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"The Material
World Means Politics,
Jealousy, Diplomacy, Envy"
73/07/07 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.1
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Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
dhrtarastra uvaca
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
[Bg. 1.1]
Prabhupada: (during chanting of sloka) Now, in your leisure hour you will try
to repeat and get by heart some of the slokas. That will be very nice. Go on.
Pradyumna: (after synonyms) "Translation: Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya,
after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, what did my sons
and the sons of Pandu do, being desirous to fight?"
Prabhupada: So the history is that same family, there was dispute who would
occupy the throne. Dhrtarastra and, actually he was the eldest son of the
king, and next was Pandu. So every country the law of primogeniture, what is
called? The eldest child... In your country even the eldest child is a girl,
she also occupies the throne. Just like present Queen Elizabeth. Formerly
there was Queen Victoria; before that, another Elizabeth. But in India woman
has no such right. Woman is never given any responsible post. That is the
opinion of the greatest politician in the history of the world, Canakya
Pandita. According to his opinion, visvaso naiva kartavyah strisu raja-kulesu
ca. He has given his explicit opinion that "You cannot trust with any
responsible post or any responsibility with a woman and politician."
Those who are diplomat, politician, you cannot trust them.
So the general regulation is that woman should remain under the protection of
husband, er, father, husband and children. Just like these Pandus, their
mother, Kunti, she was very, very qualified lady. But still, after the death
of her husband, she always remained with the sons. The sons are going to the
forest; the mother is also going. Also the wife is also going, Draupadi. This
was the... So two parties... Dhrtarastra was the eldest son, but he was
blind, bodily defect. Therefore he was not awarded the throne. His next
brother, Pandu, he was offered the throne, but he died very early age, a
young man. When these Pandus, the five sons, Yudhisthira Maharaja, at at that
time not Maharaja, Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, they were
very small children, so they were taken care of by Dhrtarastra and other
elderly family... Bhismadeva. He was the grandfather of the Pandavas. He was
the elder uncle of Dhrtarastra. Bhisma was elder brother of Dhrtarastra's
father. He was so old. But he was... Actually, the kingdom belonged to
Bhisma, but he remained a brahmacari, he did not marry. There was no issue of
Bhismadeva. Therefore his nephews, Dhrtarastra and Pandu, they were
inheritor.
Now, after the death of Pandu, there was conspiracy. Dhrtarastra wanted that
"Actually, this is my kingdom. Now, somehow or other, I could not get
it. Now my brother is dead. So if I do not inherit, why not my sons.?"
This was the politics. Politics are always there, and enviousness, jealousy.
This is the nature of this material world. You cannot avoid it. Spiritual world
means just the opposite. There is no politics. There is no jealousy. There is
no enviousness. That is spiritual world. And material world means politics,
jealousy, diplomacy, enviousness, so many things. This is material world. So
even in the heavenly planets, these things are there, politics. Even in
animal kingdom, these politics are there. This is the nature. Matsarata.
Matsarata means enviousness. One man is envious of another man. It doesn't
matter, even they are brothers or family members. Here the family members,
Dhrtarastra and Pandu, two brothers, their sons, they were family members,
but the enviousness...
So the Krsna consciousness movement is not for the persons who are envious.
Envious. It is a movement to train people how to become not envious. It is
very first-class scientific movement, yes. Not to become envious. Therefore
Srimad-Bhagavatam in the beginning introduces, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo atra
[SB 1.1.2]. In this Srimad-Bhagavatam, dharma, religious principles, cheating
type of religious principle is completely eradicated, thrown away, projjhita.
They are kicked out, projjhita. Just like you collect all the dirty things
from the room, sweeping and then kick out, don't keep it within the room.
Similarly, cheating type of religious system -- kicked out. It is not such
religion, "this religion," "that religion." Any religion
system, if there is jealousy, that is not religion. Jealousy means... We
should understand jealousy, what is jealousy. Jealousy means that you are rightful
owner of something; I won't allow you to take it. This is jealousy. This is
jealousy. Jealousy, try to understand. Suppose you are rightful owner of
something, and I am trying that "You don't own it. I shall own it. Or
somebody own it. I shall not allow it." This is jealousy.
So what is the rightful ownership of the living entity? That is to be
understood. Birthright, what is called birthright. Just like everyone has got
right to live under the protection of the government, everyone. That is good
government. Government should give security of life and property. That is
government. Not only for the human being, but even for the ant. This is
government. Not that I give protection to my brother, and not to others. That
is not... Just like Pariksit Maharaja, he was giving protection to the
animals also. When he was on his tour, as soon as he saw that a black man was
trying to kill one cow, oh, immediately he took his sword, "Who are you?
You are trying to kill?"
So this is good government. Unless the government is equal to everyone...
Just like God is equal to everyone. The king or the government must be
representative of God. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, king is
offered as good respect as to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. King is
called nara-deva, nara-deva. That means "God in human form." King
is given... Why? Because he acts as the representative of God. He cannot be
jealous to any living entity, at least, born in his kingdom. That is called
praja. Praja means one who has taken birth, or, in other words, national,
national. So that was the duty.
So formerly, when there was fight between two kings, it is on the principle
that who is giving good protection to the citizens, not for personal profit.
Who is able to give good protection, life, security for life and property, he
should become king. So these persons, this Dhrtarastra and his sons, they
were jealous. How they could give protection to the citizens? They are
themselves jealous. Just like nowadays, all these politicians, they are
jealous. They cannot give any protection to the citizens. They are simply
interested with their party politics. They have no time even to think how to
give nice protection to the citizens so that they may feel happy always that
"We have got good government. There is no cause of anxiety. We have got
sufficient food, sufficient protection, sufficient opulence, everything
sufficient." That is good government.
So here, Dhrtarastra, he is jealous. He cannot give any good government.
Krsna knew it. Krsna sent a messenger, Akrura. You have read in the
Srimad-Bhagavatam. Before this Battle of Kuruksetra from Dvaraka, He sent his
uncle Akrura: "Just go to Hastinapura, New Delhi, and see what is the
situation." So Akrura understood that Dhrtarastra was planning
something. So he talked with him that "Why you are implicated in such
planning? Krsna does not want it." Although Dhrtarastra knew that Krsna
was the Supreme Personality of Godhead... So Dhrtarastra said that "I
know that what I am planning, that is not good. I know Krsna -- the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. And He has requested me. But I tell you frankly, I
cannot do without it. So when Krsna will be pleased upon me, I may be."
So this is the position of the materialistic person. A materialistic person
knows that he is sinful. A materialistic person knows that whatever he is
doing is wrong, but he cannot check. Just like the thief. A thief knows that
if he commits stealing, he will be arrested, he will be punished. He knows.
Because he heard from lawbooks, from other sources, and he has also seen that
a thief is arrested and he is taken by the police for being punished. So we
have got two kinds of experiences: by hearing and by seeing directly. In
Bengali it is called, dekha-suna. In India it is called. The two kinds of
experience: one by seeing, practically experiencing, hand to hand; another by
hearing. So one who is intelligent, he gets his experience simply by hearing
from the right source. That is nice.
So our process is that we are getting experience about the perfect knowledge,
the destination of life, simply by hearing from Krsna. So we are the most
intelligent person. It is not possible to experience directly, but if one has
got intelligence, then simply by hearing and considering and thinking over
it, he gets the experience. So those who are very sinful, they get experience
by hearing and by direct, directly seeing also; still, they cannot check from
sinful activities. So Dhrtarastra, Dhrtarastra, by his sinful activities he
became so much fallen that he did not hear anybody's advice, Vidura's advice,
Bhisma's advice, that "Don't plan like this. They are rightful owners.
The Pandavas, they are rightful owners. They are minor, but don't try to
cheat them." But Dhrtarastra was...
So when the planning was complete and the warfield was set up at
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre [Bg. 1.1]. Dharma-ksetre means, kuru-ksetre, that
place is a pilgrimage. People still go to observe religious ritualistic
performances. And in the Vedas there is injunction, kuru-ksetre dharmam
acaret: "If you want to perform some ritualistic ceremonies, religious,
then go to Kuruksetra." So Kuruksetra is a dharma-ksetra. It is a not
fictitious thing, just like rascal commentators, so-called, they say,
"Kuruksetra means this body." It is not that. As it is. Try to
understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. Kuruksetra, dharma-ksetra. It is a place
of religion. And especially when Krsna was present there, it is already. Why
this house? Before our occupation, why this house was an ordinary house? Now
it is temple. It is dharma-ksetra, it is a religious place. Why? Because
Krsna is there. Krsna is there. So either you take Kuruksetra, ordinary
place. But because in the battlefield Krsna was there directing Arjuna. So it
is already dharma-ksetra.
So formerly people were religiously trained up. So they could not speak lies
in a dharma-ksetra. That is still the practice. Just like in the western
world, the Christians go to the church, they admit, confession, "Yes, I
have done it." But that has become a formality. But actually, one should
admit in religious place that "Yes, I have done this." But that
does not mean you admit and again do it. No. You admit once, then you are
excused. But don't do it again.
So here Dhrtarastra says, samaveta yuyutsavah [Bg. 1.1]. "All these people,
my sons, mamakah..." Mamakah. That means "my sons," and
pandava, "my brother Pandu's sons." Samaveta, "they
assembled." What is the purpose? The purpose is yuyutsavah. This word
yuyutsu is still used in Japan. Perhaps you know, yuyutsa, fighting. So yuyutsu,
those who are desirous of fighting. Now, both the parties were desiring to
fight, and they assembled. Why he is asking question, kim akurvata:
"What did they do"? Because he was little doubtful that "These
boys, after being assembled in dharma-ksetra kuru-kse..., they might have
changed their ideas. They might have settled up." Actually, the sons of
Dhrtarastra might have admitted, "Yes, Pandavas, you are actually the
owner. What is the use of unnecessarily fighting?" So he was very much
anxious whether they had changed their decision. Therefore he is asking.
Otherwise there was no question of asking, kim akurvata. He... Just like if
you are given food, if I ask somebody that "Such and such gentleman was
served with nice dishes. Then what did he do?" This is foolish question.
He would eat. That's all. (laughter) What is the question of "What did
he do?" Similarly, when it is already settled up that they were to
fight, there was no such question as kim akurvata, "What did they
do?" But he asked this question because he was doubtful whether they had
changed their opinion.
Kim akurvata sanjaya [Bg. 1.1]. He was asking his secretary. He was blind
man. He was always conducted by his secretary Sanjaya, a very faithful
secretary. And he is explaining the Bhagavad-gita by experiencing, by
television within the heart. That art is not yet developed. You have got
television through machine, but there is another television -- you can see
within your heart everything, what is going on outside. So that television was
known to... That will be explained by Sanjaya, that by the grace of
Vyasadeva, he learned this televisioning, and he was sitting with his master
within the room and he was actually seeing how the fighting is going on. And
he was explaining. This is the basic principle of Bhagavad-gita, I mean, the
basic platform. So let us discuss gradually, one after an... Thank you very
much.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.1 -- London,
July 7, 1973
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