How Krishna Would Want Us to Respond to the Pahalgam Attack

Channeling Our Grief into Strength: A Call for Dharma, Courage, and Inner Awakening

If you like the following message from me, please share with your friends and family. It will mean a lot to me. Its high time we stand for justice and righteousness.

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Whenever an event like the tragic Pahalgam attack shakes our hearts, a storm of emotions rises within — anger, sorrow, helplessness, outrage. It’s natural. It’s human. But in times like these, I often ask myself: How would Krishna want me to respond? Not just react impulsively, but truly respond — with strength, with clarity, and with an inner resolve rooted in His timeless teachings.

And when I reflect deeply on this, Krishna’s voice from the Bhagavad Gita echoes in my heart like a beacon of light in a dark night.

Not React in Blind Anger, but Respond with Righteousness

The first thing Krishna teaches us is not to lose ourselves to blind anger. In the Bhagavad Gita (2.63), He says:

"…from anger comes delusion (due to the resulting mental disturbances); from delusion arises loss of memory (about the true identity of oneself); from loss of memory arises loss of intelligence (sense of discrimination between the real and the unreal); and from loss of intelligence, one perishes (falls down in his spiritual progress)."

Yes, anger at injustice is natural. But Krishna would not want us to be consumed by it to the point that we lose our reasoning and inner strength. He would want us to channel that anger into righteous action, into constructive determination.

He would tell us: Don’t lose yourself in impotent rage. Instead, stand up with courage, with wisdom, with discipline.

The outrage we feel must not become a storm that destroys us from within — it must become the fire that purifies our resolve to stand for dharma, for justice, and for protection of the innocent.

Protect Dharma — Not Just Through Words, But Through Action

Krishna did not merely preach; He acted. When dharma (righteousness) was endangered, He took active steps — sometimes through peaceful means, sometimes through battle. Always measured, always deliberate.

When Arjuna was hesitant on the battlefield, Krishna shook him out of his weakness:

"Either being slain, you will attain heaven, or by conquering, you will enjoy the earth. Therefore, get up Arjuna, determined to fight." (Bhagavad Gita 2.37)

Today, after Pahalgam, Krishna would say the same to all of us. Rise. Be determined. Not necessarily to pick up weapons ourselves, but to contribute however we can — supporting our protectors, cultivating a spirit of unity, building resilience in society, and rejecting cowardice in the face of evil.

Krishna would want us to become warriors of dharma in our own fields of action — whether we are writers, teachers, soldiers, businesspeople, or students.

Each one of us has a role to play.

Understand That This Is Kaliyuga — But That Is No Excuse for Inaction

The Bhagavata Purana describes Kaliyuga — the age we are living in now — as a time of increasing darkness, hypocrisy, and violence. Evil will often seem stronger. Injustice will appear common.

But Krishna's message was never one of resignation. He didn't tell Arjuna to run away because the world was corrupt. He told him to fight even harder.

Similarly, after seeing events like the Pahalgam attack, Krishna would not want us to shrug and say, “This is Kaliyuga. What can we do?” No. He would want us to strengthen our inner dharma even more fiercely, to resist degeneration at both personal and societal levels.

Yes, the world is dark. But even a tiny lamp shines brightly in darkness. Krishna would want us to be that lamp.

Inner Revolution First, Outer Revolution Second

Before Arjuna could pick up his bow again, Krishna first straightened out his mind. He dispelled Arjuna’s confusion, his misplaced compassion, his depression. Only when Arjuna’s inner self was clear, could his outer action become effective.

Similarly, Krishna would want us first to set our own house in order.

• Are we living with courage and integrity ourselves?

• Are we nurturing dharma in our homes, communities, and workplaces?

• Are we courageous in calling out wrong even when it's unpopular?

• Are we raising our children with the values of truth, compassion, and strength?

True revolution begins inside. It’s not enough to shout slogans; we must first build strong hearts.

What About Forgiveness and Compassion?

Some may say: But Krishna also speaks of compassion. Shouldn’t we forgive and forget?

Yes, Krishna teaches compassion — but not foolishness.

Forgiveness in Krishna’s teachings is for those who are sincerely repentant. It is not for unrepentant evil that continues to harm innocents. Krishna did not forgive Kamsa when he continued his atrocities. He acted to stop him.

There is a time for compassion, and a time for action. Knowing the difference is true wisdom.

Krishna Would Tell Us: Fearlessness Is Dharma

Above all, Krishna would teach us fearlessness.

"Even, indeed, considering your specific duty (as a Kshatriya), you should not waver; for there is nothing better for a Kshatriya than a righteous war." (Bhagavad Gita 2.31)

And by 'kshatriya,' Krishna does not mean only those who wield swords — He means all those who protect righteousness in society. Today, every sincere person who stands up for truth and justice is a modern-day kshatriya.

Fearlessness doesn't mean hatred. It means standing calmly but firmly against evil, without shaking in fear, without compromising our values.

Krishna would want us to remember: Death is inevitable. But a life lived in fear, compromise, and self-centeredness is worse than death.

A Message to Those Who Mock Spirituality

There are people who mock the very idea of dharma, of righteous living, of standing for higher ideals. They believe that power, money, and pleasure are the only things that matter.

But look at the world such thinking has created: a world where attacks like Pahalgam become almost routine. A world where human life is cheapened. A world where hearts are hollowed out by endless greed and violence.

Krishna would want us to stand tall against this wave. Not arrogantly, but firmly — like a tree rooted deep in truth even as storms rage around it.

Conclusion: What Krishna Expects from Us Now

If Krishna were standing before us today, after the Pahalgam attack, I feel He would say:

• Do not be consumed by hatred.

• Do not be paralyzed by fear.

• Do not lose your inner light.

• Rise with courage.

• Stand firm in dharma.

• Protect the innocent.

• Build a society rooted in truth, compassion, and strength.

• Start with yourself.

And never, ever forget — Krishna is with those who stand for dharma.

In these testing times, the greatest tribute we can offer to those who suffer and those who sacrifice is not mere sorrow — but a personal revolution of character, a communal awakening of responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to a better world.

Let us wake up today. Let us rise.