Pradyumna:"Thus seeing the disturbance of the general populace and the imminent destruction of the planets, Arjuna at once retracted both brahmastra weapons, as Lord Sri Krsna desired. Arjuna, his eyes blazing in anger like two red balls of copper, dexterously arrested the son of Gautami and bound him with ropes, like an animal."
Prabhupada:
prajopadravam alaksya
loka-vyatikaram ca tam
matam ca vasudevasya
sanjahararjuno dvayam
tata asadya tarasa
darunam gautami-sutam
babandhamarsa-tamraksah
pasum rasanaya yatha
Prajopadravam alaksya. This is the duty of the king or the government -- to see that the citizens are in peaceful condition. So two brahmastra weapons released, one by Asvatthama and by Arjuna, it created a havoc, catastrophe. And the people were suffering. So this is the duty of the government, to see that everyone is in peaceful condition. During Maharaja Yudhisthira's time they were so happy that it is stated that there was not even scorching heat and pinching cold also. Neither people were in anxiety for their livelihood. This is government: to see that people are in good atmosphere in everything. That is the first duty of the government. Of course, we have seen at the present moment also, in some of the European government they have got very good arrangement. In England I have seen, although they have lost their empire, still, people get free education, free medical treatment. And England does not produce practically anything except potato. They, the government imports so many eatables so that people may not suffer for want of food. So that is the way of good government from the time immemorial.
So according to Vedic system, the government has to look after about the ultimate goal of life also. The modern government, they are anxious to give material comforts, but formerly the aim was to, how to educate people for spiritual advancement of life. Therefore the society was divided into four higher and lower divisions: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. You cannot make one class of men. That is not very good arrangement. There must be different departments according to capacity. You cannot engage a sudra in a brahmana's position, neither you can engage a brahmana in the sudra's position. But every one of them should be cooperating. Not that everyone has got the same capacity. Combinedly, they should make progress, and that progress is yajna. Yajna. Yajna means how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead Visnu, Lord Visnu. Lord Visnu's another name is Yajna-pati, Yajnesvara. So in the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated... (coughs strongly) Water. Hmm. Another rascal. While drinking water they have to take. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. People have to be trained up to work for Yajna. Yajnartha. If you do not act for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, yajnarthe, yajnarthe karma, otherwise karma-bandhanah: you become bound up or conditioned by your work.
So these things are there, and it is the duty of the government to see how things are going on. But it is simply now dream. People are also not interested what is the aim of life, what is the mission of this human form of life; neither there is guidance. There are so many upadravas. That is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means that people will be more and more unhappy. Prayena alpayusah kalav asmin yuge janah. The first thing is that the duration of life will decrease, alpa-ayusa. And manda, all bad men. Hardly we'll find any good men. Manda. Manda means bad and slow. Both the meanings can be manda. Manda-gati. They're not interested in progressive life. That is also manda. Manda matayah. And they have got their own opinions. They do not follow the standard path, and it is confirmed by the so-called leaders, yata mata tata patha, you can manufacture your own way of life. These are the situation of upadrava. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyah [SB 1.1.10]. And this Kali-yuga, everyone is unfortunate, manda-bhagyah. Even in family... There is no family life. It is now increasing. They cannot live even peacefully in family. Family means husband, wife, children, father, mother. Generally, this is family. So in the family also there are enemies. This is prominent nowadays. The family is...
How in the family one become enemy? Canakya Pandita has analyzed how in the family we can become enemies of one another. Canakya Pandita says, rna-karta pita satruh: "A father in debts to others is enemy." Rna-karta pita satruh. Because according to Manu-samhita, the son inherits the property of the father. That is everywhere. So Manu-samhita also makes responsible the son for the father's debt. Nowadays, if my father is debtor, I am not responsible. But according to the Vedic laws, the son is responsible the father's debt. Because he inherits the property, why he shall not inherit the debts of the father? According to Manu-samhita law he is obliged to pay the debts of the father. We have seen one very practical example. Even fifty years ago, in Calcutta there was a very big barrister. He was a political leader. He was Mr. C.R. Das. So his father died insolvent. His father was also very respectable man, but later on he became so much debtor that he died insolvent. Declared... This Mr. C. R. Das, he did not get any property from the father, but by his practice as a barrister he became very rich man. In those days his monthly income was fifty thousand rupees. So he called all the creditors of his father and paid paisa to paisa, that "My father died in debtor. Now I have got money, you can take." So this is the duty of the son. But if one is poor man, he cannot pay. So he becomes a subject matter of criticism. Under the circumstances the father becomes the enemy. So therefore the Canakya Pandita's enunciation, rna-karta pita satruh. And mata satrur vyabhicarini. And if the mother, either she becomes prostitute or marries for the second time in the presence of elderly children, she is enemy. Rna-karta pita satrur mata satrur vyabhicarini. And Canakya Pandita had very bad experience with his wife. So he says, rupavati bharya satruh: "If the wife is very beautiful, she is enemy." And putrah satrur apanditah: "And if the son is a rascal, no education, he is enemy." So these are the family enemies.
So everything is there in the Vedic literature, instruction how family should be maintained, how the aim of life should be fulfilled. Everything is, guidance is there. As I have repeatedly said, that veda-purana, the aim of life being forgotten, krsna bhuli' anadi-bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli' gela. Caitanya-caritamrta. Ataeva krsna veda-purana karila(?). So the Vedas, Puranas are there. The instructions are there. Just like here is instruction: matam ca vasudevasya. Matam. The opinion should be taken from Vasudeva, Krsna. That opinion is already there in the Bhagavad-gita, Vasudeva personally giving instruction, but we neither take moral instruction, neither Vasudeva's instruction, neither we have got any intelligence. This is Kali-yuga. Mudha. Generally, we are mudha, especially in the Kali-yuga. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. Here it is said, prajopadravam. So many upadravas. Actually, we are very much harassed on account of the time, place, circumstances, so on, so on. It is a very hopeless condition. Therefore sastra has recommended that "You chant Hare Krsna." It is very hopeless condition. Harer nama. Harer nama harer nama eva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. Three. Three times. When you speak three times anything, it means I am giving stress, "You do this, you do this, you do this." So it is like that, that in order to stop so many inconveniences of the present day life, Kali-yuga... Kali means quarrel, simply creating quarrel, misunderstanding. This is Kali. So sastra has given us... Kali-yuga is very dangerous to... One cannot make his life's mission fulfilled. One is not very happy. There are so many obstacles in the peaceful way of life. Even in the family, in the society, politically, nationally, internationally -- so many difficulties. Everyone has got the experience. Therefore the recommendation of the sastra, harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. Kevalam. You cannot rectify all these difficulties, because this is the age for all these difficulties. You must know it. They are trying to mitigate all these difficulties in different ways, but sastra says that it is not possible. Only, it is possible only by chanting the harer nama, the holy name of the Lord. The holy name of the Lord is Krsna, Rama. Other names are there, but they are subordinate. Not subordinate. There is no question of "superior" or "inferior" in the holy name of the Lord. But we have to pick up the order of the sastras. Tasmad sastra-vidhanokta As the sastra gives regulative, we have to accept that. And if we do not accept that, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah, if we do whimsically, then na siddhim savapnoti, you cannot get any perfection of life, na sukham, neither you'll be happy.
So it is the injunction of the sastra, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu also inaugurated this Hare Krsna movement for the benefit of the whole world. And it is being accepted practically. So this is the only way to save us from all kinds of difficulties, upadrava. Upadrutah. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. There will be upadruta, so many times. So we should accept, matam ca vasudevasya. We should accept the instruction given by Vasudeva and the sastra, sadhu. Sadhu, sastra, guru, they'll speak the same thing. Guru means who speaks on the basis of sastra; otherwise he's not guru. And sastra means the opinion of the great authorities. Just like Vyasadeva, Parasara Muni, Narada Muni, modern acaryas. We do not neglect. We may differ from the philosophical point of view -- just like Buddha, Sankaracarya. Vaisnavas, they do not accept the philosophy of Buddha or Sankaracarya. Buddha's philosophy: zero, sunyavadi; and Sankara's philosophy: nirvisesa-vadi, impersonal. So we defy these, nirvisesa-sunyavadi. But we have got all respect for them. Don't think that we disrespect. Kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare. And the Vaisnavas know Sankaracarya. Sankara, svayam sankara, he is incarnation of Lord Siva, and Lord Buddha is incarnation of Krsna. So they come for particular purpose, to benefit the whole world. But that is for the time being. That is not permanent. The permanent solution is matam ca vasudevasya. That is permanent. Matam ca vasudevasya. That is permanent.
So vasudevasya matam? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is vasudevasya. "You simply surrender unto Me." That is real mata. Everyone is surrendered. Even Sankaracarya says bhagavad-gita kincid adhita(?). If you read little, a portion of Bhagavad-gita, your life will be successful. That is the recommendation given by... Sva bhagavan svayam krsna vasudeva devaki-vasudevasya nandana(?). He has admitted. Narayanah parah avyaktat. Actually nirvisesa-vada is for this material world because it is mithya. They say, the Shankarites, they say mithya. We Vaisnavas, we don't say mithya, because mithya it cannot be. If the Absolute Truth is true, how mithya can come from the param satyam? Brahma satyam. If Brahman is truth, how... Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], everything is born from Brahman. How something can be untruth? No. That is not. Truth is there, but when we misunderstand the truth or misuse the truth, then we are in trouble. That is Vaisnava philosophy. We have to find out what is the truth in everything. And that can be understood when you are advanced. Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. Sarvam khalv idam brahma. Here is truth. Nothing can be mithya; everything is truth. We have to find out the truth.
So what is that truth? The truth is that isavasyam idam sarvam, everything is God's creation. And Krsna, the Supreme Lord, God says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor, but we do not understand that, that truth, that He is the proprietor. We are creating our proprietorship. That is untruth. That is untruth. That is mithya. Jagan mithya. Jagat is not mithya, but our behavior with the jagat, or the world, is mithya. Jagat is not mithya. How it can be mithya? Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. It is coming, emanating from the Absolute Truth. It is truth. Therefore we have to find out the truth, what is that truth. That is described by Srila Rupa Gosvami:
prapancikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
vairagyam phalgu kathyate
If we give up everything as mithya, prapancikataya, material... Hari-sambandhi-vastunah. Because everything is in connection with Hari, His energy. So do not reject things as jagan mithya. Do not reject. Prapancikataya buddhya hari-sambandhi-vastunah. Do not reject, but utilize it properly. That is wanted.
So if we actually follow matam ca vasudevasya, and if we want to stop the upadrava, the disturbances of this material world, as Arjuna is following under the instruction of Krsna... He's doing everything under the instruction of Krsna. But he's doing political, he's counteracting with this brahmastra another brahmastra. As a military man, he's doing his duty, but he's doing everything under the instruction of Krsna. That is wanted. That is truth. Don't do anything thinking yourself as independent. You cannot be independent. If you don't accept matam ca vasudevasya, then by the ear you'll be pulled by the maya to do something. You'll be obliged to do something. You are not independent. As soon as we forget this principle, we become fool enough to consider as independent: "I am as good as... I am God." That is rascaldom. That is rascaldom. So 'ham. So 'ham, that does not mean that "I am as good as. I am God." No. I cannot be God because I am under the obligation of the laws of nature.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
You cannot be independent. You are not independent. If you falsely think that you are as good as God or you are independent, that is ahankara-vimudha. Ahankara-vimudhatma.
So following the mahajanas, the principles, as Arjuna is doing, we must follow the instructions of Krsna. That is fully explained in the Bhagavad-gita. And surrender unto Him. And then our life will be successful. There will be no disturbances. Otherwise, if we declare independence, that is troublesome. It will create simply trouble. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. That is maya. To think oneself independent is maya. We are not independent. We are completely under the control. So, so long we declare independence we suffer. And if we remain fully dependent on the will of Krsna, Vasudeva, then we are happy.
Thank you very much. (end)
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