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SB 1-08-50 LA 1973-05-12 When to Be Nonviolent - Violent
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ANNOUNCER: The following is a
class on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
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1st canto, 8th chapter,
text number 50,
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given by His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
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recorded on May 12th,
1973, in Los Angeles.
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PRADYUMNA: Translation:
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“There is no sin for a king
who kills for the right cause,
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who is engaged in
maintaining his citizens.
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But this injunction is
not applicable to me.”
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PRABHUPĀDA: Explain.
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nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya
kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
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śrīmate bhaktivedānta-
svāmin iti nāmine
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namas te sārasvate deve
gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
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nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-
pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
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The first part of this verse,
the first half of this verse,
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naino rājñaḥ prajā-bhartur dharma-
yuddhe vadho dviṣām iti
[SB 1.8.50]
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this is a statement or an injunction
of śāstra, that for, that the killing,
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or the vadha, dviṣām, of the
enemies, dharma-yuddhe,
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in a religious fight, rājñaḥ prajā-
bhartur [SB 1.8.50] of a king
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who is maintaining his citizens;
he has to maintain his citizens.
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So if there is some danger, then
he has to eliminate the enemy.
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na enaḥ (no sin) [SB 1.8.50]
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What is religious fight?
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Religious fight means you have
got right to kill your aggressor.
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If somebody takes your property, if
somebody sets fire in your house,
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if somebody kidnaps your wife,
or somebody is trying to kill you,
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they are called aggressor.
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So aggressor should
be killed immediately.
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It is not that somebody has
become an aggressor, and if I say,
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“Now I have become a Vaiṣṇava,
I’ll not be violent; I shall tolerate.
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Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us to
be tolerant like the tree or the grass.
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So I shall become
tolerant; let him do.”
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Just like Gandhi used to say.
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Somebody questioned him that
“If somebody comes and violates
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the chastity of your daughter in
your presence, what will you do?”
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He said, “I shall
remain nonviolent.”
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But that is not śāstric injunction.
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This is foolishness.
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If somebody is aggressor, he
must be killed immediately.
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Dharma-yuddha.
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Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is thinking
that “Although there was fight,
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the fight was between our own men, my
brother, my nephews, my grandfather.
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So they are family members.
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I have killed them
for my kingdom.”
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He is thinking in that
way; he is a pious man.
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Violence is required.
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We don’t say nonviolence.
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Just as Caitanya Mahāprabhu,
He gave us the instruction,
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tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
[Cc. 17.31]:
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“One should be tolerant, forbearing
like the tree, like the grass.”
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Amāninā mānadena: “One
should give respect to others.
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In this way one should
chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.”
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Because in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra,
there will be so many aggressors.
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The nature is so cruel.
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Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja,
a five-years-old boy.
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His only fault was that he
was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa,
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and the father was aggressor,
giving him trouble so many ways.
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So we must be prepared.
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Therefore as there is danger…
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Suppose Caitanya Mahāprabhu
has taught us that “Be tolerant,”
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but not that where violence is
required we should be tolerant; no.
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Just like while Nityānanda Prabhu
was injured by Jagāi and Mādhāi,
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He wanted to immediately kill him.
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Similarly,
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nonviolence does not mean that in right
causes also you will remain nonviolent.
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No.
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You do not attack
anybody unnecessarily.
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You do not kill unnecessarily
animal even, not even an ant.
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You should be nonviolent
by your nature.
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But when there is aggression, there are
enemies, the śāstra says, dharma-yuddha.
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That is dharma-yuddha.
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prajā-bhartur
dharma-yuddhe vadho dviṣām
[SB 1.8.50]
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Dviṣām, envious.
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So they must be killed.
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But Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was thinking
in terms of fight between the family,
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their friends, their
nephews, their grandfather.
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So he was thinking
himself as culprit.
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But in dharma-yuddha…
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The Pāṇḍavas, they
tried to settle the issue.
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Actually, the kingdom belonged
to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
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It was inheritance
from his father, Pāṇḍu.
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But some way or other, they
were cheated by the Kurus.
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They were sent to the forest.
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In the meantime they
grabbed everything.
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And when they
came back, so asked,
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“Give us some…, our ruling
power,” so they would not give.
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“No; without fight,
we shall not give.”
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So the Pāṇḍavas, even Kṛṣṇa tried
their best to settle up the issue,
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but there was no settlement.
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So at that time, war was declared.
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That is dharma-yuddha.
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They tried to settle up the
fight, but it was not possible.
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When it is not possible, then the
last resort is to take to fighting.
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That is dharma-yuddha.
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The battlefield… It is therefore
called dharma-kṣetra.
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dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
[Bg. 1.1]
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That fight was right.
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And especially when Kṛṣṇa was
present, it is already dharma-kṣetra.
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Wherever… Just like this is temple.
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Similar houses are there, many.
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Why it is temple?
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Because Kṛṣṇa is there.
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Therefore it is called
dharma-kṣetra, temple.
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What is the difference
between temple?
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In other houses there
may be big hall like this.
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There may be many
men eating, sleeping.
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That is not temple.
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Where actually God is
there, that is called temple.
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Similarly, although battle of
Kurukṣetra was a fighting place,
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because Kṛṣṇa was there,
therefore it is dharma-kṣetra.
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Wherever Kṛṣṇa is there,
that is dharma-kṣetra.
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tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra
gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ
[Padma Purana]
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So those who are bhaktas, they
can make every place a pilgrimage,
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because they can sing
the glories of the Lord,
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and they can bring
the Lord in that place.
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So it doesn’t matter whether if he is
here or there, in America or India.
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Wherever Kṛṣṇa is there,
that is dharma-kṣetra.
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dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
[Bg. 1.1]
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So that fight was quite
sanctioned by the śāstra.
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It is not the Pāṇḍavas
did wrong, no.
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They did right thing.
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But Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, being
too cautious, too religious,
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he is thinking that “I did not carry
out the injunction of the śāstra,
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that fighting is meant for the
enemies, not for the friends.
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So I have fought with my friends,
with my relatives, with my brothers.
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Therefore I am most abominable.”
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That is the nature of the Vaiṣṇava.
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They always think of themselves
as very humble, meek.
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That is the tṛṇād api…
Personally, one should remain
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very humble and meek,
but that does not mean,
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that when there is… For a
kṣatriya, to kill the enemies,
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that is dharma-yuddha.
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That is religious.
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Therefore there was
section—kṣatriya section,
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the brāhmaṇa section,
the vaiśya section—
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[indistinct] …everyone is engaged
in his own occupational duty.
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So other section,
brāhmaṇa, vaiśya, śūdras,
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if they are in difficulty, they should
lodge complaint to the king.
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Just like in these days also,
suppose one is wrong-doer.
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He has done wrong to me.
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I cannot take directly
to punish him; no.
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That you cannot do.
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You have to lodge the complaint
to the government agent,
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and if required, government can
kill him, sanction, “Kill this man.
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He is a murderer.”
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So the sanction should
come from there.
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Similarly, these
divisions, very scientific.
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Killing business is for the
kṣatriya, not for the brāhmaṇas.
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Kṣatriya, he can kill;
there is no sin for him.
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The brāhmaṇas are
not going to kill.
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So this system—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya,
vaiśya, śūdra—very scientific system.
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cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
[Bg. 4.13]
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But now everything is lost.
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But to make people happy, the
Vedic culture is the most perfect.
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The kṣatriyas are
meant for fighting.
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Kṣatriyas are meant
for ruling, punishing.
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These are meant for the kṣatriyas.
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They are exacting taxes.
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That is their means of livelihood.
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The government can
levy tax for expenditure.
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You cannot levy tax.
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So there are living
means of everyone.
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For brāhmaṇa, the living means:
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paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana
dāna pratigraha
[Padma Purāṇa]
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Brāhmaṇa is meant for teaching others
and become himself a learned scholar.
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That is brāhmaṇa business.
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paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana
[Padma Purāṇa]
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He should be a great worshiper of
Viṣṇu, and he should teach others also.
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Just like we are not only
worshiping Kṛṣṇa in our temple,
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but we are making propaganda.
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This is brāhmaṇa’s business.
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But if the government calls all
our students to the draft board,
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“Come on, fight,” that is nonsense.
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Of course, they have got clauses
not to disturb the ministerial class.
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That exception is there.
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Many of our students was excused
from being called by the draft board,
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on the ground that they have adopted
the religious, ministerial order.
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That rule is prevalent
everywhere, at all times.
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So at the present moment
the society is chaos because
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there is no proper training for
the particular class of man.
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A brāhmaṇa should be trained up,
a kṣatriya should be trained up,
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a vaiśya should be trained up,
a śūdra should be trained up,
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cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
[Bg. 4.13]
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according to quality.
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Why Vedic culture has failed in India,
it is simply remaining in name?
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Because everyone claims to
become brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya,
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by birth only, no qualification.
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The brāhmaṇa has no
qualification of a brāhmaṇa,
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and because he is born of a brāhmaṇa
father or brāhmaṇa family he is claiming,
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“I am brāhmaṇa.”
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This is not śāstra’s sanction.
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So just see, here is a kṣatriya, ideal
kṣatriya, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
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How he is lamenting.
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He has done right thing;
still, he is conscious
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that he has killed his
family members, bandhu.
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Bandhu bandhaya, relatives.
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