Krishna Consciousness is Not Cowardism

Founder-Acharya of the world-wide Hare Krishna Movement, Brahma Sampradaya Acharya

And the battle was finished within eighteen days, not lingering for some years. No. Fight to the best capacity and finish the business.

["As the modern politicians, unnecessarily they declare war," says Srila Prabhupada, "a Vaishnava [devotee of Krishna] does not do so. No, unnecessarily, there is no need of war. When it was completely impossible to settle up the things between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, then Krishna said, "All right, then there must be fight." But a conclusive war, "not lingering for some years." What a contrast to the words of President Bush and General Rumsfeld: "We'll stay the course" and "It's gonna take years."]

NEWS ANALYSIS
Bush Is Now in Step With His Generals
December 1, 2005 latimes.com:Iraq
By Tyler Marshall and Mark Mazzetti, Times Staff Writers

In June, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld began to endorse the view of his commanders. However long U.S. troops stay, Rumsfeld told Congress, remnants of a well-armed insurgency will continue to fight them. "If [the insurgency] does go on for four, eight, 10, 12, 15 years, whatever … it is going to be a problem for the people of Iraq," Rumsfeld said. "They're going to have to cope with that insurgency over time." Yet even as the president's senior military and civilian advisors began to lay the groundwork, Bush remained firm in his insistence that the U.S. military's mission would not be complete until the insurgency was defeated. "When that mission of defeating the terrorists in Iraq is complete, our troops will come home," Bush said at his ranch near Crawford, Texas, in August.

Pradyumna: [Reads translation to Bhagavad-gita 1.6-7:] "Translation: There are the mighty Yudhamanyu, the very powerful Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi. All these warriors are great chariot fighters."

asmakam tu vishishta ye
tan nibodha dvijottama
nayaka mama sainyasya
samjnartham tan bravimi te

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

Prabhupada: 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 maha-ratha, they had good qualification. Maha-ratha means alone he could fight with many other charioteers. They are called ati-ratha, maha-ratha. There are different grades of fighters.

So, so far Pandavas are concerned, their son. Saubhadra... Saubhadra means Abhimanyu, Subhadra's son. Because he was Subhadra's son, his name was Saubhadra. Draupadi's sons, they are called Draupadeya. In Sanskrit, just like bhagini, sister, bhagini, her son is called bhagineya, nephews. So there is link. As soon as we speak Saubhadra, that means Subhadra's son. Subhadra's son, he was only sixteen years old at that time. He was married with Uttara, the daughter of Maharaja Virata. So they were all maha-rathas, ordinary, not ordinary fighters. This Abhimanyu was killed by conspiracy by seven commander-in-chief. Bhishma, Karna, Dronacharya, Ashvatthama, they all surrounded him, and they did not allow him to come out. They were very experienced commanders. So this is kshatriya 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-vada .[?] So Saubhadra, Draupadi... Similarly, Draupadi's sons also there. Sarva eva maha-rathah. Maha-ratha means one who could fight with one thousand chariots on the other side. They were called maha-rathah.

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 chintayet prajno apayan cha chintayet. A prajna, an intelligent man, not only thinks 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 goes away, then... Therefore upayan chintayet prajna apayan cha chintayet. 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, asmakam tu vishishta ye. Vishishta, not to speak of the ordinary soldiers. They're vishishta. Vishishta means who are specifically to be mentioned, high officers. Asmakam tu vishishta ye tan nibodha dvijottama. 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 Kurukshetra. 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, Pandava'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 Kuruksetra.

Somebody was criticizing me that "Swamiji, you are introducing this Hare Krishna movement. People are becoming coward. They simply chant Hare Krsna." So I replied that "You will see the power of Hare Krishna movement in due course of time." He required... Because there were two battles in India: the battle between Ravana and Rama, Rama-Ravana, the battle of Ramayana; and another battle was Battle of Kurukshetra. And in these two battles the hero was Vaishnava and Vishnu. In the Rama-Ravana battle Lord Ramaccandra was there and His devotee Hanuman, Vajrangaji. Similarly, in the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, Krishna was there and His devotee Arjuna was there. So Vaishnavas, they do not simply chant Hare Krsna. If there is need, they can fight under the guidance of Vishnu and become victorious. A Vaishnava's one qualification is... Out of the twenty-six qualifications, one qualification is daksha, expert. If there is need of fighting, they can fight like very expert. That is also needed. Krishna's... Krishna consciousness does not mean one-sided. Krishna is all-pervading, the Krishna consciousness movement also should be all-pervading. It should touch everything, even politics, sociology, everything, if required. That is the aim. Because Krishna's mission is: yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya cha duskritam. 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 Krishna 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 Vaishnavism. It is not cowardism. It is not cowardism. When need be. Generally, a Vaishnava is non-violent. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he was non-violent, Vaishnava. He said, "Krishna, what is the use of this fighting? Let them enjoy." So by nature he was non-violent, but he was induced by Krishna to become violent, that "Your non-violence will not help. You become violent. You kill them. I want." So if Krishna wants we shall be prepared to become violent also. And Krishna, that is open secret, that paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya cha duskritam. Two business of Krishna, two side. So those who are devotees of Krishna, 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 Vaishnava does not do so. No, unnecessarily, there is no need of war. When it was completely impossible to settle up the things between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, then Krishna said, "All right, then there must be fight." When Duryodhana declined to spare even a portion of land holding the suchyagra, 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, Krishna requested that "These five Pandavas, they are kshatriyas. They cannot become merchant or brahmana. Brahmana's profession is pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigrahah. Brahmana can take charity from others. A sannyasi can take charity from others. Not a kshatriya or a grihastha. No. That is not allowed. "So they are kshatriyas; they cannot take the professions of a brahmana, 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 Vaishnava, they are non-violent. But if need be, they can become violent for Krishna's sake. This is the Battle of Kurukshetra. So any more? Or end here? All right, end here. Chant Hare Krishna. [End]