"When war is necessray and not"

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"When war is necessray and not" Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.50

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

naino rajnah praja-bharturdharma-yuddhe vadho dvisamiti me na tu bodhayakalpate 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 for 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