Decreasing The Burden Of The Earth

[Guest guest]

Decreasing The Burden Of The Earth

 

"Consequently, by the arrangement of God, such demons, who possess

great military strength, fight with one another, and thus the great

burden of demons on the surface of the earth is reduced."

 

BY SRILA A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

 

 

EDITORIAL, Mar 31 (VNN) — (The following is from the Srimad-

Bhagavatam, Ninth Canto, Chapter 24, verse 59 with translation and

purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,

founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna

Consciousness. His Divine Grace wrote this passage in 1976.)

 

SB9.24.59:

aksauhininam patibhir

asurair nrpa-lanchanaih

bhuva akramyamanaya

abharaya krtodyamah

 

SYNONYMS

 

aksauhininam -- of kings possessing great military power; patibhih --

by such kings or government; asuraih -- actually demons (because they

do not need such military power but create it unnecessarily); nrpa-

lanchanaih -- who are actually unfit to be kings (although they have

somehow taken possession of the government); bhuvah -- on the surface

of the earth; akramyamanayah -- aiming at attacking one another;

abharaya -- paving the way for diminishing the number of demons on

the surface of the earth; krta-udyamah -- enthusiastic (they spend

all the revenue of the state to increase military power).

 

TRANSLATION

 

Although the demons who take possession of the government are dressed

like men of government, they do not know the duty of the government.

Consequently, by the arrangement of God, such demons, who possess

great military strength, fight with one another, and thus the great

burden of demons on the surface of the earth is reduced. The demons

increase their military power by the will of the Supreme, so that

their numbers will be diminished and the devotees will have a chance

to advance in Krsna consciousness.

 

PURPORT

 

As stated in Bhagavad-gita (4.8), paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca

duskrtam. The sadhus, the devotees of the Lord, are always eager to

advance the cause of Krsna consciousness so that the conditioned

souls may be released from the bondage of birth and death. But the

asuras, the demons, impede the advancement of the Krsna consciousness

movement, and therefore Krsna arranges occasional fights between

different asuras who are very much interested in increasing their

military power. The duty of the government or king is not to increase

military power unnecessarily; the real duty of the government is to

see that the people of the state advance in Krsna

consciousness.Demons are very much interested in advancing a plan by

which people will labor hard like cats, dogs and hogs, but Krsna's

devotees want to teach Krsna consciousness so that people will be

satisfied with plain living and Krsna conscious advancement. Although

demons have created many plans for industry and hard labor so that

people will work day and night like animals, this is not the purpose

of civilization. Such endeavors are jagato'hitah; that is, they are

meant for the misfortune of the people in general. Ksayaya: such

activities lead to annihilation. One who understands the purpose of

Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, should seriously

understand the importance of the Krsna consciousness movement and

seriously take part in it. One should not endeavor for ugra-karma, or

unnecessary work for sense gratification. Nunam pramattah kurute

vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti (SB 5.5.4). Simply for sense

gratification, people make plans for material happiness. Maya-sukhaya

bharam udvahato vimudhan (SB 7.9.43). They do this because they are

all vimudhas, rascals. For flickering happiness, people waste their

human energy, not understanding the importance of the Krsna

consciousness movement but instead accusing the simple devotees of

brainwashing. Demons may falsely accuse the preachers of the Krsna

consciousness movement, but Krsna will arrange a fight between the

demons in which all their military power will be engaged and both

parties of demons will be annihilated.