London, July 10, 1973

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc):

atra ç ü rä maheñ vä sä

bhé mä rjuna-samä yudhi

yuyudhä no virä ö aç ca

drupadaç ca mahä -rathaù

[Bg. 1.4]

Translation: " Here in this army there are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhé ma and Arjuna; there are also great fighters like Yuyudhä na, Virä ö a and Drupada."

Prabhupä da: So all these heroes are mentioned not only in this verse, in several other verses also. So people may ask that " By mentioning these great fighter, what spiritual progress we make? Because we are meant for chanting Hare Kå ñ ë a mahä -mantra, so by chanting the names of these great fighters, what do we gain? " The question may be raised there. But the thing is that nirbandhaù kå ñ ë a-sambandhe, whenever there is connection with Kå ñ ë a, that also becomes Kå ñ ë a. This is a subtle form of philosophical understanding. Nirbandhaù kå ñ ë a-sambandhe. If there is relationship with Kå ñ ë a... Therefore the sahajiyä s, they do not read Bhagavad-gé tä. They say, " We have nothing to do with Bhagavad-gé tä." They jump over to the Ç ré mad-Bhä gavatam, Tenth Canto, Kå ñ ë a's rä sa-lé lä, as if Kå ñ ë a is connected with rä sa-lé lä and not with this lé lä. They make distinction. Kå ñ ë a's this fighting lé lä, pastimes, and the rä sa-lé lä pastime, they are all the same because Kå ñ ë a is the center. Kå ñ ë a being center, whatever in connection with Kå ñ ë a is there, that becomes also Kå ñ ë a. This is the idea.

anä saktasya viñ ayä n

yathä rham upayuï jataù

nirbandhaù kå ñ ë a-sambandhe

yuktaà vairä gyam ucyate

This is the instruction of Ç ré la Rü pa Gosvä mé in his Bhakti-rasä må ta-sindhu.

So just like we, in propagating Kå ñ ë a consciousness, we have to deal with money or persons who are not Kå ñ ë a conscious, outsider. We have to deal with them. But when we go to outsider or when we deal with money, there is relationship with Kå ñ ë a, kå ñ ë a-sambandha. So Rü pa Gosvä mé has distinguished the...

prä paï cikatayä buddhyä

hari-sambandhi-vastunaù

mumukñ ubhiù parityä go

vairä gyaà phalgu kathyate

Prä paï cika means material. So prä paï cikatayä buddhyä hari-sambandhi-vastunaù. Everything has got connection with Kå ñ ë a because ultimately everything is Kå ñ ë a's energy. The material world is also manifestation of Kå ñ ë a's energy. Bhü mir ä po 'nalo vä yuù [Bg. 7.4]. You'll find. Material world means these five elements, gross and subtle. Earth, water, air, fire, sky, these are gross. And mind, intelligence, and ego, these are subtle. These elements, material elements, Kå ñ ë a says, bhinnä me prakå tir añ ö adhä: " These material elements, they are separated, but they are My energy. They are My energy." The same example. Just like cloud. Cloud is created by the sun. It is sun's energy which creates the cloud. You know. By temperature the sea water is evaporated, forms into gas. That is cloud. So cloud is created by the energy of the sun, but when there is cloud you cannot see the sun. Sun is covered. Similarly, material energy is Kå ñ ë a's energy. But when you become covered by this material energy, you do not see Kå ñ ë a. This is the position.

So we have to use our intelligence. That is described by Ç ré la Rü pa Gosvä mé: prä paï cikatayä buddhyä hari-sambandhi-vastunaù, mumukñ ubhiù parityä gaù. Mumukñ u, especially the Mä yä vä dé s, who are after liberation, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, mumukñ u, mokñ a, they, Mä yä vä da, they say, " Everything is mä yä." Brahma satyaà jagan mithyä: " This world is false; only Brahman is reality." But we say that why the jagat, the world should be false if it is coming from the reality? We do not agree with them. We do not accept that this world is false. No. We can say, " It is temporary manifestation." But it is not false. Why it is false? We are living in this house. If somebody, some rascal, says, " It is false, " why false? We are utilizing this house. We are utilizing this microphone. We are utilizing the dictaphone. Why it is false? There is sambandha. There is relationship with Kå ñ ë a. Anything material, made of earth, water, fire, air, they are Kå ñ ë a's energies. Therefore there is direct relationship with Kå ñ ë a. And if Kå ñ ë a is reality, why His energy should be false? No. We must know how to utilize it.

So similarly, in this battlefield, Kå ñ ë a is there, and all the living entities... Some of them are soldiers, some of them are commander-in-chiefs, some of them this, that. Or the chariot or the ground—everything Kå ñ ë a's energy. So if we remember that everything is manifestation of Kå ñ ë a's energy, there is no question of materialism. It is all spiritual energy. So nirbandhaù kå ñ ë a-sambandhe. So we have to use them for Kå ñ ë a. Here all of of them have gathered. This is another Kå ñ ë a's energy. Kå ñ ë a appears, pariträ ë ä ya sä dhü nä à vinä ç ä ya ca duñ kå tä m [Bg. 4.8]. He wanted to kill all the demons. That is another side of his business. As one side, pariträ ë ä ya sä dhü nä m, to give protection to the devotees, the other side is to vanquish all the demons. Just like if you want to grow paddy on the field, so first of all you have to destroy all the unwanted weeds. Then you grow the seeds; it will come out nicely. So these two things are required. Destruction and construction. Both the things are Kå ñ ë a's activities or different energies. So you cannot accept one thing, giving up the other side. We have to understand that both sides, they are working as different manifestation of Kå ñ ë a's energy. Parä sya ç aktir vividhaiva ç rü yate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. In the Vedas it is said that the Absolute has got multi-energies. So one energy is working in one way, another energy is working in another way. Parä sya ç aktir vividhaiva ç rü yate, svä -bhä viké jï ä na-bala-kriyä ca. Just like here also, when we do something, we require varieties of energies to make that thing perfect. So everything, Kå ñ ë a, Kå ñ ë a's, this material world or spiritual world, everything is working in order, under different energies.

So these, I mean to say, warriors' name mentioning, we should not neglect. Kå ñ ë a wanted to gather all the demoniac power in that Battlefield of Kurukñ etra and kill them. That was His plan. So there is a plan of Kå ñ ë a. Nirbandhaù kå ñ ë a-sambandhe. We should not be attached to things as there, but we should try to understand that there is relationship with Kå ñ ë a. And as soon as there is relationship with Kå ñ ë a, we shall properly utilize it. That is Kå ñ ë a consciousness. As soon as we understand that there is relationship with Kå ñ ë a, nirbandhaù kå ñ ë a-sambandhe... Everything can be utilized for Kå ñ ë a. Kå ñ ë a is not a stereotyped, stagnant block. Kå ñ ë a is a dynamic force. Therefore everything can be dovetailed in the service of Kå ñ ë a. Simply one should learn the art under proper guidance how to utilize. Then that will be perfect form of Kå ñ ë a consciousness. Read next verse.

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

dhå ñ ö aketuç cekitä naù

kä ç irä jaç ca vé ryavä n

purujit kuntibhojaç ca

ç aibyaç ca nara-puì gavaù

[Bg. 1.5]

Translation: " There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhå ñ ö aketu, Cekitä na, Kä ç irä ja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Ç aibya."

Prabhupä da: Practically in the Battle of Kurukñ etra great personalities, warriors, from all parts of the world they came and joined. Some of them joined with this party and others joined with the other party. So far we have studied... just like Ç aibya, he belonged to Ç ibya. So all these personalities, we did not get their full description, it would enhance the pages. But these big personalities, we have got their information. There is a book, The Personalities of Mahä bhä rata. Bhagavad-gé tä is part of Mahä bhä rata. Mahä bhä rata means greater India. Mahä means greater, and bhä rata means India. So this whole planet was Bhä rata-varñ a. There was only one flag. The whole planet was being ruled by one king. That is the king of this Hastinä pura. The fight is that, that who would be the king, Mahä rä ja Yudhiñ ö hira or Duryodhana. But a king... It is not a democratic; it is monarchy. So Kå ñ ë a is deciding, " No, Duryodhana is unfit. Mahä rä ja Yudhiñ ö hira is fit." This is Kå ñ ë a's desire. Therefore this fight is there. Kurukñ etra. Kå ñ ë a wanted to wipe out all unwanted demons from the face of the world and enthrone Mahä rä ja Yudhiñ ö hira because he is the exact representative of Kå ñ ë a.

So monarchy or dictatorship is welcome. Now the Communists, they want dictatorship. That is welcome, provided that particular dictator is trained like Mahä rä ja Yudhiñ ö hira. Not that simply by votes of some rascal population one becomes dictatorship, another rascal comes. Another big rascal comes. Just like in the Communist country the Stalin was their dictator. And in the historical record it is said that he is the greatest criminal in the history of the world. Greatest criminal. He would not tolerate anyone going against him. As soon as he finds that " This man is going against me, " immediately call him, " Now here is poison and here is resignation." Or kill him. " You take poison or I shall kill you." This was his policy. In this way he killed so many enemies. He not only killed the Czar family. So his business was killing. Not that kind of dictatorship wanted. Dictatorship wanted that by his direction the citizens will be so happy that even they will not have any anxiety. Adhayo vyadhayaù (?).

We have read the other day in the Ç ré mad-Bhä gavatam. There are three kinds of miserable conditions of life, bhü tä tma-hetav aù. The cause... They are caused by three principles: adhyä tmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Daiva-bhü tä tma-hetavaù. These are all described in the Ç ré mad-Bhä gavatam. Daiva means controlled by the higher demigods. Just like famine or earthquake. This is not under your control. At any time the earthquake, there may be. There may be famine. There may be pestilence. There may be natural disturbance, flood. This is called daiva, controlled by higher demigods. Just like Indra wanted to overflood Vå ndä vana being angry upon the residents of the... Kå ñ ë a saved, Giridhä ré. He became Giridhä ré. So these disturbances are there. Adhyä tmika, adhibhautika. But the king or the dictator should be so perfect and he will guide the citizens in such a way that they will not feel all these disturbances. That kind of dictatorship wanted. He will direct in such a way that even this natural adhyä tmika, adhibhautika... Adhibhautika means " You are envious of me, I am envious of you." So there is always cold war, struggle. This should be stopped. There should not be unnatural heat or unnatural cold, excessive heat. People will feel in all respects happy.

If that condition can be brought in, like Mahä rä ja Yudhiñ ö hira or his forefathers, or even his grandson. After Mahä rä ja Yudhiñ ö hira, there was no kingdom of Mahä rä ja Yud..., of the son of Yudhiñ ö hira or Arjuna. All died in the Battlefield of Kurukñ etra. Only one grandson was in the womb of his mother, posthumous child. He was saved only. So up to that point, Mahä rä ja Paré kñ it, the whole planet was very nicely governed by dictatorship. So we can bring in such dictatorship, provided that dictator is perfectly Kå ñ ë a conscious. Under his guidance, everything... Because he knows how to conduct kingdom, how to make everyone happy. Nirbandhaù kå ñ ë a-sambandhe. So here is another list of fighters. But the real purpose of this battlefield is to bring all the fighters, big fighters of the world, together. And under Kå ñ ë a's guidance they would be all killed. Nimitta-mä traà bhava savyasä cin. When Arjuna was declining to fight, Kå ñ ë a ultimately said, " My dear Arjuna, you fight or not fight, it doesn't matter. These people are not going back home. It is already settled up. You simply become, take the credit that you have fought and killed. It is al... They are already killed. Because that is My plan." Nimitta-mä traà bhava savyasä cin. They are already killed.

So this battlefield, because Kå ñ ë a wanted to kill them, and the result was—you will find in the Bhagavad-gé tä, they all attained svarü pa. Anyone who was killed, who died in the Battlefield of Kurukñ etra, in the presence of Kå ñ ë a, they all attained their original, constitutional position, spiritual form. They all went back to home, back to Godhead, everyone. Therefore Kå ñ ë a is Absolute. Either His killing or His protecting, it is all the same. You don't think that Kå ñ ë a is killing. No. If anyone is killed by Kå ñ ë a, he immediately gets liberation: the liberation for which great great saintly persons, sages, they undergo severe austerities for life after life, simply by being killed, he gets that. So by becoming Kå ñ ë a's enemy, one gets this benefit. Just think over if you become Kå ñ ë a's friend, what is the benefit. That is Kå ñ ë a consciousness. The Mä yä vä dé s they are after liberation. So this liberation is granted even to the enemies of Kå ñ ë a. They are also enemies. The Mä yä vä dé s, they are also enemies. Kå ñ ë e aparä dhé. They are offender to Kå ñ ë a because they do not accept the form of Kå ñ ë a. Therefore they are offender. So everything studied in relationship with Kå ñ ë a, that is perfect knowledge, and that is described in the Bhagavad-gé tä. So it is not that like sahajiyä s that we are interested in Kå ñ ë a's rä sa dance, not with this fighting in the Battlefields of Kurukñ etra. This is sahajiyä -bhä va. This is not wanted. Thank you very much. Hare Kå ñ ë a. (end)