Digest Number 2096

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"When war is necessray and not"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.50

 

 

 

 

 

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

 

naino rajnah praja-bhartur

dharma-yuddhe vadho dvisam

iti me na tu bodhaya

kalpate sasanam vacah

 

Translation: "There is no sin for a king who kills for the right cause, who

is engaged in maintaining his citizens. But this injunction is not

applicable to me."

 

Prabhupada: Explain.

 

Pradyumna: Nama om... (recites pranama mantras) The first part of this

verse, the first half of this verse, naino rajnah praja-bhartur

dharma-yuddhe vadho dvisam iti, this is a statement or an injunction of

sastra, that for the killing, or the vadha, dvisam, of the enemies,

dharma-yuddhe, in religious fight, rajnah praja-bhartur, of a king who is

maintaining his citizens He has to maintain his citizens. So if there is

some danger, then he has to eliminate the enemy.

 

Religious fight means you have got right to kill your aggressor. If

somebody takes your property, if somebody sets fire in your house, if

somebody kidnaps your wife, or somebody is trying to kill you, they are

called aggressor. So aggressor should be killed immediately. It is not that

somebody has become an aggressor, . Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us to be

tolerant like the tree or the grass. So let us become tolerant. Let him do."

..

 

If somebody is aggressor, he must be killed immediately. Dharma-yuddha.

Yudhisthira Maharaja is thinking that "Although there was fight, the fight

was between our own men, my brother, my nephews, my grandfather. So they are

family members. I have killed them for my kingdom." He is thinking in that

way. He is a pious man. Violence is required. We don't say nonviolence. Just

as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He gave us the instruction, trnad api sunicena taror

api sahisnuna: "One should be tolerant, forbearing like the tree, like the

grass." Amanina manadena: "One should give respect to others. In this way

one should chant mantra." . The nature is so cruel. Just like Prahlada

Maharaja, a five-years-old boy. His only fault was that he was chanting Hare

Krsna, and the father was aggressor, giving him trouble so many ways. So we

must be prepared.

 

Therefore as there is danger... Suppose Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us

that "Be tolerant," but not that where violence is required we should be

tolerant. No. Just like while Nityananda Prabhu was injured by Jagai and

Madhai, He wanted to immediately kill him. Similarly, nonviolence does not

mean that in right causes also you will remain nonviolent. No. You do not

attack anybody unnecessarily. You do not kill unnecessarily animal even, not

even an ant. You should be nonviolent by your nature. But when there is

aggression, there are enemies, the sastra says, dharma-yuddha. That is

dharma-yuddha.

 

So wicked and thise agaainst Dharma must be killed. But Yudhisthira

Maharaja was thinking in terms of fight between the family: their friends,

their nephews, their grandfather. So he was thinking himself as culprit. But

in dharma-yuddha... The Pandavas, they tried to settle the issue. Actually,

the kingdom belonged to Maharaja Yudhisthira. It was inheritance from his

father, Pandu. But some way or other, they were cheated by the Kurus. They

were sent to the forest. In the meantime they grabbed everything. And when

they came back, so asked, "Give us some..., our ruling power,"so they would

not give. "No. Without fight, we shall not give." So the Pandavas, even

Krsna tried their best to settle up the issue and His intention was that war

should be the last option, but there was no settlement. So at that time, war

was declared. That is dharma-yuddha. They tried to settle up the fight, but

it was not possible. When it is not possible, then the last resort is to

take to fighting. That is dharma-yuddha.

 

The battlefield... It is therefore called dharma-ksetra. Dharma-ksetre

kuru-ksetre [bg. 1.1]. That fight was right. And especially when Krsna was

present, it is already dharma-ksetra. Wherever... Just like this is temple.

Similar houses are there, many. Why it is temple? Because Krsna is there.

Therefore it is called dharma-ksetra, temple. What is the difference between

temple? In other houses there may be big hall like this. There may be many

men eating, sleeping. That is not temple. Where actually God is there, that

is called temple. Similarly, although battle of Kuruksetra was a fighting

place, because Krsna was there, therefore it is dharma-ksetra. Wherever

Krsna is there, that is dharma-ksetra. Tatra tisthami narada yatra gayanti

mad-bhaktah. So those who are bhaktas, they can make every place a

pilgrimage, because they can sing the glories of the Lord and they can bring

the Lord in that place. So it doesn't matter whether if he is here or there,

in America,Bhagdad or India. Wherever Krsna is there, that is dharma-ksetra.

Dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah [bg. 1.1].

 

So that fight was quite sanctioned by the sastra. It is not the Pandavas did

wrong, no. They did right thing. But Yudhisthira Maharaja, being too

cautious, too religious, he is thinking that "I did not carry out the

injunction of the sastra that fighting is meant for the enemies, not for the

friends. So I have fought with my friends, with my relatives, with my

brothers. Therefore I am most abominable." That is the nature of the

Vaisnava. They always think of themselves as very humble, meek. That is the

trnad api... Personally, one should remain very humble and meek, but that

does not mean that when there is... For a ruler, to kill the enemies, that

is dharma-yuddha. That is religious. Therefore there was section -- - that

everyone is engaged in his own occupational duty. . Just like in these days

also, suppose one is wrong-doer. He has done wrong to me. I cannot take

directly to punish him. No. That you cannot do. You have to lodge the

complaint to the government agent, and if required, government can kill him,

sanction, "Kill this man. He is a murderer." So the sanction should come

from there. Similarly, these divisions, very scientific. Killing business is

for the rulers, not for theordinary people. he can kill; there is no sin fo

r him. .

 

The administrative system shoud be democratic, and very scientific system.

They are exacting taxes. That is their means of livelihood. The government

can levy tax for expenditure. You cannot levy tax. So there are living means

of everyone. . But if the government calls all our students to the draft

board, "Come on, fight," that is nonsense. Of course, they have got clauses

not to disturb the ministerial class. That exception is there. Many of our

students was excused from being called by the draft board on the ground that

they have adopted the religious, ministerial order. That rule is prevalent

everywhere, at all times.

 

So at the present moment the society is in chaos because there is no proper

training for the particular class of man.

Let us pray to God that Justice will prevail.

 

 

 

Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.50