Arjuna himself was subjected to such a test by Krishna on the eve of the Kurukshethra battle.
Arjuna was worried about how to wage the war against his kinsmen and what strategy he should
adopt.
Krishna took him to a forest in the evening. It was twilight. The light of knowledge was
setting and the darkness of ignorance was emerging. Krishna wanted to find out whether Arjuna
was fit for receiving the Geethopadhesa (spiritual initiation
to Geetha) the next day.
He pointed out to Arjuna a bird on a tree and asked him whether it was a
peacock. Arjuna said: "Yes, my Lord". "No, no. It is a dove," observed Krishna. Arjuna
immediately said: "Yes, it is a dove." Krishna then said: "You senseless fellow. It is not a dove
but a crow!" "Yes, Swaami! It is a crow," said Arjuna. Krishna then told Arjuna: "You have no
power of discrimination at all. You cannot decide whether it is a peacock, dove or crow and only
say 'yes' to whatever I say. Should you not have this much of understanding."
Arjuna replied: "Krishna, if one does not know your real nature, one may attempt to agree or
disagree with you. But I have understood the truth about you. If I declare that it is not a peacock,
a dove or a crow, you have the power to turn it into a peacock, a dove or a crow. I have therefore
no need to enquire into what it is. Your word alone matters for me. That is sufficient authority
for me."
When Arjuna displayed such implicit faith in Krishna, he felt that Arjuna was fit to
receive the message of the Geetha. Hence He told him "Nimittha maathram Bhava!" ("Be thou
my instrument").
(From the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)
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