Why Krishna helped Arjuna to elope with Subhadra?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Jai Shri Krishna Prabhu…Sir, I came across a story recently …During his pilgrimage Arjuna arrived in Dwaraka. He disguised himself as a medicant on Krishna’s advice. Subhadra serves him, and as they spend time together, they fall-in-love with each other.
Krishna knew that his sister, Subhadra, was secretly in love with Arjuna even though their elder brother, Balrama, had fixed her marriage with Duryodhana. Krishna encouraged .Arujna to elope with his sister as Balarama would not change his mind. When Subhadra is returning from the temple, Arjuna elopes with her. Wisely, Krishna advises them that Subhadra should drive the getaway chariot, to prevent confusion that Arjuna had abducted Subhadra against her consent.
Krishna later convinces Balarama and he agrees to celebrate the couple’s marriage at Indraprastha.”
Sir, I want to ask why Lord Krishna allowed and even facilitated his sister in the act of elopement with Arjuna, even when Arjuna was already married and Subhadra was engaged to someone else? Isnt it against family repute and seems immoral? What was its purpose?
REPLY:
You are seeing every incident of Mahabharatha with the eye of a common man. That is why, the incident in which Krishna helped Arjuna to elope with Subhadra looks adharma for you. But, they are kshatriyas (Protectors of country). Kshatriya rules are totally different from our rules.
(Why Krishna always wears Peacock Feathers? READ HERE!)
A kshatriya is allowed to marry many girls. Why this rule? Because, in kshatriya families, many male members die in wars. So, the girls of the family remain helpless. So, those who are capable of maintaining more than one girl were allowed to marry many girls. The condition is that the male member should protect all.
Even Lord Krishna married 16,108 girls in this context only. He accepted the queens who were in helpless condition. Though they were destined to marry Krishna because of their penances of previous births, the reason for Krishna to marry them in this birth is that they were helpless queens.
And, there are many types of marriages recommended for kshatriyas.
(If maya is strong, why Krishna made maya strong? READ HERE!)
Some examples:
(1) Marrying a princess through fighting competition among kings.
(2) Gandharva Vivaha in which the kshatriya king/ prince abducts a princess either secretly or publicly and marry her. He need not get the consent of her parents. This is also allowed for kshatriyas. Though a princess is fixed for some other king, if another king proves his might later, he can abduct that girl and marry.
In brief, in kshatriyas, only those who are the best fit can marry a princess. So, there will always be stiff competition to marry a princess.
(Why Krishna is Supreme as Vyasa Puranas say many gods as Supreme? READ HERE!)
Marriages happen based on the BEST FIT among many kings, if there is no love affairs. But, if any two persons love, no rules hide them to marry each other.
So, the case mentioned by you also comes in this category. As this type of secret marriages and multiple marriages are permitted for kshatriyas as per kshatriya dharma, Krishna helped them in their love.
Krishna also comes when adharma is dominant. Eg: He came in rescue of Draupathi when she was stripped by Duryodhana camp.
So, Krishna knows the dharma. Though He need not follow dharmic rules as He himself is the creator of everything, He follows them as a mark of respect of the rules of this planet.
Hope you are clear.
(Why Rama killed Bali (Vali) from behind a tree against dharma? READ HERE!)