You will see the power of Hare Krishna movement in due course of time... | Krishna.org


Devotees

Published on April 2nd, 2023 | by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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You will see the power of Hare Krishna movement in due course of time…

https://krishna.org/audio/MP3/Bg_01-07___London_1973-07-11___Vaisnavism_Is_Not_Cowardism.mp3

So the devotees of Krsna 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 Vaisnavism. It is not cowardism.

Bhagavad-gita 1.6-7 — London, July 11, 1973

Pradyumna: “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 visista 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. Bhisma, Karna, Dronacarya, Asvatthama, they all surrounded him, and they did not allow him to come out. They were very experienced commanders. So this is ksatriya 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 cintayet prajno apayan ca cintayet.. A prajna, 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 prajna 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, asmakam tu visista ye. Visista, not to speak of the ordinary soldiers. They’re visista. Visista means who are specifically to be mentioned, high officers. Asmakam tu visista 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 Kuruksetra. 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 Krsna movement. People are becoming coward. They simply chant Hare Krsna.” So I replied that “You will see the power of Hare Krsna 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 Kuruksetra. And in these two battles the hero was Vaisnava and Visnu. In the Rama-Ravana battle Lord Ramacandra was there and His devotee Hanuman, Vajrangaji. Similarly, in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Krsna was there and His devotee Arjuna was there. So Vaisnavas, they do not simply chant Hare Krsna. If there is need, they can fight under the guidance of Visnu and become victorious. A Vaisnava’s one qualification is… Out of the twenty-six qualifications, one qualification is daksa, expert. If there is need of fighting, they can fight like very expert. That is also needed. Krsna’s… Krsna consciousness does not mean one-sided. Krsna as all-pervading, the Krsna consciousness movement also should be all-pervading.

It should touch everything, even politics, sociology, everything, if required. That is the aim. Because Krsna’s mission is: yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam. 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 Krsna 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 Vaisnavism. It is not cowardism. It is not cowardism. When need be. Generally, a Vaisnava is non-violent. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he was non-violent, Vaisnava. He said, “Krsna, what is the use of this fighting? Let them enjoy.” So by nature he was non-violent, but he was induced by Krsna to become violent, that “Your non-violence will not help. You become violent. You kill them. I want.” So if Krsna wants we shall be prepared to become violent also. And Krsna, that is open secret, that paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam. Two business of Krsna, two side. So those who are devotees of Krsna, 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 Vaisnava 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 Krsna said, “All right, then there must be fight.” When Duryodhana declined to spare even a portion of land holding the sucyagra, 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, Krsna requested that “These five Pandavas, they are ksatriyas. 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 ksatriya or a grhastha. No. That is not allowed. “So they are ksatriyas; 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 Vaisnava, they are non-violent. But if need be, they can become violent for Krsna’s sake. This is the Battle of Kuruksetra. So any more? Or end here? All right, end here. Chant Hare Krsna. (End)

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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About the Author

Founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966 in New York. In only 11 years he spread the movement all over the world. He wrote more than 80 books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Isopanisad. Prabhupada's books constitute a complete library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.



5 Responses to You will see the power of Hare Krishna movement in due course of time…

  1. Mahima says:

    Prabhu, not wanting to waste your time, it is my humble request to you to please help me.

    I have been reading Srila Prabhupada’s books for quite a few years now as per the rule (1 hour daily) and chanting 16 rounds daily and following the 4 regulative principles. It was going on nicely and I was very happy.

    All of sudden I got the habit of not reading srila Prabhupada’s books although I am still chanting 16 rounds daily and following the 4 regulative principles. And somehow it has become such a strong habit that I am not able to overcome it. I am not feeling as happy now as I was then and I know that it is not due to reading the books for 1 hour daily. Even if i read , it is only for 20 minutes or so.

    The main thing is I am not getting the mood or rather , the encouragement to read them. Prabhu, could you please encourage me to read the books for 1 hour daily…I have always taken your words seriously…

    Due to unavoidable circumstances I am not able to distribute books now and along with that somehow I have come to even not reading his books. There is no question of stopping my spiritual life, but things are just not going in the right way. I am totally confused.

    I am not understanding what to do. Prabhu, please somehow encourage me to read Srila Prabhupada’s books. It is a humble request…

    Your humble servant.

    • Hare Krishna Mahima

      This is the way of maya, and it is caused by association of non-devotees. Actually association of non-devotees is very powerful and very poisonous. So this is the difficult position we find ourselves in at this time. Because practically speaking association of devotees is not available. Srila Prabhupada established ISKCON for this purpose. To provide a place where serious devotees could go and live and associate with other devotees. Unfortunately that has now been transformed into a mundane Hindu church full of demons, pretenders and mislead neophytes.

      So the point is at the moment we are basically on our own. And you have diagnosed your ailments correctly. You have given up your service, distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books, and you have given up your association with Srila Prabhupada, a pure devotee of Krishna, by stopping your regular reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books. So you know the cure. The cure is for you to restart your service, distributing Prabhupada’s books, and restart your regular daily association with Srila Prabhupada by reading his books every day at least 1-2 hours.

      There are times when we have no taste for Krishna consciousness. We do not feel like chanting Hare Krishna and we don’t feel like reading Prabhupada’s books… But we have to know this is maya. And the remedy to this disease is chanting Hare Krishna and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. Srila Prabhupada gives the example of a man who is suffering from the disease of jaundice to explain this. One of the symptoms of a man suffering from jaundice is that he looses his ability to taste sweet things, in fact sweet things, to him in his diseased condition, taste bitter. So while suffering from jaundice he does not like to eat sweet things. But it so happens that the cure for this disease is taking sweet things like sugarcane juice, etc. But the problem is the man suffering from jaundice has no desire to drink the sugarcane juice because, because of his diseased condition, it tastes bitter to him.

      So the sugarcane juice is not bitter, it is sweet. It only appears to be bitter to the man suffering from jaundice because he is diseased. And he has to take the sugarcane juice, even though he does not like to, because that is the cure of his disease.

      So chanting Hare krishna and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books is actually very sweet. But because we have the material disease chanting Hare Krishna and reading Prabhupada’s books appears to be bitter to us. But this chanting of Hare Krishna and reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books is the cure for the disease of materialism.

      So the point is we have to continue our service to Srila Prabhupada, we have to continue chanting Hare Krishna and we have to continue reading his books, even if we have no attraction to these things. For these things are the cure of our material disease and if we just keep on doing them very soon our original Krishna consciousness will become uncovered and we will then be able to appreciate the true spiritual bliss that is there in chanting Hare Krishna, reading Prabhupada’s books, etc.

      So you know these things. So try to minimize your association with the non-devotees to just the things you have to associate with them for, official things only. And increase your association with Srila Prabhupada and Krishna by reading Prabhupada’s books and chanting Hare Krishna, and very quickly you will be able to reach the highest spiritual platform you achieved previously and you will then start advancing from that point.

      So never give up chanting Hare Krishna. There is nothing else. There is no pleasure in the material world. It is just a perverted reflection of the reality in the spiritual world. We can not enjoy anything in a perverted reflection…

      So… Chant Hare Krishna and be happy, and if you are not immediately happy, keep chanting Hare Krishna….

      • Aman says:

        Hare Krishna Prabhu
        Please accept my humble obeisances
        All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

        After reading your comments, like after reading Srila Prabhupada’s books etc. and hearing him, I start regaining my Krishna Consciousness no matter in what situation I am. They are very, very nice. You are saying only what Srila Prabhupada has said.

        • Yes. That is the idea, we should hear from Srila Prabhupada and repeat what he says, that is the process, param-para. Not that we make up our own ideas and speculations and preach them.

  2. mudunuri sree harsha says:

    hare krishna!

    that is true the change has started now,
    krishna in is last avatar has said that he has done everything what we have to do is just be part of it. food is made ready … we have to distribute it that is the work we have.. and the reward is given for us.

    there is going to be a greater change in india and abroad, india is rising back as it is the capital of spirituality..
    it is going to show light all over earth.

    the time has come. all of them be part of it.

    hare rama

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