Alternative Forms of Punishment - Canakya Book Review

[Guest guest]

Regarding the discussions on Manu Samhita, I suggest there is another work

compiled by Canakya Pandita that may be more relevant to us and claims to be

an unabridged compilation of the works of Manu, Yajnavalkya, Parashara, and

others. While the views of all are represented, the author sometimes

diverges. Srila Prabhupada makes some reference in Bhagavatam to the fact

that Canakya is the modern authority on such matters to be followed by us

now (even perhaps above Manu), and confirms that by noting that Canakya's

teachings should be taught in our Gurukula.

 

Canakya has clearly been empowered to adjust the application of these

principles for this Kali Yuga, yet I don't find that he essentially changes

anything. More often than not he settles the conflicting views of the

ancient dharma sastra authorities as there are various schools who give

stress to various ideas. Canakya acts as a sort of referee between these

schools and sometimes overrides them all.

 

Interestingly, this book was lost, more or less, and came to light for

translation around the time of Srila Prabhupada's appearance. Probably lost

due to being kept very tightly and secretly. What this book essentially is,

is approx. 6000 verses that describe every conceivable situation and duty a

ksatriya or head of state might encounter along with a series of essential

remedies for the same. When they say "He used every trick in the book", this

is clearly "the book" referred to. Indian culture is riddled with these

tricks that have clearly been inherited through oral tradition.

 

What becomes starkly apparent by reading it is how "un-brahminical" the

duties of ksatriyas are. A problem we find in ISKCON is a tendency, if not

policy, to want to hold everyone to one standard of behavior, as brahmanas.

But as has been pointed out, varnasrama means all four divisions, and

therefore ksatriya behavior is also within the scope of our alternative

society, and Srila Prabhupada certainly made that clear.

 

The book is of course Kautilya Artha Sastra, and I have copies available

that I purchased for a management course. If anyone needs one, I believe

this is the best. I did some considerable research and spoke with several

Indologists who all agreed this to be the best English translation available

so far. This I suggest is the book we need to consider developing purports

for first, but mostly to link the concepts to our philosophy and bridge the

cultural gap needed to introduce such severe administrative methods in some

cases.

 

I accept the need for Vedic law and order and value it, at the same time, I

am also an advocate for Harinama-remedies as an alternative form of

punishment and believe as followers of Lord Caitanya, this is where our real

contribution should focus. I got the idea from Srila Bhaktivinoda's

teachings that one can advance spiritually even if engaged in chanting "by

force". The process is that powerful and evidence is there how Lord Caitanya

gave Krishna prema to those who sincerely didn't want it. Contrary to

popular notions, you can "force" someone to advance spiritually.

 

This not-as-palatable approach to harinama as an alternative form of capital

punishment is best typified by Srila Prabhupada's concept of "Chant Hare

Krishna or 'Bang, Bang'". Essentially the idea is to invoke the strict and

severe punishment model offered by Manu and others (ie. hand chopping for

thieves, etc), but also offer an alternative form of punishment, which is of

course, monitored constant chanting during waking hours for real atonement,

 

While punishment clears the offender of the sin committed it does nothing

for other sins committed. Repentance can clear all sins committed but does

nothing to the seeds of sin lying dormant. Only devotional service based on

hearing and chanting clears all sins and fries the seeds. So this is where

we are going to make a contribution to reducing the rate of repeat offenders

by literally transforming Jagais and Madhais into sadhus. If it is really

successful though, I fear people might go out to commit crimes wanting to

enroll in this program! Some people literally won't chant unless their life

depends upon it! Srila Prabhupada calls them "Chant Chant CHant---Can't,

Can't Can't". So for them we also should have a program. Why not?

 

If we can convince a state to allow us to experiment on life sentence

prisoners, or perhaps felons who will return to the outside world, we can

demonstrate and document the efficacy of the holy name to reform the

criminal mentality and reduce the rate of repeat offenders. This is real

communications work if we can persuade some govt to try it. Of course we can

try it ourselves if we get our own "place". Srila Prabhupada spoke of the

need for a Vaishnava state where we can train ksatriyas. So maybe when

Kirtanananda gets his Carribean Island he can try arresting his opponents

and making them chant instead of putting a bullet through their head? I am

sure he had some realizations and ideas how to run a better KC prison after

8 years inside one. Whoever knowshim can pass this idea on to him.

 

In practice the judge will sentence the convict to the death penalty, for

example in a murder case that proceeds like any other case until the point

of sentencing (witnesses, etc), but then the judge explains he has an

option, "to undergo forced constant chanting or death by hanging". In other

words "Chant Hare Krishna or Bang Bang!" In this way people would actually

have to choose the death penalty voluntarily. "They asked for it!" Who could

then criticize us for impelementing the laws of Manu? We would rather, I

would imagine, be seen as the most merciful and civilized societyand

virtually crime-free.

 

The rod of chastisement would certainly serve at a deterrant and for those

who are not deterred it will certainly be their last serious crime, either

because they chanted and atoned, or because they chose the severest form of

punishment. Either way, we will clean up the criminal mess society is

currently deluged by in the MOST HUMANE way possible. As the problem

intensifies I am sure this plan will start to look attractive especially if

we can test it and prove it, but no one is aware of this option at present.

I imagine people would start to flock to live in such a place! We would have

to have a very big immigration department!

 

Our communications experts should begin probing and looking for

opportunities to try something like this. It is cheap, cost-effective and

harmless. They can easily be monitored, and devotees can go in to educate

the offenders on the glories of chanting appropriate for them without giving

away the symptoms of advanced devotion we are looking for to prevent

bluffing.

 

I am sure some people who are even against us would think it is a great

punishment and go along with it! "Yeah make them chant Hare Krishna all day!

That is worse than death!" hahaha. Anyway, once we see the symptoms of

advanced devotion manifest and test for those symptoms (like asta-sattvika

bhavas, which can be also imitated by yogis at will, but not as easily as

anubhavas), we can try releasing them and engaging them in farm communities,

preaching, or whatever and then monitor them and measure the results.

 

At least it is worth an experiment. Maybe Kirtanananda has a function to

fulfill for our society? We can use his colony to try out some of this stuff

that I imagine ISKCON would not want to risk implementing, or be in a

position soon to implement. I heard from someone he is planning to implement

varnasrama on his own island in the Carribbean. Anyone else hear this? Based

on his track record, I am sure Manu will be his choice of crime control

there, and hopefully he has atoned enough himself to see the value of this

alternative method.

 

Back to the book, in comparing Artha Sastra with Manu Samhita, Manu is more

like a classrooom textbook, and Artha Sastra is more like the teachers

edition with an insiders view. It is powerful knowledge that I imagine

certain people wouldn't want to empower you with, and that were you in a

political situation you wouldn't want others to have as well.

 

But since it is out in the public certainly we should have this knowledge

and begin to understand the importance it plays in society today and ISKCON

of the future. The Indian army was reported in the newspaper as conducting

research into some of the more archane remedies mentioned in this book. It

is certainly one of the most interesting books I have ever read that is

packed with all the essential keys we need to unlock the implementation of

varnasrama and Vedic society as a whole,

 

I still have several extra new unused copies so let me know if you need one.

I am in Vrindavan and can ship it to you via air, your own devotee courier

or sea ship,

 

"Hare Krishna"-the real weapon to curb crime. Imagine the possibilities! It

is afterall categorized by Bhagavatam as an "astra".

 

Giving people love of God to curb hate crimes. Isn't that our mission "to

educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the

imbalance of values in life in order to achieve real peace in the world."

(paraphrased). Certainly there is an imbalance, and certainly harinama in

the technique.

 

In one sense it is by force and in another not because they have a choice.

You can chose to chant or chose the death penalty. WOW. That is like saying

"Do you want the highest ecstatic nectar or do you want me to kill you?"

Amazing concept and WE KNOW it will work.

 

Any comments?