London, July 11, 1973

Pradyumna: " Translation: There are the mighty Yudhä manyu, the very powerful Uttamaujä, the son of Subhadrä and the sons of Draupadé. All these warriors are great chariot fighters."

asmä kaà tu viç iñ ö ä ye

tä n nibodha dvijottama

nä yakä mama sainyasya

saà jï ä rthaà tä n bravé mi te

[Bg. 1.7]

" Translation: O best of the brä hmaë as, for your information, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force."

Prabhupä da: So formerly, five thousand years ago, the same system, military—ordinary soldiers, then the captain, then the commander, the commander-in-chief—as there are gradations in the modern age, the same thing was there. But mahä -ratha, they had good qualification. Mahä -ratha means alone he could fight with many other charioteers. They are called ati-ratha, mahä -ratha. There are different grades of fighters.

So, so far Pä ë ò avas are concerned, their son. Saubhadra... Saubhadra means Abhimanyu, Subhadrä 's son. Because he was Subhadrä 's son, his name was Saubhadra. Draupadé 's sons, they are called Draupadeya. In Sanskrit, just like bhaginé, sister, bhaginé, her son is called bhä gineya, nephews. So there is link. As soon as we speak Saubhadra, that means Subhadrä 's son. Subhadrä 's son, he was only sixteen years old at that time. He was married with Uttarä, the daughter of Mahä rä ja Virä ö a. So they were all mahä -rathas, ordinary, not ordinary fighters. This Abhimanyu was killed by conspiracy by seven commander-in-chief. Bhé ñ ma, Karë a, Droë ä cä rya, Aç vatthä mä, they all surrounded him, and they did not allow him to come out. They were very experienced commanders. So this is kñ atriya spirit. He was simply a boy, sixteen years old and he had to be killed by the combined efforts of very, very, big commander-in-chiefs. He was so great fighter, Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu-vä da (?). So Saubhadra, Draupadé... Similarly, Draupadé 's sons also there. Sarva eva mahä -rathä ù [Bg. 1.6]. Mahä -ratha means one who could fight with one thousand chariots on the other side. They were called mahä -rathä ù.

Then Duryodhana, first of all he pointed out the military strength of the opposite side. This is intelligence. One should take calculation of the opposing elements or the enemy's side. In fighting the first thing is to take estimation of the enemy's side, how much they are strong, how they have arranged. Then one should calculate how to counteract, how to fight with them, this is intelligence. Without taking any calculation of the other side, if you are not prepared, then how you can become victorious? This is sane proposal, that is, upayan cintayet prajï o apayan ca cintayet.. A prajï a, an intelligent man, not only think of the bright side on this business, or this fight, or this any..., so many things we have to deal with. Simply we should not calculate the brighter side. There is darker side also. We should always think, " If there is some thief, if there is some rogue, they cheat us, then what precaution I am going to take? " This is intelligence. If I simply calculate that " In this business I will make so much profit." In the meantime, somebody comes and cheats me and go away, then... Therefore upayan cintayet prajï a apayan ca cintayet. Darker side also should be thought of. That is intelligence. Just like they are doing. After calculating the darker side—enemy means darker side—they can defeat me at any moment. That is darker side.

So after calculating their strength, then Duryodhana is speaking about his own strength, asmä kaà tu viç iñ ö ä ye. Viç iñ ö ä, not to speak of the ordinary soldiers. They're viç iñ ö ä. Viç iñ ö ä means who are specifically to be mentioned, high officers. Asmä kaà tu viç iñ ö ä ye tä n nibodha dvijottama [Bg. 1.7]. He was in commander-in-chief. For eighteen days there was fight, and one after another, a commander-in-chief was killed. And sixty-four crores of men were killed in the Battlefield of Kurukñ etra. And the battle was finished within eighteen days, not lingering for some years. No. Fight to the best capacity and finish the business.

So everyone, both the sides, Pä ë ò ava's side and Kaurava's side, all were killed. This Saubhadra, Draupadeya, everyone was killed. And the other side also. Only the five brothers they remained, and the one grandchild who was in the womb of the mother, he remained. Otherwise everyone was finished within eighteen days. Such a great fight it was. And people from all parts of the world, they joined the Battle of Kurukñ etra.

Somebody was criticizing me that " Swamiji, you are introducing this Hare Kå ñ ë a movement. People are becoming coward. They simply chant Hare Kå ñ ë a." So I replied that " You will see the power of Hare Kå ñ ë a movement in due course of time." He required... Because there were two battles in India: the battle between Rä vaë a and Rä ma, Rä ma-Rä vaë a, the battle of Rä mä yaë a; and another battle was Battle of Kurukñ etra. And in these two battles the hero was Vaiñ ë ava and Viñ ë u. In the Rä ma-Rä vaë a battle Lord Rä macandra was there and His devotee Hanumä n, Vajrä ì gajé. Similarly, in the Battlefield of Kurukñ etra, Kå ñ ë a was there and His devotee Arjuna was there. So Vaiñ ë avas, they do not simply chant Hare Kå ñ ë a. If there is need, they can fight under the guidance of Viñ ë u and become victorious. A Vaiñ ë ava's one qualification is... Out of the twenty-six qualifications, one qualification is dakñ a, expert. If there is need of fighting, they can fight like very expert. That is also needed. Kå ñ ë a consciousness does not mean one-sided. Kå ñ ë a as all-pervading, the Kå ñ ë a consciousness movement also should be all-pervading. It should touch everything, even politics, sociology, everything, if required. That is the aim. Because Kå ñ ë a's mission is: yadä yadä hi dharmasya glä nir bhavati bhä rata [Bg. 4.7], pariträ ë ä ya sä dhü nä à vinä ç ä ya ca duñ kå tä m [Bg. 4.8]. There is two mission: not only to give protection to the devotees, but also to kill the demons. To kill the demons, that is one side. So the devotees of Kå ñ ë a should be trained up both ways: not only to give protection to the devotees, to give them encouragement, but if need be, they should be prepared to kill the demons. That is Vaiñ ë avism. It is not cowardism. It is not cowardism. When need be. Generally, a Vaiñ ë ava is non-violent. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he was non-violent, Vaiñ ë ava. He said, " Kå ñ ë a, what is the use of this fighting? Let them enjoy." So by nature he was non-violent, but he was induced by Kå ñ ë a to become violent, that " Your non-violence will not help. You become violent. You kill them. I want." So if Kå ñ ë a wants we shall be prepared to become violent also. And Kå ñ ë a, that is open secret, that pariträ ë ä ya sä dhü nä à vinä ç ä ya ca duñ kå tä m [Bg. 4.8]. Two business of Kå ñ ë a, two side. So those who are devotees of Kå ñ ë a, they should be trained up both ways, they should be prepared. But generally, there is no question of becoming violent, unnecessarily. As the modern politicians, unnecessarily they declare war, a Vaiñ ë ava does not do so. No, unnecessarily, there is no need of war. When it was completely impossible to settle up the things between the Pä ë ò avas and the Kauravas, then Kå ñ ë a said, " All right, then there must be fight." When Duryodhana declined to spare even a portion of land holding the sü cyagra, the point of a needle... he refused that " I cannot spare even so much land which can hold the point of a needle." Then the war was declared. There is no question of settlement. Otherwise, Kå ñ ë a requested that " These five Pä ë ò avas, they are kñ atriyas. They cannot become merchant or brä hmaë a. Brä hmaë a's profession is paö hana pä ö hana yajana yä jana dä na pratigrahaù. Brä hmaë a can take charity from others. A sannyä sé can take charity from others. Not a kñ atriya or a gå hastha. No. That is not allowed. " So they are kñ atriyas; they cannot take the professions of a brä hmaë a, neither they can take the profession of a mercantile man, business man. They must have some land so that rule over, take taxation. And that is their living means.

So spare only five villages to these five brothers and settle up." But Duryodhana replied, " No, Sir. What to speak of five villages, we cannot spare even so much land which can hold the point of needle." Then the war was declared. So Vaiñ ë ava, they are non-violent. But if need be, they can become violent for Kå ñ ë a's sake. This is the Battle of Kurukñ etra. So any more? Or end here? All right, end here. Chant Hare Kå ñ ë a. (End)