Arjuna & The Bhagawad Gita

The 'Bhagawad Gita' tells the story of two armies standing ready to fight Armageddon. The fight is between two families and involves a kingdom lost in a dice game.

Arjuna is the super-warrior leader of the Pandavas clan - it's his job to signal the start of the battle. He has trained for this day all his life - it marks a career-high. With Krishna (a blue god) as his charioteer he rides out between the two armies. All he has to do is give a signal and the mother-of-all-battles will begin.

Instead, in front of everyone, he chokes.

People settle into an embarrassed silence as Krishna tries to help Arjuna over the hump. He initially attempts this by calling Arjuna a sissy. When that doesn't work Krishna is forced to put a series of increasingly sophisticated concepts on the table in the hope Arjuna will see sense and begin the slaughter.

Finally Arjuna gives the signal for the battle begins. Wether this was because he understood Krishna's explanation of the universe, detachment and destiny or because he was tired of listening - it's unclear. Either way their conversation is now a Hindu holy book.

Here we see Arjuna (in happier times) played by legend of Bombay cinema, Akkineni Nageswara Rao.

I like Arjuna because he procrastinated on the important stuff - he probably had a messy desk too.