"When to Be Nonviolent-Violent"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.50
Los Angeles, May 12, 1973


Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

naino rajnah praja-bhartur
dharma-yuddhe vadho dvisam
iti me na tu bodhaya
kalpate 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.

Prabhupada: What is religious fight? 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, and if I say, "Now I have become a Vaisnava, I'll not be violent. I shall tolerate. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us to be tolerant like the tree or the grass. So I shall become tolerant. Let him do." Just like Gandhi used to say. Somebody questioned him that "If somebody comes and violates the chastity of your daughter in your presence, what will you do?" He said, "I shall remain nonviolent." But that is not sastric injunction. This is foolishness.

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 Hare Krsna mantra." Because in chanting Hare Krsna mantra, there will be so many aggressors. 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 praja-bhartur dharma-yuddhe vadho dvisam. Dvisam, envious. So they 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, 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 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 ksatriya, to kill the enemies, that is dharma-yuddha. That is religious. Therefore there was section -- ksatriya section, the brahmana section, the vaisya section -- that everyone is engaged in his own occupational duty. So other section, brahmana, vaisya, sudras, if they are in difficulty, they should lodge complaint to the king. 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 ksatriya, not for the brahmanas. Ksatriya, he can kill; there is no sin for him. The brahmanas are not going to kill.

So this system -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra -- very scientific system. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. But now everything is lost. But to make people happy, the Vedic culture is the most perfect. The ksatriyas are meant for fighting. Ksatriyas are meant for ruling, punishing. These are meant for the ksatriyas. 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. For brahmana, the living means: pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigraha. Brahmana is meant for teaching others and become himself a learned scholar. That is brahmana business. Pathana pathana yajana yajana. He should be a great worshiper of Visnu, and he should teach others also. Just like we are not only worshiping Krsna in our temple, but we are making propaganda. This is brahmana's business. 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 chaos because there is no proper training for the particular class of man. A brahmana should be trained up, a ksatriya should be trained up, a vaisya should be trained up, a sudra should be trained up, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13], according to quality. Why Vedic culture has failed in India, it is simply remaining in name? Because everyone claims to become brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, by birth only, no qualification. The brahmana has no qualification of a brahmana, and because he is born of a brahmana father or brahmana family he is claiming, "I am brahmana." This is not sastra's sanction.

So just see, here is a ksatriya, ideal ksatriya, Maharaja Yudhisthira. How he is lamenting. He has done right thing; still, he is conscious that he has killed his family members, bandhu. Bandhu bandhaya, relatives. Then? Go on. Hm? Yes. What is the time? Chant Hare Krsna. All right, chant more. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.50 -- Los Angeles, May 12, 1973