking it not to mention breaking it into pieces.

Lord Krishna has put his hand under the bridge and save it from breaking from the tremendous pressure Hanuman puts by crashing on it from air.

Hanuman clasping his hands at his chest moves closer to Krishna and said, “My lord I have seen you through my transcendental vision; you are my lord. You just want to break the ego of Arjun using me. I accept my defeat. I am at your service for my life as has been in the previous life.”

Krishna is believed to be Ram and Arjun his younger brother in their previous incarnations; Hanuman is the devotee of both of them.

Drawing the attention of Arjun, Krishna said, “Look, Hanuman has not broken the bridge. Arjun, you won the bet in my presence. Hanuman will be serving you sitting on your flag set on your chariot whenever you go to a war.”

Hanuman said, “ I accept what my lord has said.”

Bowing down to Krishna, Arjun said, “You are really my lord and savior. You have not only saved me from the shame but also from being a destitute for a life.”

February 22, 2010.