Bhagavad-gt 1.

4-5 London, July 10, 1973

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc): atra r mahevs bhmrjuna-sam yudhi yuyudhno vira ca drupada ca mah-ratha [Bg. 1.4] Translation: "Here in this army there are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhma and Arjuna; there are also great fighters like Yuyudhna, Vira and Drupada." Prabhupda: 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 Ka mah-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 nirbandha ka-sambandhe, whenever there is connection with Ka, that also becomes Ka. This is a subtle form of philosophical understanding. Nirbandha ka-sambandhe. If there is relationship with Ka... Therefore the sahajiys, they do not read Bhagavad-gt. They say, "We have nothing to do with Bhagavad-gt." They jump over to the rmad-Bhgavatam, Tenth Canto, Ka's rsa-ll, as if Ka is connected with rsa-ll and not with this ll. They make distinction. Ka's this fighting ll, pastimes, and the rsa-ll pastime, they are all the same because Ka is the center. Ka 1

being center, whatever in connection with Ka is there, that becomes also Ka. This is the idea. ansaktasya viayn yathrham upayujata nirbandha ka-sambandhe yukta vairgyam ucyate This is the instruction of rla Rpa Gosvm in his Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu. So just like we, in propagating Ka consciousness, we have to deal with money or persons who are not Ka conscious, outsider. We have to deal with them. But when we go to outsider or when we deal with money, there is relationship with Ka, ka-sambandha. So Rpa Gosvm has distinguished the... prpacikatay buddhy hari-sambandhi-vastuna mumukubhi paritygo vairgya phalgu kathyate Prpacika means material. So prpacikatay buddhy hari-sambandhi-vastuna. Everything has got connection with Ka because ultimately everything is Ka's energy. The material world is also manifestation of Ka's energy. Bhmir po 'nalo vyu [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, Ka says, bhinn me praktir aadh: "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 Ka's energy. But when you become 2

covered by this material energy, you do not see Ka. This is the position. So we have to use our intelligence. That is described by rla Rpa Gosvm: prpacikatay buddhy hari-sambandhi-vastuna, mumukubhi parityga. Mumuku, especially the Myvds, who are after liberation, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, mumuku, moka, they, Myvda, they say, "Everything is my." Brahma satya jagan mithy: "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 Ka. Anything material, made of earth, water, fire, air, they are Ka's energies. Therefore there is direct relationship with Ka. And if Ka is reality, why His energy should be false? No. We must know how to utilize it. So similarly, in this battlefield, Ka 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 groundeverything Ka's energy. So if we remember that everything is manifestation of Ka's energy, there is no question of materialism. It is all spiritual energy. So nirbandha ka-sambandhe. So we have to use them for Ka. Here all of of them have gathered. This is another Ka's energy. Ka appears, paritrya sdhn vinya ca duktm [Bg. 4.8]. He wanted to kill all the demons. That is another side of his business. As one side, paritrya sdhnm, 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 Ka'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 3

working as different manifestation of Ka's energy. Parsya aktir vividhaiva ryate [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. Parsya aktir vividhaiva ryate, sv-bhvik jna-bala-kriy ca. Just like here also, when we do something, we require varieties of energies to make that thing perfect. So everything, Ka, Ka'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. Ka wanted to gather all the demoniac power in that Battlefield of Kuruketra and kill them. That was His plan. So there is a plan of Ka. Nirbandha ka-sambandhe. We should not be attached to things as there, but we should try to understand that there is relationship with Ka. And as soon as there is relationship with Ka, we shall properly utilize it. That is Ka consciousness. As soon as we understand that there is relationship with Ka, nirbandha ka-sambandhe... Everything can be utilized for Ka. Ka is not a stereotyped, stagnant block. Ka is a dynamic force. Therefore everything can be dovetailed in the service of Ka. Simply one should learn the art under proper guidance how to utilize. Then that will be perfect form of Ka consciousness. Read next verse. Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.): dhaketu cekitna kirja ca vryavn purujit kuntibhoja ca aibya ca nara-pugava [Bg. 1.5] Translation: "There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhaketu, Cekitna, Kirja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and aibya." Prabhupda: Practically in the Battle of Kuruketra great personalities, warriors, from all parts of the world they came and joined. Some of them 4

joined with this party and others joined with the other party. So far we have studied... just like aibya, he belonged to 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 Mahbhrata. Bhagavad-gt is part of Mahbhrata. Mahbhrata means greater India. Mah means greater, and bhrata means India. So this whole planet was Bhrata-vara. There was only one flag. The whole planet was being ruled by one king. That is the king of this Hastinpura. The fight is that, that who would be the king, Mahrja Yudhihira or Duryodhana. But a king... It is not a democratic; it is monarchy. So Ka is deciding, "No, Duryodhana is unfit. Mahrja Yudhihira is fit." This is Ka's desire. Therefore this fight is there. Kuruketra. Ka wanted to wipe out all unwanted demons from the face of the world and enthrone Mahrja Yudhihira because he is the exact representative of Ka. So monarchy or dictatorship is welcome. Now the Communists, they want dictatorship. That is welcome, provided that particular dictator is trained like Mahrja Yudhihira. 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 vyadhaya (?). We have read the other day in the rmad-Bhgavatam. There are three kinds of miserable conditions of life, bhttma-hetav a. The cause... They are caused by three principles: adhytmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Daiva-bhttma-hetava. These are all described in the rmad-Bhgavatam. 5

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 Vndvana being angry upon the residents of the... Ka saved, Giridhr. He became Giridhr. So these disturbances are there. Adhytmika, 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 adhytmika, 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 Mahrja Yudhihira or his forefathers, or even his grandson. After Mahrja Yudhihira, there was no kingdom of Mahrja Yud..., of the son of Yudhihira or Arjuna. All died in the Battlefield of Kuruketra. Only one grandson was in the womb of his mother, posthumous child. He was saved only. So up to that point, Mahrja Parkit, the whole planet was very nicely governed by dictatorship. So we can bring in such dictatorship, provided that dictator is perfectly Ka conscious. Under his guidance, everything... Because he knows how to conduct kingdom, how to make everyone happy. Nirbandha ka-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 Ka's guidance they would be all killed. Nimitta-mtra bhava savyascin. When Arjuna was declining to fight, Ka 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-mtra bhava savyascin. They are already killed. So this battlefield, because Ka wanted to kill them, and the result 6

wasyou will find in the Bhagavad-gt, they all attained svarpa. Anyone who was killed, who died in the Battlefield of Kuruketra, in the presence of Ka, they all attained their original, constitutional position, spiritual form. They all went back to home, back to Godhead, everyone. Therefore Ka is Absolute. Either His killing or His protecting, it is all the same. You don't think that Ka is killing. No. If anyone is killed by Ka, 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 Ka's enemy, one gets this benefit. Just think over if you become Ka's friend, what is the benefit. That is Ka consciousness. The Myvds they are after liberation. So this liberation is granted even to the enemies of Ka. They are also enemies. The Myvds, they are also enemies. Ke apardh. They are offender to Ka because they do not accept the form of Ka. Therefore they are offender. So everything studied in relationship with Ka, that is perfect knowledge, and that is described in the Bhagavad-gt. So it is not that like sahajiys that we are interested in Ka's rsa dance, not with this fighting in the Battlefields of Kuruketra. This is sahajiy-bhva. This is not wanted. Thank you very much. Hare Ka. (end)