In Krishna avatar, the honour, trust and faith that the Pandavas place in Krishna typifies that of a staunch devotee, pointed out Sri Kesava Dikshitar in a discourse. Krishna too has a special place for the Pandavas in His heart. It is no wonder that Arjuna chooses Krishna when asked to make a choice between Him and His army. This happens after the successful completion of their exile, including the twelve month period of living incognito in the Virata kingdom.
The Pandavas settle down temporarily in Upaplavya, in the Matsya territory, and it is decided that now the Pandavas should claim their rightful share of the kingdom. But all are aware of the open enmity of Duryodhana. The atmosphere is charged with hope and fear equally — hope of a peaceful settlement and fear of a destructive war.
It is the Lord’s Sankalpa that both Arjuna and Duryodhana reach Dwaraka at the same time, seeking His help. They wait in the room where He is resting, Duryodhana seated in a chair at the head of the bed and Arjuna waiting with folded palms at the foot of the bed. On waking up, Krishna sees Arjuna straightaway and then He sees Duryodhana and welcomes them warmly. Duryodhana bluntly says that he had reached first and in the event of a war between them, Krishna should support him. Krishna replies that Duryodhana might have reached first, but He saw Arjuna first. Since, traditional dharma gives preference to the younger person, Arjuna’s choice should be first granted.
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Krishna states that He would not wield weapons and not participate in the war. He offers His entire army to one side and Himself to the other. Arjuna reveals the true spirit of a devotee when He holds on to Krishna. Duryodhana is more ego-centric and is indifferent Krishna’s Paratva. He feels Arjuna has made a wrong choice and is sure they would win the battle.