"Politics-Me King, Others Killed"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.46
Mayapura, October 26, 1974



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Pradyumna: "King Yudhisthira, who was much aggrieved, could not be convinced, despite instructions by great sages headed by Vyasa and the Lord Krsna Himself, the performer of superhuman feats, and despite all historical evidence."

Prabhupada:

vyasadyair isvarehajnaih
krsnenadbhuta-karmana
prabodhito 'pitihasair
nabudhyata sucarpitah

After the Battle of Kuruksetra, when everything was settled, Maharaja Yudhisthira, who is well known as Dharmaraja, very pious king, he was very much aggrieved. It is said that sixty-four crores of men were dead within eighteen days in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. So Maharaja Yudhisthira is very much pious, he did not like the idea of so many persons being killed simply for the sake of enthroning him on the throne of the kingdom. He was very much aggrieved that "For me so many men have died. How much sinful I have become, although I am going to be the king."

But he had no cause to become aggrieved. Even great learned sages like Vyasa... Therefore it is said, vyasadyaih. Not only Vyasa, vyasadyair isvara. And Krsna was there. He's isvara, isvarah paramah, not only ordinary isvara but the supreme isvara. Isvara means controller. So there are many different types of controller, but the supreme controller is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. So he also tried to convince Maharaja Yudhisthira that it was duty. For a ksatriya, in dutiful war, dharma-yuddha... Dharma-yuddha... Therefore the battlefield of Kuruksetra is called dharma-ksetra. Although there was fighting, but the fighting arena was not ordinary land. It is dharma-ksetra because the fighting was being performed under the superintendence of Krsna, Dharma-setu, the leader of all religiosity. Under His superintendence, under His care, the fighting was going on. Therefore this fighting was not ordinary fighting. People cannot understand that how fighting can be religious principle. Yes, the fighting can be also religious principle -- but not the present fighting. Present fighting, the politicians, out of their whims, they declare war, that is not religious fighting; that is abominable. That is to serve their political ends. When the politicians cannot control the mass of people being dissatisfied, they make a clique to declare some war so that all their attention may be diverted. This is politics.

But the Battle of Kuruksetra was not that type of battle. One should be aware of the Battle of Kuruksetra very nicely. It was dharma-yuddha. Dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah [Bg. 1.1]. Why they settled up that the fighting should take place in the dharma-ksetra? They are to fight, yuyutsavah. It was settled they will fight, but why they selected the dharma-ksetra? This is Vedic system. Even up to date, in villages, not in the cities... In the cities, as soon as there is some misunderstanding between you and me, we go to the court, either criminal court or civil court, to settle up, and it takes years to settle up the business. It goes on. I have seen for generation. One generation passed another generation; the fighting is going on in the court. But if people are Krsna conscious, it could be settled within few minutes. Still among the villagers the system is current in India: when there is some fighting, they go to a saintly person or in a temple to settle up. Just like when Sanatana Gosvami was there in Vrndavana, so in that area, whenever there was some fighting between two parties, they would come to Sanatana Gosvami: baba, ap isko phars lakharji.(?) Baba means saintly person. So they would come to Sanatana Gosvami, and they would ask him to become mediator, arbitrator, to settle up. And whatever verdict or judgment he will give, they will accept that "Baba has said. That's all right." Therefore Srinivasa Acarya has prayed the Gosvamis, dhiradhira. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau, dhiradhira-priyau.

Dhiradhira-priyau. There are two kinds of men. One is dhira -- very learned, sober, everything in knowledge, wise. They are called dhira. Therefore Krsna says dhiras tatra na muhyati.

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

He has specifically mentioned the word dhira. Dhira means the sober, learned... Generally we call in English language "gentleman." Gentleman means he must be sober, learned, and thoughtful. That is gentleman. But nowadays, gentleman is different -- simply by dress. Dhira and adhira. So there are two classes of men, and the Gosvamis were very dear to both classes of men, dhiradhira. That is the sign of a saintly person, samatitya. Samatitya: they have no enemy. Ajata-satravah. Even the adhira, the saintly person considers as friend, and even a dhira, he considers friend. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. This is the dhira.

So these saintly persons were also advising, Vyasadeva, and vyasadyaih, not only Vyasadeva. There were other big, big saintly persons. The monarchy, as it is conceived in the Vedic civilization, that is not this monarchy. Just like we have got experience in the history, a monarch means get money and spend it for wine and woman. Not that kind of monarch. Monarchy means the king... The ideal monarchy -- Maharaja Yudhisthira, Maharaja Pariksit -- they were very much advanced in spiritual knowledge, in administrative knowledge, in economic development. Everything, perfectly they were educated, and they were being guided by saintly persons like vyasadyaih. Vyasadyaih. Maharaja Ramacandra was being guided by Vasistha. So the kings were guided by a committee of saintly persons. Big, big learned, saintly persons, brahmanas, they would give advice to the king. He is already learned. There was a case, Vena Maharaja, the father of Prthu Maharaja. He was very much upstart. Therefore the committee of the learned brahmanas and saintly persons killed him. Because he was not hearing to the committee of the saintly persons, brahmanas, he was killed, and his son, Maharaja Prthu, was enthroned. There were many cases. If the king was an upstart, the brahmanas, they were so powerful, they did not require any weapon; simply by their words they will kill him.

So this monarchy is different. People now, they have taken to democracy. Democracy is also mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there will be no more monarchy or the kingdom ruled by the ksatriyas, but amongst the people who will be tricky, some way or other get the votes of the people, he will be seated on the throne. That is stated. Some way or other. So therefore, people are in trouble because so many rascals, they somehow or other manage to get some vote and become the president and minister and... So what they know? They do not know how to govern, how to bring peace in the country. But this monarchy, Maharaja Yudhisthira, just see. Because for the sake of his personal interest so many have been killed, he was sorry. Just see. Not that some way or other, you divide India: "Let me become Prime Minister, that's all." We have got political information that in India when it was..., the proposal was for partition, Gandhi was completely against this partition. He said, "Better I will have no independence; still, I shall not allow the country to be divided." He was stubborn on this point. But he was absent, and in the meantime our, the big Prime Minister signed it, agreed, partition because he wanted to be prime minister anyway, some way or other. "Let the country go to hell." This is politician, going on. Not...

Yudhisthira is not like that: "Let... Somehow or other, let me become King. Let so many people were killed. Never mind." No. He was so sorry, so sorry that he could not be solaced even by the instruction of Krsna and saintly person like Vyasadeva. He was so sorry. Of course, he accepted, but personally he was so very, very sorry, that "So many people have been killed for me." But what could be done? It was Krsna's desire. Krsna comes -- paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8], His two business. So He wanted to establish the kingdom of His representative. He wanted that "Maharaja Yudhisthira is right representative. He should be enthroned on the kingdom of whole world." Formerly Bharatavarsa meant this whole planet, not this small tract of land. Now it is called India. But the Bharatavarsa means the whole planet, this planet. There was one flag. Up to Maharaja Pariksit there was one flag, not like at present there are hundreds and thousands of flags. You Americans, you know. In New York, when we pass through that United Nation building, we see so many flags are there. They are united, but everywhere the flag is increasing, disunited. Not like that. Actually, by monarchy, the pious king, there was unity all over the world. All over the world. And in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra it was a family fight, so all the kings of different parts of the world, they joined this side or that side. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita. So... But still, Maharaja Yudhisthira did not like that so many people would be killed for the sake of enthroning him, but Krsna desired. Krsna desired. Krsna wanted it, that... Duryodhana, they were demonlike, simply making politics and diplomacy. Their only business was... Dhrtarastra along with his sons, they were simply making diplomacy how to kill the Pandavas and catch over the kingdom. That was their policy.

So the political head, executive head, of course, he should be intelligent to understand diplomacy and politics, but his only business is to see how people in general are in happiness. That is his business. Nowadays political parties, they are simply engaged how to keep up their position. All the political parties -- I have seen personally -- simply they are making plan how to keep their position in the government so they may not be dethroned, other party may not come. The whole time is wasted. When they will think of "No, the people are suffering for want of food. The people are suffering for unnecessary increase of price, although things are available in the black market. How to manage this?" That is the duty of the government first. But nobody is caring. Hundreds and thousands of people are starving, unemployment, but they are getting their fat salary, and they are satisfied. Bring income tax and divide amongst themselves, that's all.

So Maharaja Yudhisthira was not that type of king. Therefore he is known as Dharmaraja Yudhisthira, most pious king. So he was now sorry, and prabodhito 'pi, prabodhito 'pi. He was trying to pacify Maharaja Yudhisthira, "Don't be sorry. It is done for the sake of good cause for establishing dharma-samsthapanarthaya, so don't be sorry," but still, he could not be pacified. Sucarpitah. Suca means distress. He was so much distressed within his mind that he could not be satisfied.

So, next verse? Or you can speak... (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974