Re:Response to Anti-Vedic Propaganda

[Guest guest]

Those who are opposed to vedic culture often try and manipulate the teachings to

shake off the faith of the adherent. The ploy is to convert them to their

"religion".

 

Often they will come up with such nonsense as: they sacrifice humans in vedic

culture. BUT what they fail to understand is those who did this were NOT actual

followers of vedic culture.

They were rogues in the society. Neither is the punishment of women allowed what

to speak of them being devoured by dogs--which is just wild mental speculation.

 

An example from His Divine Grace Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in his

translation to Srimad Bhagavatam illustrates how a devotee pure Jada Bharata

was also taken to be sacrificed :

 

SB 5.9.12 T The Supreme Character of Jada Bharataatha kadacit kascid

vrsala-patir bhadra-kalyai purusa-pasum alabhatapatya-kamah.

SYNONYMS

atha--thereafter; kadacit--at some time; kascit--some; vrsala-patih--the

leader of sudras engaged in plundering the property of others;

bhadra-kalyai--unto the goddess known as Bhadra Kali; purusa-pasum--an animal

in the shape of a man; alabhata--started to sacrifice; apatya-kamah--desiring a

son.

TRANSLATION

At this time, being desirous of obtaining a son, a leader of dacoits who came

from a sudra family wanted to worship the goddess Bhadra Kali by offering her in

sacrifice a dull man, who is considered no better than an animal.

PURPORT

Low-class men such as sudras worship demigods like goddess Kali, or Bhadra

Kali, for the fulfillment of material desires. To this end, they sometimes kill

a human being before the deity. They generally choose a person who is not very

intelligent--in other words, an animal in the shape of a man.

 

TEXT 13

tasya ha daiva-muktasya pasoh padavim tad-anucarah paridhavanto nisi

nisitha-samaye tamasavrtayam anadhigata-pasava akasmikena vidhina kedaran

virasanena mrga-varahadibhyah samraksamanam angirah-pravara-sutam apasyan.

SYNONYMS

tasya--of the leader of the dacoits; ha--certainly; daiva-muktasya--by chance

having escaped; pasoh--of the human animal; padavim--the path; tat-anucarah--his

followers or assistants; paridhavantah--searching here and there to find;

nisi--at night; nisitha-samaye--at midnight; tamasa avrtayam--being covered by

darkness; anadhigata-pasavah--not catching the man-animal; akasmikena

vidhina--by the unexpected law of providence; kedaran--the fields;

vira-asanena--by a seat on a raised place; mrga-varaha-adibhyah--from the deer,

wild pigs and so on; samraksamanam--protecting; angirah-pravara-sutam--the son

of the brahmana descending from the Angira family; apasyan--they found.

TRANSLATION

The leader of the dacoits captured a man-animal for sacrifice, but he

escaped, and the leader ordered his followers to find him. They ran in

different directions but could not find him. Wandering here and there in the

middle of the night, covered by dense darkness, they came to a paddy field

where they saw the exalted son of the Angira family [Jada Bharata], who was

sitting in an elevated place guarding the field against the attacks of deer and

wild pigs.

TEXT 14

atha ta enam anavadya-laksanam avamrsya bhartr-karma-nispattim manyamana baddhva

rasanaya candika-grham upaninyur muda vikasita-vadanah.

SYNONYMS

atha--thereafter; te--they (the servants of the leader of the dacoits);

enam--this (Jada Bharata); anavadya-laksanam--as bearing the characteristics of

a dull animal because of a fat body like a bull's and because of being deaf and

dumb; avamrsya--recognizing; bhartr-karma-nispattim--the accomplishment of

their master's work; manyamanah--understanding; baddhva--binding tightly;

rasanaya--with ropes; candika-grham--to the temple of goddess Kali;

upaninyuh--brought; muda--with great happiness; vikasita-vadanah--with bright

faces.

TRANSLATION

The followers and servants of the dacoit chief considered Jada Bharata to

possess qualities quite suitable for a man-animal, and they decided that he was

a perfect choice for sacrifice. Their faces bright with happiness, they bound

him with ropes and brought him to the temple of the goddess Kali.

PURPORT

In some parts of India, animalistic men are still sacrificed before the

goddess Kali. However, such a sacrifice is only performed by sudras and

dacoits. Their business is to plunder the wealthy, and to become successful

they offer an animalistic man before the goddess Kali. It should be noted that

they never sacrifice an intelligent man before the goddess. In the body of a

brahmana, Bharata Maharaja appeared deaf and dumb, yet he was the most

intelligent man in the world. Nonetheless, being completely surrendered unto

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he remained in that condition and did not

protest being brought before the deity for slaughter. As we have learned from

the previous verses, he was very strong and could have very easily avoided

being bound with ropes, but he did not do anything. He simply depended on the

Supreme Personality of Godhead for his protection. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

describes surrender unto the Supreme Lord in this way:

 

marabi rakhabi----yo iccha tohara

nitya-dasa-prati tuya adhikara

 

"My Lord, I am now surrendered unto You. I am Your eternal servant, and if

You like You can kill me, or, if You like, You can protect me. In any case, I

am fully surrendered unto You."

 

TEXT 15

atha panayas tam sva-vidhinabhisicyahatena vasasacchadya

bhusanalepa-srak-tilakadibhir upaskrtam bhuktavantam

dhupa-dipa-malya-laja-kisalayankura-phalopaharopetaya vaisasa-samsthaya mahata

gita-stuti-mrdanga-panava-ghosena ca purusa-pasum bhadra-kalyah purata

upavesayam asuh.

SYNONYMS

atha--thereafter; panayah--all the followers of the dacoit; tam--him (Jada

Bharata); sva-vidhina--according to their own ritualistic principles;

abhisicya--bathing; ahatena--with new; vasasa--garments; acchadya--covering;

bhusana--ornaments; alepa--smearing the body with sandalwood pulp; srak--a

flower garland; tilaka-adibhih--with markings on the body and so on;

upaskrtam--completely decorated; bhuktavantam--having eaten; dhupa--with

incense; dipa--lamps; malya--garlands; laja--parched grain;

kisalaya-ankura--twigs and sprouts; phala--fruits; upahara--other

paraphernalia; upetaya--fully equipped; vaisasa-samsthaya--with complete

arrangements for sacrifice; mahata--great; gita-stuti--of songs and prayers;

mrdanga--of the drums; panava--of the bugles; ghosena--by vibration; ca--also;

purusa-pasum--the man-animal; bhadra-kalyah--of the goddess Kali; puratah--just

in front; upavesayam asuh--made him sit down.

TRANSLATION

After this, all the thieves, according to their imaginative ritual for

killing animalistic men, bathed Jada Bharata, dressed him in new clothes,

decorated him with ornaments befitting an animal, smeared his body with scented

oils and decorated him with tilaka, sandalwood pulp and garlands. They fed him

sumptuously and then brought him before the goddess Kali, offering her incense,

lamps, garlands, parched grain, newly grown twigs, sprouts, fruits and flowers.

In this way they worshiped the deity before killing the man-animal, and they

vibrated songs and prayers and played drums and bugles. Jada Bharata was then

made to sit down before the deity.

PURPORT

In this verse the word sva-vidhina (according to their own ritualistic

principles) is very significant. According to the Vedic sastras, everything

must be done according to regulative principles, but here it is stated that the

thieves and rogues devised their own process for killing an animalistic man. The

tamasic sastras give instructions for the sacrifice of an animal like a goat or

buffalo before the goddess Kali, but there is no mention of killing a man,

however dull he may be. This process was manufactured by the dacoits

themselves; therefore the word sva-vidhina is used. Even at this time there are

many sacrifices being conducted without reference to the Vedic scriptures. For

instance, in Calcutta recently a slaughterhouse was being advertised as a

temple of the goddess Kali. Meat-eaters foolishly purchase meat from such

shops, thinking it different from ordinary meat and taking it to be the prasada

of goddess Kali. The sacrifice of a goat or a similar animal before the goddess

Kali is mentioned in sastras just to keep people from eating slaughterhouse

meat and becoming responsible for the killing of animals. The conditioned soul

has a natural tendency toward sex and meat-eating; consequently the sastras

grant them some concessions. Actually the sastras aim at putting an end to

these abominable activities, but they impart some regulative principles so that

gradually meat-eaters and sex hunters will be rectified.

 

TEXT 16

atha vrsala-raja-panih purusa-pasor asrg-asavena devim bhadra-kalim yaksyamanas

tad-abhimantritam asim ati-karala-nisitam upadade.

SYNONYMS

atha--thereafter; vrsala-raja-panih--the so-called priest of the leader of

the dacoits (one of the thieves); purusa-pasoh--of the animalistic man for

being sacrificed (Bharata Maharaja); asrk-asavena--with the liquor of blood;

devim--to the deity; bhadra-kalim--the goddess Kali; yaksyamanah--desiring to

offer; tat-abhimantritam--consecrated by the mantra of Bhadra Kali; asim--the

sword; ati-karala--very fearful; nisitam--finely sharpened; upadade--he took

up.

TRANSLATION

At this time, one of the thieves, acting as the chief priest, was ready to

offer the blood of Jada Bharata, whom they imagined to be an animal-man, to the

goddess Kali to drink as a liquor. He therefore took up a very fearsome sword,

which was very sharp and, consecrating it by the mantra of Bhadra Kali, raised

it to kill Jada Bharata.

 

TEXT 17

iti tesam vrsalanam rajas-tamah-prakrtinam dhana-mada-raja-utsikta-manasam

bhagavat-kala-vira-kulam kadarthi-krtyotpathena svairam viharatam

himsa-viharanam karmati-darunam yad brahma-bhutasya saksad brahmarsi-sutasya

nirvairasya sarva-bhuta-suhrdah sunayam apy ananumatam alambhanam tad upalabhya

brahma-tejasati-durvisahena dandahyamanena vapusa sahasoccacata saiva devi

bhadra-kali.

SYNONYMS

iti--thus; tesam--of them; vrsalanam--the sudras, by whom all religious

principles are destroyed; rajah--in passion; tamah--in ignorance;

prakrtinam--having natures; dhana-mada--in the form of infatuation by material

wealth; rajah--by passion; utsikta--puffed up; manasam--whose minds;

bhagavat-kala--an expansion of the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality

of Godhead; vira-kulam--the group of elevated personalities (the brahmanas);

kat-arthi-krtya--disrespecting; utpathena--by a wrong path;

svairam--independently; viharatam--who are proceeding; himsa-viharanam--whose

business is to commit violence against others; karma--the activity;

ati-darunam--very fearful; yat--that which; brahma-bhutasya--of a self-realized

person born in a brahmana family; saksat--directly; brahma-rsi-sutasya--of the

son born of a brahmana exalted in spiritual consciousness; nirvairasya--who had

no enemies; sarva-bhuta-suhrdah--a well-wisher to all others; sunayam--at the

last moment; api--even though; ananumatam--not being sanctioned by law;

alambhanam--against the desire of the Lord; tat--that; upalabhya--perceiving;

brahma-tejasa--with the effulgence of spiritual bliss; ati-durvisahena--being

too bright and unbearable; dandahyamanena--burning; vapusa--with a physical

body; sahasa--suddenly; uccacata--fractured (the deity); sa--she; eva--indeed;

devi--the goddess; bhadra-kali--Bhadra Kali.

TRANSLATION

All the rogues and thieves who had made arrangements for the worship of

goddess Kali were low minded and bound to the modes of passion and ignorance.

They were overpowered by the desire to become very rich; therefore they had the

audacity to disobey the injunctions of the Vedas, so much so that they were

prepared to kill Jada Bharata, a self-realized soul born in a brahmana family.

Due to their envy, these dacoits brought him before the goddess Kali for

sacrifice. Such people are always addicted to envious activities, and therefore

they dared to try to kill Jada Bharata. Jada Bharata was the best friend of all

living entities. He was no one's enemy, and he was always absorbed in

meditation on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was born of a good

brahmana father, and killing him was forbidden, even though he might have been

an enemy or aggressive person. In any case, there was no reason to kill Jada

Bharata, and the goddess Kali could not bear this. She could immediately

understand that these sinful dacoits were about to kill a great devotee of the

Lord. Suddenly the deity's body burst asunder, and the goddess Kali personally

emerged from it in a body burning with an intense and intolerable effulgence.

PURPORT

According to the Vedic injunctions, only an aggressor can be killed. If a

person comes with an intent to kill, one can immediately take action and kill

in self-defense. It is also stated that one can be killed if he comes to set

fire to the home or to pollute or kidnap one's wife. Lord Ramacandra killed the

entire family of Ravana because Ravana kidnapped His wife, Sitadevi. However,

killing is not sanctioned in the sastras for other purposes. The killing of

animals in sacrifice to the demigods, who are expansions of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, is sanctioned for those who eat meat. This is a kind of

restriction for meat-eating. In other words, the slaughter of animals is also

restricted by certain rules and regulations in the Vedas. Considering these

points, there was no reason to kill Jada Bharata, who was born in a

respectable, highly exalted brahmana family. He was a God-realized soul and a

well-wisher to all living entities. The Vedas did not at all sanction the

killing of Jada Bharata by rogues and thieves. Consequently the goddess Bhadra

Kali emerged from the deity to give protection to the Lord's devotee. Srila

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that due to the Brahman effulgence of

such a devotee as Jada Bharata, the deity was fractured. Only thieves and

rogues in the modes of passion and ignorance and maddened by material opulence

offer a man in sacrifice before the goddess Kali. This is not sanctioned by the

Vedic instructions. Presently there are many hundreds and thousands of

slaughterhouses throughout the world that are maintained by a puffed-up

population mad for material opulence. Such activities are never supported by

the Bhagavata school.

 

TEXT 18

bhrsam

amarsa-rosavesa-rabhasa-vilasita-bhru-kuti-vitapa-kutila-damstraruneksanatopati-bhayanaka-vadana

hantu-kamevedam mahatta-hasam ati-samrambhena vimuncanti tata utpatya papiyasam

dustanam tenaivasina vivrkna-sirsnam galat sravantam asrg-asavam atyusnam saha

ganena nipiyati-pana-mada-vihvaloccaistaram sva-parsadaih saha jagau nanarta ca

vijahara ca sirah-kanduka-lilaya.

 

SYNONYMS

bhrsam--very highly; amarsa--in intolerance of the offenses; rosa--in anger;

avesa--of her absorption; rabhasa-vilasita--expanded by the force;

bhru-kuti--of her eyebrows; vitapa--the branches; kutila--curved;

damstra--teeth; aruna-iksana--of reddish eyes; atopa--by the agitation;

ati--very much; bhayanaka--fearful; vadana--having a face; hantu-kama--desirous

to destroy; iva--as if; idam--this universe; maha-atta-hasam--a greatly fearful

laugh; ati--great; samrambhena--because of anger; vimuncanti--releasing;

tatah--from that altar; utpatya--coming forth; papiyasam--of all the sinful;

dustanam--great offenders; tena eva asina--by that same chopper;

vivrkna--separated; sirsnam--whose heads; galat--from the neck;

sravantam--oozing out; asrk-asavam--the blood, compared to an intoxicating

beverage; ati-usnam--very hot; saha--with; ganena--her associates;

nipiya--drinking; ati-pana--from drinking so much; mada--by intoxication;

vihvala--overwhelmed; uccaih-taram--very loudly; sva-parsadaih--her own

associates; saha--with; jagau--sang; nanarta--danced; ca--also;

vijahara--played; ca--also; sirah-kanduka--using the heads as balls; lilaya--by

sports.

 

TRANSLATION

SB 5.9.18 The Supreme Character of Jada Bharata Intolerant of the

offenses committed, the infuriated goddess Kali flashed her eyes and displayed

her fierce, curved teeth. Her reddish eyes glowed, and she displayed her

fearsome features. She assumed a frightening body, as if she were prepared to

destroy the entire creation. Leaping violently from the altar, she immediately

decapitated all the rogues and thieves with the very sword with which they had

intended to kill Jada Bharata. She then began to drink the hot blood that

flowed from the necks of the beheaded rogues and thieves, as if this blood were

liquor. Indeed, she drank this intoxicant with her associates, who were witches

and female demons. Becoming intoxicated with this blood, they all began to sing

very loudly and dance as though prepared to annihilate the entire universe. At

the same time, they began to play with the heads of the rogues and thieves,

tossing them about as if they were balls.

 

PURPORT

It is evident from this verse that the devotees of goddess Kali are not at

all favored by her. It is goddess Kali's work to kill and punish the demons.

Goddess Kali (Durga) engages in decapitating many demons, dacoits and other

unwanted elements in society. Neglecting Krsna consciousness, foolish people

try to satisfy the goddess by offering her many abominable things, but

ultimately when there is a little discrepancy in this worship, the goddess

punishes the worshiper by taking his life. Demoniac people worship goddess Kali

to obtain some material benefit, but they are not excused of the sins performed

in the name of worship. To sacrifice a man or animal before the deity is

specifically forbidden.

 

Lectures & Classes 750720SB.SF

 

Lecture from His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

This will illustrate the position of women in terms of punishment.

 

 

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.39 -- San

Francisco, July 20, 1975

 

Nitai: "The questions asked of the Yamadutas by the Visnudutas are: What is the

process of meting out punishment to others? Who is actually a candidate to be

punished? Are all karmis engaged in fruitive activities fit to be punished, or

only some of them?"Prabhupada:

 

katham svid dhriyate dandah kim vasya

sthanam ipsitam dandyah kim karinah sarve

aho svit katicin nrnam

 

So first question was, bruta dharmasya nas tattvam yac ca adharmasya laksanam.

When there is some vicara, judgment, it must be done very nicely. A criminal is

judged before the magistrate. He is taken just to make proper judgment, "Whether

this man is punishable? He committed some criminal activities." The

circumstances, the condition of the mind--everything should be judged. This is

called judgment. So who is punishable? Desa-kala-patra. There is consideration,

desa-kala-patra. Desa means situation, and kala, time, and patra, and the

subject. Just like a child, he takes one fruit here. So he is not punishable.

According to Vedic system, a child, a woman, a brahmana, a cow and a saintly

person, they are not punishable. Cow, woman, saintly person, brahmana and

child--they are beyond all laws. Even they commit some... They do not do. They

have no criminal purpose. Formerly the women were trained up in such a way,

very chaste and obedient. So they had no chance to commit any offense. And

brahmanas, they are also trained up. Samo damah satyam saucam... (children

making noise)Sudama: Take the children out.Bahulasva: All the children should

go out.Prabhupada: No, that's all right. (some devotees say "Jaya!" and

applaud) So, children are not punishable. (laughter, more applause) Neither the

women. (more applause, laughter) Hm. But don't take advantage. (laughter) And

here we have got these brahmanas, saintly persons, women and children. So who

is to be punished? (laughter) Yes. Katham svid dhriyate dandah. So the judge

must know who is to be punished. That is judgment. Katham svid dhriyate dandah

sthanam. Desa-kala-patra: according to time, according to circumstances,

according to the subject, everything scrutinizingly judged, not whimsically.

Nowadays it is the time for emergency. Anyone can be punished without any

judgment. But this is not good position. Then dandyah kim karinah sarve.

Karinah means fruitive actors, those who are working for getting some profit.

So sometimes with getting profit we make some undesirable activities which is

called black market. So that is punishable. There are system... Of course, I

cannot quote from where, but it is the system that a merchant, highest profit

he can take for exchanging--not more than twenty-five percent. That is the

highest. If one merchant takes more than twenty-five percent profit, then he is

punishable. This was the system. So the karinah... So we are all workers. So

somebody is working for his personal profit, and somebody is working for the

profit of Krsna. It appears almost similar. A ordinary man is selling some

newspaper, and our man selling the magazine. It looks the similar thing, but it

is not similar; it is different. Therefore, if a newspaper seller creates some

disturbance on the street, the police can punish, but when one is selling Back

to Godhead, he is not punishable. (laughter) This is the difference. But

nowadays these rascals, they do not know whom to punish, whom not to punish.

They take, "All right, you are selling Back to Godhead. You must come police

custody." So our are not punishable although doing the same thing. This is

judgment. Then the animals, they are also working hard day and night for

their necessities of life. But if an animal steals something from your house or

takes some eatables, he is not punishable. India you will find in the bazaars.

There is crowd, and the cows enter there, and they eat the vegetables to their

heart's content. But he is not punishable. Still the cow is not punishable. But

if a man takes one potato without the permission, he is punishable. So the

animals are not punishable. All the lawbooks are meant for the men, for the

human being, not for the animals. Just like in your country the police law is:

"Keep to the right your car." But if a animal goes, keep to the left, it is not

punishable. So everyone not punishable. Then again, human being, all of them,

not punishable. Those who are criminals, those who have violated laws, they are

punishable. So therefore this question is "Whether and how they are punishable?

What is dharma, and what is adharma? So if you are representative of Yamaraja,

then you explain to us first of all whether you are actually representative."

So the Yamaduta, they are also servant of very exalted personality, one of the

authority. So they are not lacking in knowledge by the grace of their master.

So the first thing they said, veda-pranihito dharmo hy adharmas tad-viparyayah.

Dharma and adharma, religious principle and not religious principle,

nonreligious principle--how to discern. The book is there, Veda. We have to

consult the Vedas. There are so many Vedic literatures: four Vedas, then

Upanisad, 108 Upanisad, then philosophy, Vedanta-sutra, all summarized. Then

explanation of Vedanta-sutra, or Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhasyam brahma-sutranam.

Then there is Ramayana, there is Mahabharata, immense literature, full of Vedic

literature. So one should try to understand this literature. They are meant for

the human being. Veda-pranihito dharmah. If one wants to be religious...

Religious means that is the beginning of human life. If one is not religious,

then he is animal. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. So in order to make a

person perfectly religious, there are so many Vedic literatures. So who is

taking care of it? Nobody is taking care of. Therefore, at the present moment,

kalau sudra-sambhavah. Sudra means equal to the animal.