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Battle of Kuruksetra (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

So in this Bhagavad-gītā... We may survey what is this Bhagavad-gītā. This Bhagavad-gītā is meant for delivering persons, persons from the nescience of this material existence. Every man is in difficulty in so many ways, as Arjuna also was in difficulty in the matter of fighting the battle of Kurukṣetra. And as such he surrendered unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and therefore this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. Similarly, not only Arjuna but every one of us is always full of anxieties due to our, this material existence. Asad-grahāt. It is... Our existence is in the environment or atmosphere of nonexistence. But actually, we are not nonexistent. Our existence is eternal, but some way or other we are put into this asat. Asat means which does not exist.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

Arjuna was certainly, being an associate of Lord Kṛṣṇa, he was above all ignorance. But still, Arjuna was put into ignorance in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra just to question about the problems of life to the Supreme Lord so that the Lord can explain them for the benefit of future generation of human being to chalk out the plan of his life and act in that way so that his life, his mission of human life, can be perfect.

Lecture on BG 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973:

So here, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, he is jealous. He cannot give any good government. Kṛṣṇa knew it. Kṛṣṇa sent a messenger, Akrura. You have read in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Before this Battle of Kurukṣetra from Dvārakā, He sent his uncle Akrūra: "Just go to Hastināpura, New Delhi, and see what is the situation." So Akrūra understood that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was planning something.

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

So these, I mean to say, warriors' name mentioning, we should not neglect. Kṛṣṇa wanted to gather all the demoniac power in that Battlefield of Kurukṣetra and kill them. That was His plan. So there is a plan of Kṛṣṇa. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. We should not be attached to things as there, but we should try to understand that there is relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

Practically in the Battle of Kurukṣetra great personalities, warriors, from all parts of the world they came and joined. Some of them joined with this party and others joined with the other party. So far we have studied... just like Śaibya, he belonged to Śibya. 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.

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

If that condition can be brought in, like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or his forefathers, or even his grandson. After Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, there was no kingdom of Mahārāja Yud..., of the son of Yudhiṣṭhira or Arjuna. All died in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Only one grandson was in the womb of his mother, posthumous child. He was saved only. So up to that point, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole planet was very nicely governed by dictatorship. So we can bring in such dictatorship, provided that dictator is perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious. Under his guidance, everything...

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

So this battlefield, because Kṛṣṇa wanted to kill them, and the result was—you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, they all attained svarūpa. Anyone who was killed, who died in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, in the presence of Kṛṣṇa, they all attained their original, constitutional position, spiritual form. They all went back to home, back to Godhead, everyone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Absolute.

Lecture on BG 1.6-7 -- London, July 11, 1973:

So after calculating their strength, then Duryodhana is speaking about his own strength, asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye. Viśiṣṭā, not to speak of the ordinary soldiers. They're viśiṣṭā. Viśiṣṭā means who are specifically to be mentioned, high officers. Asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān 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 Kurukṣetra. And the battle was finished within eighteen days, not lingering for some years. No. Fight to the best capacity and finish the business.

Lecture on BG 1.6-7 -- London, July 11, 1973:

So everyone, both the sides, Pāṇḍava'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 Kurukṣetra.

Lecture on BG 1.6-7 -- London, July 11, 1973:

Somebody was criticizing me that "Swamiji, you are introducing this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. People are becoming coward. They simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So I replied that "You will see the power of Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in due course of time." He required... Because there were two battles in India: the battle between Rāvaṇa and Rāma, Rāma-Rāvaṇa, the battle of Rāmāyaṇa; and another battle was Battle of Kurukṣetra. And in these two battles the hero was Vaiṣṇava and Viṣṇu. In the Rāma-Rāvaṇa battle Lord Rāmacandra was there and His devotee Hanumān, Vajrāṅgajī. Similarly, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Kṛṣṇa was there and His devotee Arjuna was there. So Vaiṣṇavas, they do not simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. If there is need, they can fight under the guidance of Viṣṇu and become victorious. A Vaiṣṇava's one qualification is... Out of the twenty-six qualifications, one qualification is dakṣa, expert. If there is need of fighting, they can fight like very expert. That is also needed.

Lecture on BG 1.6-7 -- London, July 11, 1973:

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 Vaiṣṇava, they are non-violent. But if need be, they can become violent for Kṛṣṇa's sake. This is the Battle of Kurukṣetra. So any more? Or end here? All right, end here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 1.10 -- London, July 12, 1973:

But in the previous verse he said, anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā mad-arthe tyakta-jīvitāḥ (BG 1.9). Tyakta-jīvitāḥ means "They have come to lay down their life for me." This is a foretelling because actually, whoever joined the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, none of them returned. Tyakta-jīvitāḥ. So it is already concluded that although Duryodhana is very much proud of his military strength protected by Bhīṣma, still, tyakta-jīvitāḥ, they would surely die. This is the conclusion. Nānā-śastra-praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddha-viśāradāḥ.

Lecture on BG 1.12 -- London, July 13, 1973:

So amongst the kṣatriyas when there is fighting, unless one party is killed, the fighting cannot be stopped. This is the Battle of Kurukṣetra, to see the history of the former kings and kṣatriyas, how they were determined. This is one of the qualifications of kṣatriya: not to go away from the fighting. When there is challenge of fighting, immediately a kṣatriya would accept. That is kṣatriya spirit. Īśvara-bhāvaṁ ca, and ruling over others. And charitable. These are the symptoms of kṣatriya.

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

They will not change, they will not interpret. They can explain. But the original fact is not distorted. That is ācārya. Ācārya will never say that "Kṛṣṇa is material. Kṛṣṇa... There was no such thing as Kṛṣṇa. There was no such battle, Battle of Kurukṣetra. These are all imaginary." So if we don't want to be cheated, then we should take Kṛṣṇa as He is presenting Himself and as it is confirmed by the ācāryas. Then our knowledge is perfect.

Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

Therefore we have to meet them in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and if required, we have to kill them and execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. If we are thinking that "In this material existence I shall be safe, assisted by my society, friendship, love, country, and politics and sociology," "No, no, sir, it is not possible." It is not possible.

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

So five thousand years. You just try to understand how the society was going on strictly on the Vedic principles. So now there is no such thing. Nobody is observing Vedic principles. And because the Vedic principles were strictly being followed, the whole world was one unit, controlled by these Pāṇḍavas. Even the grandson of Pāṇḍava, Mahārāja Parīkṣit,... This is on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Then when the battle was over, the next king was Mahārāja Parīkṣit, grandson of Arjuna. Up to that time, everything was in order, Vedic principles. All over the world. There was no question of eating meat. The same principles were followed.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

Such, these persons, they are called go-khara." Go-khara means cows and asses. So Arjuna played the part of a go-khara. In the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he played the part of an ordinary person, go-khara, who is identifying this body as self. Therefore he required instruction. Not only... He became so much overwhelmed that he gave up his arrows and bows and sat down, tightly: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I am not, I cannot fight." And he was crying.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

So as we have lost our Vedic culture, as we could not control the others, other people in other part of the world, by our culture, by our political maneuver, we have lost. Even up to the day of Battlefield of Kurukṣetra... Why Kurukṣetra? Up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was being controlled by one king in New Delhi, Hastināpura. There was no other kingdom. And when the battlefield was..., the battle was there, all people from all parts of body, all parts of the world, they joined, either this party or that party. That was the battlefield.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

So this is the picture of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa is ordered by Arjuna to place the chariot in between the two soldiers. Now, after seeing the soldiers and the kings and other party, Arjuna is aggrieved, so much so that he did not like to fight, and he was crying. Now, Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked Sañjaya: "Then what happened next?" Dhṛtarāṣṭra was very much anxious. He said: dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1).

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

So this was a discussion between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So the subject of discussion was that although the battle was declared, Arjuna, when he actually found that "On the other side there are my relatives," how he could slay them? Kṛṣṇa advised that "Everyone must execute his prescribed duty without consideration of any personal loss or gain."

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

So Arjuna belonged to the group of men who was meant for giving protection to the society. So when he was declining to fight, Arjuna, when he was declining to fight, at that time Kṛṣṇa gave him advice that "It is your duty to fight." So generally killing is not good at all, but when there is enemy, aggressor, then to kill the aggressor is not sin. So the other party in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, they became aggressor to the Arjuna's party. Now, this is the set up of the Bhagavad-gītā. The real purpose is to instruct Arjuna about spiritual understanding.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

So Sañjaya, the private secretary of Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, he was relaying the message which was going on in the battle of Kurukṣetra by higher process. Nowadays we have got experience of the television, but the another process, antar-dṛṣṭi, that is also television. You can see the reflection of external activities within your heart, and you can explain. So Sañjaya, the private secretary of Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, he explained that Arjuna was denying to fight.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

And for no other person such historical records are there, only for Kṛṣṇa. So in strength also nobody could conquer Him. And beauty... So far beauty is concerned, when He was on the battlefield... Have you seen any picture of Kṛṣṇa? Have you seen? Oh, no. Any one of you have seen Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa, when He was present in the battle, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, at that time He was about ninety years old. Ninety years old. He had His great-grandchildren. He married sixteen thousand wives, and each wife had ten children. And those ten children, they also got, each, ten, twelve children. And they had children also.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participate in this great movement. So this evening I shall present before you topics between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. I think most of you know the Bhagavad-gītā. The subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā is talking between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa was driver of the chariot. Both of them were in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He played just like an ordinary human being as friend of Arjuna. And when Arjuna was little disturbed... Because this battle was arranged between two parties of cousin-brothers... And when Arjuna saw the other party, all his relatives, family members, so he hesitated to fight, and there was some argument. Kṛṣṇa said that "You are a kṣatriya. You are king. It is your duty to fight."

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

The same position was for Arjuna, Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. There was a fight. That is the history of greater India, Mahābhārata. It is called Mahābhārata. This Bhagavad-gītā is part of Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means greater India or greater planet. So in that history of greater India, there is a, there was a fight between two cousin-brothers, the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976:

Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is not something new, imaginary movement. It is very old movement. At least five thousand years ago this Bhagavad-gītā was repeated by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Before that, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter,

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
(BG 4.1)
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976:

That lesson, instruction, is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. And it is very easy to understand. The perplexity which Arjuna met at the Battle, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra... The fight was between two sector of family members. They're cousin-brothers, one family, but there was some trouble, who would occupy the throne. From Mahābhārata we understand that the Pāṇḍavas, at least up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he ruled over the whole world.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

Then Second World War was in 1939. That was also German and Englishmen, like that. But actually, this was also World War, this Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, because all the kings of the world, they joined either this party or that party. So there were a great assembly of all worldly kings. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that "Either Myself, either yourself, or these persons who have assembled here, they are individual.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972:

You are thinking that your bodily, blood relation with the other party, namely your brother, nephews and others, that is wrong conception. You are not this body." Because Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa: śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). When he was puzzled in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he thought it wise to accept Kṛṣṇa not as his friend, his friend, but at the same time, he accepted Him as his spiritual master. Śiṣyas te' haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. And the duty of the disciple is to fully surrender unto the spiritual master.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

If Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is accepted by the leading personalities... Why they shall not accept unless they are ignorant and less intelligent? Everything is there. The Bhagavad-gītā is left for this purpose. It was instructed not to Arjuna, but to the whole world, in the midst of Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So the whole world is a battlefield now. They should learn the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and thus become happy within this world.

Lecture on BG 2.23-24 -- London, August 27, 1973:

There are earth, water, fire, air, and ether. You can prepare weapons from earth. Water, you cannot do now. But there can be a weapon from the water also. That was used in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Here, the atomic bomb is thrown, brahmāstra. From the other side the watery astra is thrown so that the energy of the atomic bomb is immediately finished.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

Now just imagine how many years, millions of years. So the modern theory that ten thousand years ago there was no human civilization, how we can adjust things? The Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought five thousand years ago. Before that, hundreds of thousands year ago there was another battle which is called fight between Rāma and Rāvaṇa. And there are so many instances in the Vedic literature. We can offer history of the world, of the universe, from millions and millions of years ago. But these people with petty knowledge for three thousand years or four thousand years, they are thinking they have advanced.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

There was no more fighting. It is not the so-called king and president is sitting very comfortably and the poor soldiers, they are fighting unlimitedly, and the war is going on for many years. Just like last war we saw at least eight years it continued. Eight years, six years, no. The Battle of Kurukṣetra, it was finished within eighteen days. There is no use of prolonging the war unnecessarily. If the chief man is killed, then war is finished.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

"Oh, this is unnecessary expenditure." No. That is necessity for maintenance of the state. Similarly, war is sometimes necessary for maintenance of the order of the world. But people have misused. That is a different thing. But here, in this battlefield of Kurukṣetra, there is no question of misuse. Because it is under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no such question of misusing. War is necessary, but that does not mean it should be misused. There are so many instances.

Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973:

So kṣatriya cannot be nonviolent. It is not possible. Violence is also required to keep the social system strictly in order. Just like the government has violence department, the police department, the military department. That is required to keep up the society in order. So here Kṛṣṇa says that "You are kṣatriya; your duty is to fight." Dharmyāddhi yuddhāt. "This fight arranged by Me in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, because it is sanctioned by Me, it is dharma-yuddha, it is religious fighting." It is not the political diplomats declaring war to keep the people in ignorance. No. It is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Whatever is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa, that is dharma. Dharma, the explanation of dharma I have several times given you. Dharmaṁ hi sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: Whatever God sanctions, that is dharma. So God, Kṛṣṇa personally has sanctioned this Battle of Kurukṣetra. So therefore it is dharma, dharma-yuddha religious fight. It is not ordinary fighting of the diplomats and the politicians. It is dharma-yuddha. Therefore He says, dharmyāddhi yuddhāc chreyo 'nyat kṣatriyasya na vidyate: "You are kṣatriya. You are fighting for the sake of religious system. That is the, your first-class duty." Śreyaḥ.

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:

So, the whole thing has topsy-turvied. Why? Because there is no good king. This is the cause. So the whole Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was arranged by Kṛṣṇa so that these irresponsible rogues, dressed as kings, should be all killed. That was the plan of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Duryodhana. Duryodhana, in the dress of a king, he was a rogue. He cheated the Pāṇḍavas by gambling. "You bet your wife, you bet your kingdom." In this way, they were devotees, simple, cheated them.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

And Vyāsadeva was disciple of Nārada Muni, and Vyāsadeva compiled so many Vedic literatures, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra, Upaniṣads, various types of... Not types. Practically the same Vedas, divided into departmental knowledge for understanding of the common people. Just like Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the history of India. Mahā means great, and bhārata means India. And you see, Mahābhārata is the history of two royal families fighting in the Battle of Kurukṣetra and politics and diplomacy. This is the subject matter of Mahābhārata. Of course, there are many nice instructions. So this Mahābhārata was especially made for the less intelligent class of men. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayi na śruti-gocara (SB 1.4.25). Strī means woman, and śūdra means ordinary, labor class of men.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

So what is the use of fighting like this?" That means the whole thing, whole program, is according to his own sense gratification. He did not know that this war field, this battle of Kurukṣetra, was organized by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to kill all unwanted men of the world at that time, all unwanted men of that world. That was His plan. Now, this was disclosed to Arjuna. In the Eleventh Chapter you will find that "My dear Arjuna, I have given you all kinds of instruction to induce you to fight in this battle. But know you perfectly well that either you fight or do not fight, I do not mind.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

Dvāpara-yuga means just during the Mahābhārata time. Mahābhārata time, five thousand years before, that was the end of Dvāpara-yuga. Then, after the battle of Kurukṣetra, this Kali-yuga has begun, Kali-yuga, this age, present age which we are passing on. In this age, this Kali-yuga will exist... From the Vedic scriptures we understand, it will exist for four hundred thousand years, four hundred thousands of years, four hundred twenty-seven thousands of years, not twenty-seven, thirty-two. Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years. So there is balance still, four hundred twenty-seven thousands of years, to finish this Kali-yuga, this age of...

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and He presents Himself just like ordinary man acting. Why? Just like here in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is present in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Oh, He had no necessity of presenting Himself in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. But it is for us because we are very much anxious to know where battle is going on, where fighting is going on, where detective is working, where murder is committed. All these literatures attract us very much. Stories and literatures, all these things, they attract very much. In a bookshop you go, if you ask them, "Supply me one copy of Bhagavad-gītā," he will have to find out. But if you ask a bookseller, "Give me some novels," oh, he will present so many things. Because our inclination is like that. We are always anxious to learn these mundane affairs. We have no taste for spiritual upliftment. That taste we have lost.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

And in the middle of Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva, this Bhagavad-gītā is inserted. Not inserted. Practically, in the battlefield of Mahābhārata this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. And it is... You will be surprised. In those days television was in the heart, television. This, I mean to say, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was television in the heart of Sañjaya. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of one party, Duryodhana, and his secretary, Sañjaya, were sitting in the room, and they were discussing what happened after this.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "Kings like Janaka and others were all self-realized souls, consequently they had no obligation to perform the prescribed duties in the Vedas. Nonetheless they performed all prescribed activities just to set examples for the people in general. Janaka was the father of Sītā and father-in-law of Lord Śrī Rāma. A great devotee of the Lord like King Janaka was transcendentally situated. But because he was the king of Mithilā (a subdivision of Bihar province in India) he had to teach his subjects how to act. In the Battle of Kurukṣetra, the Lord wanted to teach people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where good arguments fail. Before the Battle of Kurukṣetra there was every effort to avoid the war, even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead but the other party was determined to fight. So for such a right cause there is a necessity for fighting. Therefore although one who is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness may not have any interest in the world, he still works to teach the people how to live and how to act. Experienced persons in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can act in such a way that others will follow and this is explained in the following verse."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

Now, when Lord Kṛṣṇa was present on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He was very old man. He was very old man, although you see His picture just like a young man of twenty years old. But you have seen. Some of you must have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa of battlefield. Arjuna is sitting on the chariot, and Kṛṣṇa is the chariot driver. Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa was of the same age, but Arjuna looks older; Kṛṣṇa looks younger. And Kṛṣṇa at that time had great-grandchildren. His grandchildren and His grandchildren's children were present at that time, and the whole family extended to about ten millions.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

So this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to the rājarṣis, the great kings who were just like saints and sages. They were on the throne, but they were all, I mean to say, dedicated souls for the peace and prosperity of the people. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. When he was born, this Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the... What is called? Posthumous son? Born after the death of his father? What is called, English word? Posthumous. So his father died before his birth. In the Battle of Kurukṣetra there were two parties, cousin-brothers fighting. So Mahārāja Parīkṣit's father, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, he was only sixteen-years-old boy, but he was fortunately married. His marriage is also very peculiar. The daughter was... Uttarā was offered to Arjuna, but Arjuna said that "This girl, I have treated her as my student." He was teacher. "I cannot marry. She is my daughter."

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

So after the Battle of Kurukṣetra, everyone died. That child was the only, I mean to say, descendant of the whole Kuru dynasty. So he was very carefully protected, and the attempt was made to kill this child also by the other party, but Kṛṣṇa saved him. Anyway, when the child was born, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, his grandfather... Five grandfathers, no son. Only one grandson.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

Just like I am sitting here. You are sitting here. Suppose you are wanted by your, some relative at home, but if somebody inquires that "Mr. such-and-such is at home," so the reply will be, "No. He's not at home." Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He is present everywhere. It is not that because Kṛṣṇa was speaking with Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, therefore He was not in the Goloka or Vaikuṇṭha. Not only Goloka, Vaikuṇṭha, everywhere. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is here also, now. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is everyone's heart. In your heart there is Kṛṣṇa. In my heart there is Kṛṣṇa, everyone's heart. So Kṛṣṇa is not like that.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Despite the fact that Lord Kṛṣṇa has grown up from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth, astonishingly enough, He never ages beyond youth-hood. On the battlefield of Kurukṣetra when He was present, He had many grandchildren at home, or, in other words, He had sufficiently aged by material calculations. Still, He looked just like a young man, twenty or twenty-five years old.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

Sometimes we do not accept. There are many so-called scholars, they say that: There was no Kṛṣṇa. It is all fictitious. There was no battlefield of Kurukṣetra. It is all fictitious." They imagine their own meaning. But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa is also historical, at the same time, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These things cannot be understood unless one is a devotee.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

The Kṛṣṇa's form in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, that is not Kṛṣṇa's real form. That is Kṛṣṇa's Vāsudeva form. Kṛṣṇa expands Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, in that say. So this is a great science, Kṛṣṇa science. If you are interested, there are books you can study and you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma (ca) me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). So everyone should try to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. But people do not try to understand.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

These things are described. So we have to accept Kṛṣṇa like that. And if we make our own interpretation, rascal-like, that will not help us to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Bhagavad-gītā. That is going on, generally. "Kṛṣṇa has no existence." "Kṛṣṇa, there was no Kṛṣṇa. It is story." "There was no battlefield of Kurukṣetra." These things are going on by, spoken by so-called political leaders and scholars. But that is not the fact. They do not understand Kṛṣṇa, simply mislead people. Therefore the world is in chaotic condition.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa does not appear or disappear. Our eyesight changes. Just like we are looking through the window. One horse race is going on. When the horse comes before the window, we can see. And when it passes through, from our eyesight, we think that horse is no longer existing. But the horse is running. This example should be taken. Kṛṣṇa is called nitya-līlā. He is taking His birth, He is fighting in the battle of Kurukṣetra, He's dancing with the gopīs. That is going on eternally in either of the so many, innumerable universes.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

Now, people will be surprised, "How Kṛṣṇa's activities are transcendental? He's taking part with Arjuna. He's taking part in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Oh, He's born of a father whose name is Vasudeva. And He has got a family. And so on, so on. So just like us." But He says it is transcendental. Transcendental. And again He says, divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means "in truth." Simply by knowing, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is born here at Mathurā, and He was brought up by His foster father at Vṛndāvana. Then, when He was grown up, He went back to His father at Dvārakā. And when He was old, He married so many wives and He had children, and there was a battle of Kurukṣetra, and He took part." These things are there in the history or in the scriptures, but one has to understand this tattvataḥ, tattvataḥ, in truth.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Actually, from the beginning of His appearance, He played, I mean to say, uncommon activities. Just like at the age of seven years old He lifted the Govardhana Hill. There are so many instances. If you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, life of Kṛṣṇa in the Tenth Canto, there is description. And in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, the Bhagavad-gītā. So by His activities, by His knowledge, by His opulence—everything is there. Nobody is supposed to be cheated by a pretender if he is actually intelligent.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

We should be Kṛṣṇa conscious favorably. "What Kṛṣṇa wants and how can I serve Him?" That is anukūla. And "Kṛṣṇa wants this, I'll not do this. Rather I shall kill Kṛṣṇa. I shall read Bhagavad-gītā to kill Kṛṣṇa. There is no Kṛṣṇa. There was no Kṛṣṇa. There was no battlefield of Kurukṣetra. It is imaginary," that means the Kaṁsa's program, for killing Kṛṣṇa. So we should not adopt that. That is pratikūla, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, reading Kṛṣṇa's books but trying to kill Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

Therefore our duty is to know Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma. Kṛṣṇa comes, Kṛṣṇa appears, Kṛṣṇa disappears. Why Kṛṣṇa comes? Why Kṛṣṇa is not seen? Janma karma. Why He acts? Why He takes birth in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra? Why He teaches Arjuna? Why He dances with the gopīs? So many things Kṛṣṇa's life. We have read Kṛṣṇa book. There are so many activities. They're all transcendental, although they're written just like ordinary story activities of a person. But they are not ordinary things. If you simply read Kṛṣṇa book, although it looks like story, then you become delivered from these clutches of repetition of birth and death.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

But here Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. There is no reaction of the activities of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa was commanding over Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and practically He was ordering that "You must fight. You must kill the enemy." Now, this act of Kṛṣṇa's has no reaction on Him. One should understand it. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti (BG 4.14).

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

Just like we are experiencing. We are not going to do any harm to anybody. But sometimes they are coming and creating disturbances. So these disturbing elements are there, and this is always there. The material nature is like that. Therefore fighting cannot be abolished in the, when it is necessary, absolutely necessary. In the battle of Kurukṣetra, Lord Kṛṣṇa advocated this fighting because it was absolutely necessary.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

If you cannot chant, if you cannot hear about Kṛṣṇa, if you cannot understand about Kṛṣṇa.... Because the devotional method is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). So to hear about Kṛṣṇa, it does not appeal to everyone. Kṛṣṇa is fighting in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra and Kṛṣṇa is playing on the courtyard of Yaśodāmāyi. There are so many description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So ordinary, less intelligent men, they cannot understand that the Para-brahman, Supreme Brahman, can crawl in the courtyard of Mother Yaśodā. It is very difficult for them to understand. Therefore the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is description of Kṛṣṇa's activities. Because unless one understands what is Kṛṣṇa, he is not interested in the activities of Kṛṣṇa. But those who are devotees, they know that Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's activities are one and the same, absolute. So if we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.... Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He descends and plays in so many ways. If we simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, then that means we associate with Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

So these places are especially selected, just like Hardwar, Kanchi and Prayāga. They are, from time immemorial, in Vedic age, those places are sanctified. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Dharma-kṣetre, the land of religiosity. Even war was performed. Because this war was not ordinary war. That was religious war. Religious war. This Kurukṣetra battle, that was religious war. Don't you find in the warfield where Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is present, do you think it is ordinary war? No. It is not ordinary war. And it was performed in a place which is called dharma-kṣetra. So sometimes war is also performed in terms of religiosity. That is prescribed. That is required.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Jaya-gopāla: In Chapter Four in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, it is said that Arjuna was present at the speaking of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god so many years ago. What position did he have there?

Prabhupāda: He was also present, but he has forgotten.

Jaya-gopāla: Which position did he have, if it wasn't spoken at the Battle of Kurukṣetra? Which position?

Prabhupāda: Arjuna was put into that position by the supreme will of the Lord. Unless... Just like in the theatrical stage, both the father and the son, they are playing some part. The father is playing a king, and the son is playing another king. Both are inimical. But actually they are playing as such. Similarly, Arjuna is eternal friend of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot be in delusion. How he can be delusioned if Kṛṣṇa is his constant friend? But he was supposed to be in delusion so that he played the part of a conditioned soul and Kṛṣṇa explained the whole thing.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, January 13, 1973:

That is His opulence. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ. Yaśasaḥ, I have already explained. He's so famous still. You cannot find in the history of the world, five thousand years ago, who appeared and still famous. You don't find. There is not a single instance within the human history. But Kṛṣṇa, He appeared five thousand years ago, during the Battle of Kurukṣetra, before that, and still He's famous. Not only famous in India, but He's famous all over the world. In each, every language, the "Kṛṣṇa" word is there, dictionary. He's also stated as "Hindu God." But Kṛṣṇa is not Hindu god or Muslim God. He's God.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

Tattva-darśinaḥ. Unless you have seen, how you can give information of the truth to others? So God is seen, not only seen in the history. In the history, when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, the history of Battle of Kurukṣetra where this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken, that is a historical fact. So we can see through history also Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa and through śāstra also. Śāstra-cakṣusā. Just like at the present moment, Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, but we understand through śāstra what is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

Pūtanā came to kill Him, but Pūtanā was killed by Him. That is Bhagavān. At the age of three months what meditation He could do? So this meditation Bhagavān and this Bhagavān is different. Bhagavān is always Bhagavān. Either He's three months old or 125 years old. When He was in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra His age was 125 or little less. He was a great-grandfather. So his Bhagavān is not this Bhagavān. Bhagavān cannot be manufactured by meditation factory. No. Therefore it is said bhagavān uvāca.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

We have to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Simply superficially, if we understand Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa was born of the father and mother, Devakī and Vasudeva, and He was born in Mathurā, and then played with the gopīs. And then the..., He taught something on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra," that is not sufficient knowledge. We should try to understand samagram, as far as possible in complete. Then our devotion, our love for Kṛṣṇa, will be increased.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Perhaps you know the book Mahābhārata, "Greater Bhārata-varṣa," "The History of the Greater Bhārata-varṣa." That is Mahābhārata. So the background of this Bhagavad-gītā is that there was worldwide fight, battle, called the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra, the place is still there. If some of you went to India, (you) might have seen it is near Delhi, New Delhi. The railway station is called also Kurukṣetra. So there was a battle five thousand years ago. The parties were two cousin-brothers, and this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. Therefore it is called bhagavān uvāca.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

So this business was entrusted by... Lord Caitanya started this movement. Actually, Kṛṣṇa started this movement five thousand years ago and taught this subject matter to Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. But unfortunate as we are, we could not take up the mission of Kṛṣṇa. The mission of Kṛṣṇa was, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). As soon as there is discrepancy in the matter of discharging religious principle... Means, religious principle means the law of God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion means the laws of God.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

In other sense, only dhanañjaya, "a person who has conquered over wealth," he can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhanañjaya, Arjuna's another name is Dhanañjaya, because after Battle of Kurukṣetra there was no money. So by the order of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he brought from the Himalaya range a great quantity of gold so that he could expend them for performing aśvamedha-yajña, rājasūya-yajña. So therefore from that name, from that person, this title was given by..., I mean to say, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to that Arjuna, Dhanañjaya.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa preached this Bhagavad-gītā, five thousand years ago, but it was not broadly preached. It was spoken on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Arjuna knew it and some of his other friends. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa. He appeared as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. And He distributed this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and He wanted that every Indian should seriously take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, make his life perfect, and distribute the knowledge. This is India's duty.

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

So a further advancement from neutrality, that I love Kṛṣṇa or God because He's great. No, that love is not sufficient. We must render some service to the Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is rendering service to Kṛṣṇa as a soldier. Kṛṣṇa wanted that the battle of Kurukṣetra should be executed and Arjuna did not like it because it was concerned to his family members, with his brothers, so he did not like it. But, when, after hearing this Bhagavad-gītā, he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he executed the will of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted that the fighting must continue. So he executed in spite of his own conclusion that he would not fight.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973:

The rascals, they think that "They are worshiping a man. Kṛṣṇa was historical man." No. That is avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. They are rascals. Kṛṣṇa comes to become visible to you so that you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. So five thousand years Kṛṣṇa advented Himself, and He remained just like a human being. He took part in the battle of Kurukṣetra. So... He was dancing, He was playing in Vṛndāvana so that you may be attracted, you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came. But we are so unfortunate. Although Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to show Himself, show His activities, His power, His opulence, His beauty, His message, still, we miss Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 13.13 -- Bombay, October 6, 1973:

So here it is said, jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā 'mṛtam aśnute. That is knowledge. "I shall speak to you about that supreme knowledge." That supreme knowledge means if you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9), why Kṛṣṇa appears, janma karma, why He works like an ordinary human being... He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why he takes part in these ordinary activities? Just like Kṛṣṇa took part in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. He's Supreme Personality of Godhead; why should He take part in the battleground? Yes this is..., somebody, some section of people, they question like this. But He has his business. Because He comes, He has got His business. He says, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge: "I come. My business is to reestablish the principle of life, religion."

Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:

Therefore those who are not devotees, they cannot see God. It is not possible. Even God comes before him, just like when Kṛṣṇa was present before everyone. Five thousand years ago He was present. In the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He was present. All the soldiers, all the kings, everyone was seeing Him, but only Arjuna and few of the Pāṇḍavas, they knew that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa." Not all of them. But all of them got salvation.

Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Yes, that arrangement will be done, you go on with your business. We are singing this song daily. Why do you forget? Cakhu-dān dilo jei janme janme prabhu sei. One who has opened the eyes, he'll remain my master life after life.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda!

Translator: The question was that Kṛṣṇa had said that He would not take part in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, but later on He did. So He had actually changed His word. So does the devotee also sometimes do that, say one thing but later on change his mind.

Prabhupāda: You are not Kṛṣṇa. You are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate the master. That is folly. You are servant, you remain always servant. Don't try to imitate the master. Kṛṣṇa has lifted the hill. Can you do that by imitation? Don't try to imitate. Follow His instruction. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa can do anything, He is God.

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Why God gave to man free will if He knew the man would fall down in the material world?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

He has interpreted Bhagavad-gītā as the talks between a patient and a physician. You see? So this is going on. Everyone whimsically, he is interpreting. Sometimes in our country also, we see that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to interpret Bhagavad-gītā as nonviolence. It is very difficult to prove, because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. (laughs) So how you can prove nonviolence? So it is a difficult job. So that is not the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is to be understood, as our Swamiji immediately talked, that it has to be received from the paramparā system.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching the same principle. What Kṛṣṇa taught five thousand years ago in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra to Arjuna, we are broadcasting the same message. We have not manufactured anything new. That is not dharma. Dharma cannot be manufactured. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā... We find that the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Now, what we have to do with the battlefield? We have nothing to do with battlefield. We are here to have some knowledge in the spiritual atmosphere, and why should we bother about the battlefield? No.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Just like if there electric charges, electric current, is in some metal, the whole thing becomes surcharged with electricity, similarly, when Kṛṣṇa is interested in some matter, then the whole thing becomes Kṛṣṇized. Otherwise, there was no need of discussing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So that is the omnipotency.

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

This human form of life was especially meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. If not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, at least Kṛṣṇa, or Battle of Kurukṣetra. Sometimes the politicians say... Our friend, Mr. Chatterji, M. C. Chatterji, he was, sometimes, he was nice friend of me, that "Swamiji, I want Kṛṣṇa of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, not of Vṛndāvana." That's all right. At least you take Battlefield of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. But take to Kṛṣṇa. If you are not so much fortunate to understand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, at least you try to understand what is Arjuna-Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

It was after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought about five thousand years ago, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written after writing Mahābhārata. When Vyāsadeva was not satisfied in his heart even by writing Mahābhārata and Vedānta-sūtra, he was sitting morose, and he was thinking that "I have written so many nice literatures. Why I am not happy?" At that time his spiritual master Nārada came, and he instructed him that "You have written the history of Mahābhārata. It is very nice.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

"You have recently done..." Because Vyāsadeva, after the Battle of Kurukṣetra, he wrote Bhārata, this Mahābhārata, history, history of India or history of this planet, Mahābhārata. So he says that kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a description of the age of Kali. Age of..., this is age of Kali. According to Vedic understanding, there are four ages: Satya-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, Tretā-yuga, and Kali-yuga. This age is called Kali-yuga. It has begun about five thousand years ago, after the battle of Kurukṣetra. The duration of this Kali-yuga is estimated four hundred thousand..., four hundred and twenty-seven thousands of years. Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

Now, Vyāsadeva can say, "Yes, I have already thought about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I have inserted the activities of Kṛṣṇa in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra—His teachings, Bhagavad-gītā—in the Mahābhārata." So Nārada Muni says, "Yes, that you have done. I admit. But that will not help much." Just like Bhagavad-gītā is being read practically all over the world, but they cannot understand.

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

So Nārada Muni says that pṛthag dṛśas tat-kṛta-rūpa-nāmabhiḥ, tato 'nyathā kiñcana yad vivakṣataḥ: "If you do not exceptionally, exclusively describe simply the pastimes of the uncommon activities of the Lord, the other way, as you have given as a sidelight, as you have described Bhagavad-gītā, the activities of Kṛṣṇa as a sideline, not..." Actually, the whole Mahābhārata is full of activities of Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is only a scene in the Mahābhārata. He's speaking in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So Nārada Muni says, "That sort of description will not be very much congenial, because the people are not steady. Their anxiety... Their mind is disturbed in so many ways exactly like a boat moving in the tossing of the waves of the sea. So this sort of understanding of God will not give them much benefit. You describe completely on the pastimes, on the activities of the Supreme Lord. That will give people release from these material clutches."

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says, vāsudeva... When Kṛṣṇa is in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He's Vāsudeva. Kṛṣṇa does not go away from Vṛndāvana. But when He has got other business to do, He does it as Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva is in Mathurā. Vāsudeva is in Dvārakā. But original Kṛṣṇa is in Vṛndāvana. But that does not mean that this Vāsudeva is different from Kṛṣṇa. The foolish person, who cannot study, who does not know what is Vāsudeva, what is Aniruddha, what is Pradyumna, the, the Saṅkarṣaṇa... These are all expansions of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.12 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1976:

This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is another Purāṇa, history. We have already explained. So sometimes a class of devotees known as sahajiyā, they say that "What we have got to do with the narration of Kurukṣetra battle?" They immediately jump to the kṛṣṇa-līlā, directly with the gopīs. And Kṛṣṇa's activities in other field, they think it is useless. But that is not the fact. Anywhere Kṛṣṇa is acting, that is transcendental—the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, historical references, description, so superficially it appears that what a devotee has got to do with this battlefield? But battlefield or no battlefield, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, that is transcendental. This has to be understood.

Lecture on SB 1.7.12 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1976:

Otherwise, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, why he should indulge in describing how Uttarā's pregnancy was saved by Kṛṣṇa, how the brahmāstra was thrown by Aśvatthāmā? So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is liberated person. Why he should indulge in these material things? No. Those who are advanced, they know that Kṛṣṇa's dancing with the gopīs, that līlā and Kṛṣṇa's playing as the leader of the battlefield of Kurukṣetra is the same. It is all transcendental. One should not make any distinction between the two. Saṁsthāṁ ca pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṁ vakṣye kṛṣṇa-kathodayam. Pāṇḍu-putrāṇām, the pāṇḍu-putras, or the Pāṇḍavas, son of Pāṇḍu, they're all devotees. Even their political affairs, because there is connection with Kṛṣṇa, it is kṛṣṇa-kathā. Those who are with poor fund of knowledge (break)

Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976:

So what is that war? To lessen the burden. To lessen the burden. It becomes very heavy, unbearable by the earth. And to reduce the weight there is natural... And when there is still more power required, then Kṛṣṇa comes: "Arrange for a war in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra and bring all the rascals and finish within eighteen days." Within eighteen days sixty-four crores men died. This is... But why? It is Kṛṣṇa's arrangement.

Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

So we cannot decry violence. That is also required. Kṛṣṇa was speaking Bhagavad-gītā, the science of God, in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. We cannot condemn violence. That is not possible. But there is no violence in the spiritual world. That is a fact. Violence is only in the material world. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa desired to fight... Because all desires are coming from Him, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976:

They would refuse, but still they'll fall down, "Please come, take some prasāda." This is Vedic culture. Brāhmaṇa's position is very, very exalted. Now, since after the battle of Kurukṣetra, they have become brahma-bandhus. The example is here, brahma-bandhu.

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

So kṣatriya's fight, it is not ordinary fight like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs also fight and the kṣatriyas in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are not the same. Sometimes in the foreign countries, they do not know. They simply know fight means cats' and dogs' fight. No. Therefore they question that why Kṛṣṇa induced Arjuna to fight? Certainly they do not know there is fight on the principle of religion. That is real fight. Otherwise fight whimsically, that is animals' fight, cats' and dogs' fight.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa has accepted to become her nephew? Just like Kṛṣṇa has accepted to become the son of Yaśodāmāyi or Devakī, similarly, He has accepted to become a nephew of Kuntīdevī. This prayer was offered by Kuntī when Kṛṣṇa was taking leave. After establishing them, after the battle of Kurukṣetra, when everything was settled up and Kṛṣṇa was going back to Dvārakā, so He came to offer His respects to His aunt, Kuntīdevī, and when the farewell was taking place, Kuntī offered this prayer to Kṛṣṇa. Namasye, namasye.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

Others, they do not understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Pāṇḍavas, and the Pāṇḍavas' mother, they know that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Alakṣyam. Just like Kṛṣṇa was exhibiting His virāḍ-rūpa in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Only Arjuna was seeing, nobody else.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So Kuntī is the aunt, pisimā, aunt of Kṛṣṇa. Vasudeva's sister, Kuntī. So when Kṛṣṇa was going back to Dvārakā, after finishing the Battle of Kurukṣetra and establishing Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira on the throne, His mission... His mission was that Duryodhana should be thrown out, and Yudhiṣṭhira must sit down on the throne. Dharma, Dharmarāja.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

This is a prayer offered by Kuntī to Kṛṣṇa. After finishing the battle of Kurukṣetra, when Kṛṣṇa was leaving for His own kingdom, Dvārakā, at that time He went to take blessings from Kuntī. Kuntī happened to be Kṛṣṇa's aunt, father's sister. So He went to take leave from aunt. At that time Kuntī offered this prayer. Kuntī, although she knew that Kṛṣṇa is her nephew, brother's son, but still she knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

So Kuntī knew it, that "We are..., we fought the battle of Kurukṣetra, but actually Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor." Therefore he is..., she is offering her prayer, namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, "You are puruṣam." Puruṣam means the enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa is not addressed as a, a female. Just like there are, not in your country, in India there are many devotees of Durgā, that they take Durgā as the supreme.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

So here Kṛṣṇa say again..., Kuntī says that "Although Kṛṣṇa is within and without, because we haven't got the eyes to see Him," alakṣyam, "not visible." Just like here Kṛṣṇa was present in the battle of Kurukṣetra, only the five Pāṇḍavas, just like, and their mother Kuntī, they could understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And few others. So even though Kṛṣṇa was present, somebody took Him as ordinary human being. Avajā..., avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam. Because He was very kind to the human society, He came personally.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:

So if one could fight with one charioteer, he is eka-ratha. And if he could fight with one thousand charioteer, then he is called mahā-ratha. So all the commanders there in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra were mahā-rathas. Mahā-ratha. They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Especially Bhīṣma and Karṇa, Droṇācārya, they were very, very great commanders.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:

Arjuna was also mahā-ratha. Still, these commanders were very, very powerful. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa he could kill Karṇa, he could kill Bhīṣma, he could kill Droṇācārya and came out victorious. And Parīkṣit Mahārāja, when he was talking with Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he also referred this, that "The battlefield of Kurukṣetra was just like ocean, and there were so many ferocious aquatic animals. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa my grandfather crossed over it very easily."

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Mayapura, October 4, 1974:

So they must have some place to rule over. So you give these five brothers five villages so they can rule and live." "No, that is not possible. We are not going to leave a spot of land which can contain the upper portion of the needle without fight." So then there was fight. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was forced upon the Pāṇḍavas by the Kurus. Still, Arjuna was not willing to kill them. Just see. He's Vaiṣṇava. He never thought of, that "My, these cousin-brothers, they have given us so much trouble. Why I shall be sympathetic upon them?" No. Still, he was sympathetic. Why? Now, because he was a Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇava. Para-duḥkha-duhkhī kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254). Vaiṣṇava is so tolerant. They suffer; still, they do not want others' suffering. So this is Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be disturbed at any circumstances. Even there is heavy suffering, that is the instruction of Kuntīdevī. Kuntīdevī's welcome, welcoming: vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra. Let there... Because, before winning the battle of Kurukṣetra, all these Pāṇḍavas were put into so many dangerous positions. That is already described in the previous verses.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa also, He was playing the part of ordinary human being, but He was, in His own life, He was demonstrating how Kṛṣṇa comes here, what for He comes, why He took part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. These things are to be understood. Unless we understand these things, why Kṛṣṇa came, why He took part in the battlefield—and there are so many other things ordinarily done—then, if we simply take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being... Mūḍha, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam.. (BG 9.11)..

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kuntī is helping us. Every devotee, Vaiṣṇava, they voluntarily takes this business just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, to explain Kṛṣṇa, just like Kuntī is explaining, because if we understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly, then we are liberated. Therefore Kṛṣṇa..., Kuntī's trying that "Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is helping Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it is His duty." No, it is not His duty. He's doing it voluntarily, but He has nothing to do with it. That is Kṛṣṇa. Na me karma-phale spṛhā. He has nothing to do. We are forced to do.

Lecture on SB 1.8.37 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1973:

So this conversation was going on between Kuntī and Kṛṣṇa when Kṛṣṇa was going home after establishing the Pāṇḍavas in their kingdom and finishing the battle of Kurukṣetra. Kṛṣṇa is going back home, Dvārakā, and was taking leave, farewell, from the aunt. At that time, Kuntī offered this prayer. Now she's asking directly that "After finishing Your duty, is it a fact that You are going away, leaving us alone?"

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

I cannot take part in the family. But I can divide Myself into two: My soldiers one side, and I am one side. But even if I am in one side, I'll not fight." So this was His promise, that He would not fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. But Bhīṣma obliged Him to fight, to break His promise in order to save Arjuna. Therefore Bhīṣma conquered over Kṛṣṇa, because He had to break His promise. Arjuna was in such a precarious condition that unless Kṛṣṇa would take up the weapon to stop Bhīṣma, Bhīṣma was determined: "All right, let, let me kill my grandson."

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973:

So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was very much aggrieved. He was thinking, Vaiṣṇava, that "I am a petty king, and for giving me the throne, so many people have been killed." That is the greatest war within the recollection of five thousand years, Kurukṣetra, battle of Kurukṣetra. What is this figures? Six million, four hundred thousand people died in that battle. What is the statistics of the last war? How many people died? Is there any statistics?

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

After the Battle of Kurukṣetra, when everything was settled, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, who is well known as Dharmarāja, very pious king, he was very much aggrieved. It is said that sixty-four crores of men were dead within eighteen days in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is very much pious, he did not like the idea of so many persons being killed simply for the sake of enthroning him on the throne of the kingdom. He was very much aggrieved that "For me so many men have died. How much sinful I have become, although I am going to be the king."

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

But he had no cause to become aggrieved. Even great learned sages like Vyāsa... Therefore it is said, vyāsādyaiḥ. Not only Vyāsa, vyāsādyair īśvara. And Kṛṣṇa was there. He's īśvara, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, not only ordinary īśvara but the supreme īśvara. Īśvara means controller. So there are many different types of controller, but the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So he also tried to convince Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that it was duty. For a kṣatriya, in dutiful war, dharma-yuddha... Dharma-yuddha... Therefore the battlefield of Kurukṣetra is called dharma-kṣetra.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

But the Battle of Kurukṣetra was not that type of battle. One should be aware of the Battle of Kurukṣetra very nicely. It was dharma-yuddha. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Why they settled up that the fighting should take place in the dharma-kṣetra? They are to fight, yuyutsavaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

They are united, but everywhere the flag is increasing, disunited. Not like that. Actually, by monarchy, the pious king, there was unity all over the world. All over the world. And in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra it was a family fight, so all the kings of different parts of the world, they joined this side or that side. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. So... But still, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira did not like that so many people would be killed for the sake of enthroning him, but Kṛṣṇa desired. Kṛṣṇa desired.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

First-class devotion is to serve Kṛṣṇa just to please Him. If He is pleased, if He says that "You kill your son," then we should be prepared to do that. That is called vairāgya-vidyā. Of course, never Kṛṣṇa says like that, but actually, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna was ordered, if not the son but the nephew. But his sons were also killed. So this is duty. So many people inquire, "Kṛṣṇa was inducing people to fight." But this fight by the order of Kṛṣṇa and the fight or war declared for the satisfaction of the politicians, they are not the same. We must always remember. They are not the same.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Regiment or something like..., composing. Just like in your country you have got. The Seventh Fleet or something like that was sent to India. They have got a group, so many ships, so many soldiers, so many... But formerly there was no ship, no aeroplane. They used to fight with horses, soldiers, elephants. So the estimation is there. You read the estimation.

Pradyumna: "A solid phalanx of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 109,650 infantry and 65,000 cavalry is called an akṣauhiṇī. And many akṣauhiṇīs were killed on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra."

Prabhupāda: So that's all right. Let us have kīrtana.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Mayapura, October 28, 1974:

So actually, a sane man is thinking that "After all, the idea was that I should be enthroned on this chair, on this throne of the kingdom, and for me so many animals and men were killed." Here it is mentioned, yes (reading), "A solid phalanx of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 109,650 infantry and 65,600 calvary is called an akṣauhiṇī." Such eighteen divisions of soldiers were there on one side. "And many akṣauhiṇīs were killed on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, as the most pious king of the world, takes for himself the responsibility of killing such a huge number of living beings because the battle was fought to reinstate him on the throne. This body is, after all, meant for others. While there is life in the body, it is meant for the service of the others, and (when) it is dead it is meant to be eaten up by the dogs and jackals." Even it is dead body, that is also meant for others.

Lecture on SB 1.8.50 -- Los Angeles, May 12, 1973:

Just like this is temple. Similar houses are there, many. Why it is temple? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore it is called dharma-kṣetra, temple. What is the difference between temple? In other houses there may be big hall like this. There may be many men eating, sleeping. That is not temple. Where actually God is there, that is called temple. Similarly, although battle of Kurukṣetra was a fighting place, because Kṛṣṇa was there, therefore it is dharma-kṣetra. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, that is dharma-kṣetra. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. So those who are bhaktas, they can make every place a pilgrimage, because they can sing the glories of the Lord and they can bring the Lord in that place. So it doesn't matter whether if he is here or there, in America or India. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, that is dharma-kṣetra. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1).

Lecture on SB 1.9.1 -- Los Angeles, May 15, 1973:

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is not only thinking of the human being who were killed in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. He is thinking of all the horses, elephants, because they are also living entities. They are also prajā, national. "National," this word, we don't find in the Vedic literature, "national." It is modern invention. So if we feel nationally, then we feel for every living entity (who) is born in that land.

Lecture on SB 1.9.48 -- Mayapura, June 14, 1973:

So Gāndhārī was so faithful, one of the most exalted chaste wife mentioned in the śāstras, Gāndhārī, that in all conditions she followed the husband. At last, when everything was finished in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, no Kaurava, none of the sons or grandsons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra was living, neither of the Pāṇḍavas, still, Gāndhārī was faithfully serving her husband. And Dhṛtarāṣṭra was living with the nephews, Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers. They were keeping the uncle very comfortably as elder uncle, all respect. But Vidura came there, and he criticized him, that "You have no shame. You all along remained enemy to your nephews. Now your nephews have killed all your descendants, and you are living here just like a dog. They are giving you some morsel of bread and you are eating and living here. You have no shame. You have become old."

Lecture on SB 1.9.48 -- Mayapura, June 14, 1973:

Pradyumna: "Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī, the father and mother of Duryodhana and his brothers, were the elder uncle and aunt of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. After the Battle of Kurukṣetra, the celebrated couple, having lost all their sons and grandsons, were under the care of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. They were passing their days in great agony over such heavy loss of life and were practically living the life of ascetics. The death..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The... Because he was elder uncle, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was coming in the morning to offer obeisances, and one morning, when he came, he saw there is no Dhṛtarāṣṭra and aunt. So became very much disappointed, because he was conscious that they were living in very aggrieved condition. "So might be I have offended them. So therefore they have left my home." That is also, you'll find. Then Nārada came, that "Don't bother. They have gone to the forest to live as ascetic. Don't try to bring them back." Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

So after the death of his younger brother Pāṇḍu, he thought, actually the kingdom belonged to him. Now, after the death of his brother, his sons should inherit. That was the political conspiracy of the battle of Kurukṣetra. Now everything finished, decided by the battle. Dhṛtarāṣṭra accepted, "Yes, my dear nephews, you can become king now. We have tried our strength, and you have come out victorious. Therefore I also confirm that you become king." It is said, pitrā cānumataḥ. Not that against the will of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira accepted the throne. No.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

So here the most important word is yudhiṣṭhiro dharma-bhṛtāṁ variṣṭhaḥ. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was known as Dharmarāja, very strictly following religious principles. So he killed... For his sake, sixty-four crores of men were killed in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So he was not happy although the battle, the fight, was religious fight. It is not whimsical. Just like in the modern days the politicians, they fight unnecessarily to fulfill their desire... Just like in our country, unnecessarily they divided Pakistan, and to fulfill the whims of the leaders, they are fighting with nobody's gain, neither there is any religious principles.

Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:

So here it is stated that vaṁśaṁ kuror vaṁśa-davāgni-nirhṛtam. When everything was finished... Kṛṣṇa knows how to kill the demons, setting fire. Just like you... Some way or other, if there is fire in the forest, automatically, so many trees, so many animals, so many other things, they become devastated, burned into ashes. So Kṛṣṇa, by the policy of Kṛṣṇa, all the demons were brought together in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and set them... The fire was set, fighting, and they died. When Arjuna was hesitating to fight, Arjuna was at last informed that "Why you are hesitating? It is all My plan. You fight or don't fight, it doesn't matter.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

Otherwise, how could he manage such great empire? He had generals and commander-in-chiefs like Arjuna and Bhīma, indefatigable. Nobody could conquer Arjuna or Bhīma also. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, personally he did not fight. His brothers were sufficient to fight for himself, as in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. He was not fighting, but his brother, Arjuna and Bhīma, was fighting. So well-equipped, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, completely, scientifically. Vijñāna-vidhūta. Vijñāna means scientifically. Jñāna and vijñāna. Jñāna means ordinary knowledge, and vijñāna means practical knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3-4 -- Tehran, March 13, 1975:

That how Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, he was unwilling to accept the kingdom because he thought that "For me so many men have been killed in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So I am so sinful, I am not fit for the throne." But all the great personalities like Bhīṣmadeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Vyāsadeva, and all of them requested, "No, there is no fault of you. It was fight. It was right.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

So if such kind of king is there, then everything is all right. Everything. And establishing such pious king... Here it is stated, yudhiṣṭhiraṁ prīta-manā babhūva, īśvara, īśvara, niveśayitvā nija-rājya īśvaro yudhiṣṭhiraṁ prīta-manā babhūva. And Kṛṣṇa, why He took part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra? He wanted that these rascals should be removed, the Duryodhana and company. And Yudhiṣṭhira must be there. Therefore He personally supervised the warfare. He took the reigns of Arjuna's chariot to give him direction: "Kill all these demons. Even Bhīṣma. Even Droṇācārya. Kill all of them, because they have taken side of the wrong side. Kill them."

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

Either this party or that party, it doesn't matter. Everyone died seeing Kṛṣṇa. so they were all liberated. It is not an ordinary thing, that in the presence of... We have to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He's personally present. Anyone is dying, he's seeing Kṛṣṇa. So what is the question of liberation? Everyone is liberated.

Lecture on SB 1.10.7 -- Mayapura, June 22, 1973:

So Abhimanyu was Kṛṣṇa's (Arjuna's) son from the womb of Subhadrā. So he was married. Only sixteen years. Almost the same age. Fortunately Uttarā became pregnant. So Abhimanyu went to fight in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra and never returned. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was posthumous child. He took his birth after the death of his father. He did not see. Not only father, many. Because it was after the battle. He was the only survivor of the whole Kuru dynasty.

Lecture on SB 1.13.10 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

It was spoken by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira when Vidura came back home... Vidura left home. Although he belonged to the royal family, his nephew Duryodhana behaved with him not very nicely, so he left home. Before the beginning of the Battle of Kurukṣetra, he was very fond of his eldest brother Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

Lecture on SB 1.13.10 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

And therefore Vidura was also very much obliged to his eldest brother, and he was always giving him good advice, and a great devotee.

So on this account of family dissension, he left home. And after the battle of Kurukṣetra, when everything was finished, so still, he had affection for his eldest brother, "My dear brother, now everything is finished, your all sons, for whom you intrigued so much. And you are still living, I mean, shamelessly.

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

You intrigued against their lives, and now everything is finished, all your sons, grandsons and son-in-laws and brothers, fathers, uncles...," I mean to say Bhīṣma was his uncle. So all the family. In the battlefield of Kurukṣetra everyone was killed except these five brothers: Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva. All male members were killed. So, only the remaining descendant was Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He was within the womb of his mother.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

So this instruction by Arjuna... He said that so 'haṁ dhanus ta iṣavaḥ. He was defeated by the cowherdsmen. He could not protect the queens of Kṛṣṇa, and they were taken away by these cowherdsmen. So he is lamenting that "I have got this bow and arrow with which I fought in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and I became victorious because Kṛṣṇa was sitting on my chariot. That is the only reason. Now I have got these bows and arrows, the same bows and arrows with which I fought in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, but at the present moment there is no Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is useless." Īśa-rikta, asad abhūt. Asat means which does not act; it does not exist. "So my bows and arrows are the same, but it is now useless."

Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:

Durvāsā. Durvāsā Muni offended Vaiṣṇava, and immediately sudarśana-cakra came to kill Durvāsā. Vaiṣṇava-aparādha is never tolerated by Kṛṣṇa. Just like the Pāṇḍavas, they were Vaiṣṇavas, and the Duryodhana and company, they were so-called Vaiṣṇava. Actually they were not Vaiṣṇava. So they insulted. They put to trouble so many ways. They banished them in the jungle. They insulted their wife and so many ways by clique. So Kṛṣṇa could not tolerate that. So therefore the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- Los Angeles, December 5, 1973:

So when Arjuna was too much perturbed by absence of Kṛṣṇa, he was simply remembering the instruction of Kṛṣṇa which he received in the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973:

The bulb is there; the wiring is there; the switch is there. Everything is there. That's how Arjuna is feeling, that "I am the same Arjuna. I am the same Arjuna who fought in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. I was known as so great a warrior, and my bow is the same bow and my arrow is the same arrow. But now it is useless. I could not defend myself because disconnected with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is no longer." Therefore he began to remember the words of Kṛṣṇa which was taught to him in the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, such a exalted king,... And the Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought for Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Kṛṣṇa wanted that Duryodhana is not a fit person. Kṛṣṇa had no business to take part in the battle. Because He is God, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29), He has no enemy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

So the representative of God, the king, he is very responsible for his... The king or president. So as soon as they take the post for his own sense gratification, he will be charged with so many fault things. So when he is also purified... Therefore Kṛṣṇa wanted that such purified soul is Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; he should be posted. He should be enthroned. That is the Battle of Kurukṣetra, to make the people happy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

So he should be so perfect representative that... It is said by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If the king is real representative of God, then simply by pleasing the king, you please the almighty father, God. This was the... So why Kṛṣṇa wanted this Battle of Kurukṣetra to install Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira on the throne? Because he knew that "He is My right representative, not Duryodhana. Therefore there must be fight, and this Duryodhana and company should be finished, and Yudhiṣṭhira should be installed."

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

So five thousand years ago the king was so perfect, and there was one king who was ruling all over the... In the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, from all parts of the world, the subordinate kings they joined to cooperate with either of the parties, Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus. So bhūmer abhyaṣiñcat. Abhiṣeka. Abhyaṣiñcat. Just like we install Deity. We bathe the Deity with so many waters.

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

We have referred to the politicians, because king means he is also politician. As soon as we speak of king, he is in politics. So these are the example. Although he was also great politician, he had to fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, he had to adopt diplomacy, everything, but not that he would forget his real duty. This is perfect civilization, that one should not forget the real duty.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

This is the beginning of Kali-yuga. Out of four hundred thousands of years, we have passed only 5,000 years. Not only 400,000, 432,000's of years. There is regular calculation in the Vedic śāstra. So out of that, we have passed 5,000 years. That Kali-yuga has begun just after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. So we have passed only 5,000 years of this Kali-yuga. There are still balance, 427,000's of years, still balance.

Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973:

Nobody will know where you are. If you are," I mean to say, "picked up, if somebody knows you, recognizes you, 'Here are the Pāṇḍavas,' then again twelve year." This is the previous condition of the Battle of Kurukṣetra. The whole idea was to reject the five Pāṇḍavas and enthrone Duryodhana and his brothers. That was the diplomacy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973:

So here all the five husbands, how much responsible they were. Because their one wife was insulted, they declared the war, Battle of Kurukṣetra, and killed the whole family. Similarly, Lord Rāmacandra, His wife was kidnapped, Sītā, by Rāvaṇa. So Lord Rāmacandra is God. He would create many millions of Sītās. But no. For that one Sītā, war was declared against Rāvaṇa, and the whole family dynasty, with kingdom, everything was finished. So this is the duty of the husband, that... Not like the modern days' husband: marries for three months.

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

Therefore here it is said that bhagavat-priyāṇām. These Pāṇḍavas... Why one should be interested in the Pāṇḍavas' activities, Arjuna's fight with his brothers? There are so many other people, they are fighting with their brother, with their enemies. Why we are not recommended to hear about that thing? Why the Battle of Kurukṣetra? Because Arjuna is there, tadīyānām. We are not interested in any battlefield stories. Why we should be interested? There are so many cats and dogs fighting. So we are not interested. But why we are interested in the Bhagavad-gītā, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra? Tadīyānāṁ samarcanam. Because there is Arjuna. He is fighting. So to worship God is very good, but to worship the devotee of God is still very good.

Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja... Tataḥ... Tataḥ means "thereafter." After his fathers—means pañca-pāṇḍava, his father and uncles—retired and left kingdom, entrusting everything to the grandchild... Because their sons all died in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, only he was saved because he was a posthumous child. After the death of his father in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he was in the womb of his mother. He took birth. And these grandfathers took care of him. This is Parīkṣit Mahārāja's life. He did not see his father from birth.

Lecture on SB 1.16.2 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1973:

So Abhimanyu had to go to fight, so he went in fight in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra on behalf of his father. But he never returned. He died there. So Uttarā was pregnant and Mahārāja Parīkṣit was within the womb. But the opposite party, they killed. Last killing was five sons of Pāṇḍavas.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

So when Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was in need of money for performing this aśvamedha sacrifice, so he asked his brothers, assistants, "Now we have spent all our money in this Battle of Kurukṣetra. You know the expenditure of battle. So I require money. So where is the money?" So when Kṛṣṇa saw that Arjuna and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is is very much perplexed to secure money, so he asked his friend Arjuna, "You can go there, near Himalaya.

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1974:

So that is the difference between a child in the womb and a grown-up woman. You see? That is by nature. They forget. Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Therefore Mahābhārata was created by Vyāsadeva, Vedic instruction through history, to battle of Kurukṣetra. Because strī, śūdra, woman, śūdra and dvija-bandhu... Men born in high-class family, but behavior is different, they are called dvija-bandhu. So they cannot understand the Vedic lessons directly. It is not possible. They have no such intelligence.

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

But what was the idea? The idea was that "This rascal demon is a godless person; so therefore he must be punished." He was punished not alone. Anyone who joined with him, everyone was punished. But Lord Rāmacandra did not occupy the land for His kingdom. He installed his brother Vibhīṣaṇa, who was a devotee in the place of Rāvaṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was taking part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra and inducing Arjuna that "You fight." Arjuna was not willing to fight, but He was inducing to fight.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

The duration of Satya-yuga is 1,800,000's of years; and the next, Tretā-yuga, roughly 1,200,000's of years; and Dvāpara-yuga, 800,000's of years; and this Kali-yuga, 432,000's of years. So we are in this Kali-yuga. In this Kali-yuga we have passed only five thousand years. Out of 432,000's of years we have passed only five thousand. Since the Battle of Kurukṣetra, which took place five thousand years ago, the Kali-yuga has begun.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

So mother Dharitrī, Dharitrī is mother. So he's asking whether mother is lamenting because Kṛṣṇa... Bhūri-bharāvatāra-kṛtāvatārasya hareḥ. After the Battle of Kurukṣetra, Kṛṣṇa disappeared from this earth. Kṛṣṇa went back to His abode. So Kṛṣṇa comes here, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So Kṛṣṇa appeared to kill so many demons. At that time... Whenever there will be demons, Kṛṣṇa will come. At the present moment, now, the world is full of demons. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has come in the form of Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

Bali-mardana: Prabhupāda, you stated that on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra all the warriors who were dying in the presence of Kṛṣṇa, they all gained liberation. So I'm wondering... Each one of us has within our heart also the representative of Kṛṣṇa. So when we die, why is not everyone liberated?

Prabhupāda: But you have no sense of Kṛṣṇa. You have no sense of Kṛṣṇa. Or actually you do not die. That is another thing. This death means in the... That is described in the Bhāgavatam. Those who die before Kṛṣṇa, they attain their original position, svarūpa.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

Devotee (3): The war on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, that lasted for a period of eighteen days?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

You can associate with Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna every twenty-four hours, by reading Bhagavad-gītā. Why you require to go there? It is already here. You see. You read the Bhagavad-gītā, and you are immediately in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. His is instructing. That was the instruction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted. You know that story? Illiterate brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā. So he did not know; he was not literary. But because his spiritual master..., he has so staunch faith in the spiritual master... Just see. His spiritual master said that "You read, daily, eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-gītā."

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa, when brahmāstra was released by Aśvatthāmā to kill the Mahārāja Parīkṣit while he was within the womb of his mother, Kṛṣṇa personally saved him. Because... He wanted because in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, everyone died, of the Kuru dynasty. Only the son, this Abhimanyu's son, Kṛṣṇa, uh, Arjuna's grandson, was within the womb of his mother. Therefore he was not killed in the battlefield. Still, Aśvatthāmā, the son of Droṇācārya wanted to kill him, and he released brahmāstra, and it was going to kill the child. At that time his mother, Uttarā, approached Kṛṣṇa, that "I am feeling that my womb will be..., abortion there may be."

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, at the last of his life, got the association of a big Kṛṣṇa conscious personality, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. So he asked him, "My dear sir, I am now going to die. So what is my duty? Please tell me." Parīkṣit Mahārāja was born in a family of the Pāṇḍus. He is the grandson of Arjuna. Arjuna's son, Abhimanyu, he died in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Everyone joined, so he also joined. He was sixteen years old boy at that time, but he was married. Fortunately he was married. And when he was in the battlefield, fortunately his wife was pregnant, and this Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the posthumous child. He was born after the death of his father.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-6 Excerpts -- Los Angeles, July 2, 1970:

This verse we discussed yesterday, that "Those who are materialistic persons, they have got hundreds and thousands of topics," and, although we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because we are in the material world, sometimes we have to deal with many unnecessary talks. But mind that our unnecessary talks and others' unnecessary talks are not the same, because we sometimes talk unnecessarily, but the aim is Kṛṣṇa. Just like Battlefield of Kurukṣetra.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

The Kali-yuga has passed only five thousand years, and when... If the duration of the whole Kali-yuga is four lakhs, thirty-two thousands of years... Out of that, we have only passed five thousand years, since the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Now, still the balance is four lakhs and twenty-seven thousands of years. So just imagine, after five thousand years we have become so much deteriorated, and what will happen even four lakhs of years? The people will reduce to such small stature because they will not be properly fed.

Lecture on SB 2.3.14-15 -- Los Angeles, May 31, 1972:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja's, these are the qualifications. Sa vai bhāgavato rājā, not ordinary rājā. Rājā means king. Bhāgavataḥ. Bhāgavata means great devotee. First-class devotee, bhāgavata. Pāṇḍaveya. How he became bhāgavata? Because son and grandson, all in the dynasty of the Pāṇḍavas. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the grandson of Arjuna. So Arjuna was Kṛṣṇa's friend, he was bhāgavata. So unfortunately, Arjuna's son died in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. He was also bhāgavata. He was Subhadrā's son. Arjuna... Kṛṣṇa's sister Subhadrā, who is sitting here with Jagannātha. So Subhadrā's son was Abhimanyu, but he died in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Sixteen years old. But fortunately, his wife Uttarā was pregnant. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was within the womb of Uttarā, so he was saved. All others died. Pāṇḍaveyaḥ, coming in the dynasty of the Pāṇḍavas.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:

Therefore, after education you'll have to write application, "My dear sir, I am such and such qualified dog. (laughter) If you'll kindly give me some service." And the tail is like this. (laughter) You see? Just imagine. If by education he becomes independent ... Just like Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriya, the vaiśyas, they are independent. The śūdras are compared with the dogs because they cannot live without a master. Brāhmaṇa, he will not accept anyone's service. That is real brāhmaṇa. A kṣatriya will never accept anyone's service. Why the battle of Kurukṣetra was there? The Kurus, they took away the whole kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas. But they were kṣatriyas. How they will live? Therefore the fight was necessity. The kṣatriyas must be, must have some land to collect taxes. That is the kṣatriya's source of income. The brāhmaṇa's source of income, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana ... They must be learned scholar, they must teach others, they must be devotee and teach others how to become devotee.

Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:

One should not execute religious principles for getting better financial or material facility. That is not the purpose. But they have taken it purpose. "We have supported this religious community—we must become victorious of our whimsical declaration of war." That Kṛṣṇa supported the Battle of Kurukṣetra, it was not whimsical declaration of war. Before declaring war, Pāṇḍavas, even Kṛṣṇa tried to stop it in so many ways.

Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that "This plan of Battle of Kurukṣetra is already there. I have caused assembly of all the demonic persons here." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: (BG 4.8) "This is My plan. So Arjuna, I am flattering you so much that you fight. Fight. But don't think if you do not fight, they will go home.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

Kali means disagreement and quarrel. So this age is called Kali-yuga. This Kali-yuga has begun since the Battle of Kurukṣetra. You have heard in Mahābhārata or in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is within Mahābhārata. The Battle of Kurukṣetra between the two section of cousin-brothers, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas, took place under the guidance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa five thousand years ago. And in that battlefield, Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna, His friend, the great book of knowledge, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

When you come to this platform of transcendence, brahma-bhūtaḥ... Because we are going on under the wrong impression that "I am this body." This is the most fallen condition of the present human society. They are taking this body... Of course, this bodily conception of life there was even five thousand years ago, when the Battle of Kurukṣetra took place. Arjuna was very much disturbed on the platform of this bodily conception of life, because he thought that he belonged to a particular family, and in that battle he was to fight with his family members. So he declined to fight. But Kṛṣṇa, to raise him from that platform, He chastised him, that aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: "My dear Arjuna, you are lamenting for a subject matter and at the same time you are talking just like a very learned man."

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

I have already explained, mukti means to be situated in his own original, spiritual life. That is called svarūpa. Svarūpanu bhuti (?). Svarūpa. There is, I think there is the word used in Bhagavad-gītā that all the persons assembled in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, after death they attained svarūpa. Means liberated, all liberated and situated in spiritual life because they gave up their life in the presence of Kṛṣṇa. While dying they saw Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all of them after death attained svarūpa. So the mukti means sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ mukti hitva anyathā rūpam sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ. This is the meaning of mukti. So if we want that mukti, liberation, no more conditioned by the material nature, unconditional life, sa-guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is svarūpa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

Śrī Caitanya, mano 'bhīṣṭam, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing. This is called disciplic succession. Kṛṣṇa wanted that "Everyone be surrendered to Me." He personally therefore comes and He speaks Bhagavad-gītā aiming at Arjuna, who was perplexed in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and He explained karma, jñāna, yoga, so many things. But ultimately, He assured Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, you are very dear friend to Me; therefore I am speaking to you the real purpose of life, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ... (BG 18.66). This is the real purpose of life." So Kṛṣṇa wanted that people should take shelter of His lotus feet, sarva-dharmān parityajya. But people misunderstood Him.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3-4 -- Bombay, March 29, 1977:

So we should not forget our real life. For ruling over to get political predominance, there may be fighting. That is natural. It is going on. Just like the Battle of Kurukṣetra—it is a fighting between two sections of the same family, who will rule over. So there was fighting, but at the same time, they did not lose Kṛṣṇa culture. That is the important point. Similarly, India has got a great culture, background, Vedic culture or Kṛṣṇa culture.

Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976:

We have seen in New York the flags are increasing. Actually, during Mahārāja Parīkṣit's time there was one flag only, and people were controlled by the Pāṇḍava kings all over the world, and they were peaceful. During the battle of Kurukṣetra, it was a family fight, so all the people of the world, they joined this side or that side. The Bhāratavarṣa means under the name of Bharata Mahārāja, who is mahānubhāvaḥ... He is not ordinary person.

Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:

So we cannot conceive in our present stage what is the difference between prākṛta and aprākṛta. The description in the śāstras we have to accept. Just like practically Kṛṣṇa, when He was in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He was great-grandfather. His grandchildren also had sons. It is said that the whole family of Kṛṣṇa consisted of about one crore of living entities, Yadu-vaṁśa, very big family. So grandchildren, their children, their children, like that... But still, Kṛṣṇa was looking just like a boy of sixteen to twenty years. That is aprākṛta.

Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:

So therefore Kṛṣṇa has said, "Mūḍhas, rascals, they do not accept what I am speaking in this Bhagavad-gītā." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamaḥ (BG 7.15). They got the chance of understanding Kṛṣṇa, but they do not know. And the so-called rascal leaders, they are also misleading them, that "There was no Battle of Kurukṣetra. There was no instruction like that. It is all mythology, and we can utilize it for our political purposes but it has no value. I can interpret in my own way; you can interpret in your own way. Actually, this instruction has no value." Yata mata tata patha. "You can interpret in your own way; I can interpret..." In this way things are going on. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Chicago, July 4, 1975:

Although it is called subcontinent, still, in comparison to your America or Africa, it is very small. But formerly it was not so small. Greater India means India and outside also. And so far we collect records from the Mahābhārata, part of Europe, also India. Up to Greek and Rome. Therefore it is called Mahābhārata. And when there was the Battle of Kurukṣetra, all kings and rulers from different parts of the world, they joined either this party or that party. The Kaurava, the dynasty of the Kurus, they were ruling all over the world. The capital was Hastināpura, which is now known as New Delhi. It is very old. And the emperor, up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, they were ruling all over the world. There was one flag, not many flags. Therefore it is called Mahābhārata.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Chicago, July 4, 1975:

So Mahābhārata, the Battle of Kurukṣetra was executed by two section of brothers of the same family. It was the one empire, one king, but Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his younger brother... They were two brothers. So Dhṛtarāṣṭra being blind, he was not qualified to occupy the throne, so his younger brother, Pāṇḍu, he was given the throne. And Pāṇḍu died untimely, keeping his children, these five brothers, Pāṇḍavas. Because they were son of Pāṇḍu, they were known as Pāṇḍavas.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Chicago, July 4, 1975:

This is called Indian history. Mahābhārata... Mahā means Greater India. Greater India, there were so many incidences were there, but the most important incidence, the Battle of Kurukṣetra, is there. Not that all the battles should be recorded.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

For instance, that, when in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, fighting was going on between Kṛṣṇa and Bhīṣma, both of them... Kṛṣṇa, of course, did not touch any weapon because He promised. But Grandfather Bhīṣma was very severely piercing Kṛṣṇa's body with arrows, and Kṛṣṇa was enjoying. That is the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped, Kṛṣṇa can be loved, by any capacity. The gopīs loved Kṛṣṇa out of seemingly lust, lusty desires, and Śiśupāla remembered Kṛṣṇa out of anger. Kāmāt krodhād bhayāt.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

Therefore the Vedic injunctions are sometimes made into historical stories. The stories, they are not fiction; they are fact. But some of the... Just like the Battle of Kurukṣetra between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas, this is a fact. But the incidences are so nice that you can derive Vedic knowledge from them. And Bhagavad-gītā is within Mahābhārata.

Lecture on SB 6.2.3 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1975:

Everyone shall be, at that time, end of Kali-yuga. That will take four lakhs and 27,000's of years. We have passed only five thousand years. Since the Battle of Kurukṣetra, or since the demise of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the Kali-yuga has begun, and that is five thousand years. And the total duration of life of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. That means there is a balance of 427,000's of years to finish this Kali-yuga.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says that "I, you, and all these persons who have assembled here in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, they existed in the past, they are existing at the present moment, and they will continue to exist in the future." Now, where is the question of mixing together? They existed as they are existing now, and at the present moment they are existing as individuals, and in the past, they also existed as individuals, and the future, they will continue to exist as individuals.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

Then he was pacified. He immediately began to remember the teachings which was taught to him in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and he was pacified. He was his constant friend, so when Kṛṣṇa went to His abode he was feeling overwhelmed, but he began to remember His teaching.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

One side, I am, and one side, My soldiers." So Duryodhana thought that "What shall I do with Kṛṣṇa? Better take His soldiers." So he took the soldiers in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. And Arjuna said that "I want You." Just like the same thing happened in general politics also. When Gandhi started the movement, noncooperation movement, so he selected some very big men of India, big, big lawyers like C. R. Das, Motilal Nehru. So C. R. Das, at that time, about fifty years ago, he was earning about fifty thousand rupees per month by his legal practice. He said that "Gandhiji, you take all my money, but let me practice.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

Therefore whatever Kṛṣṇa says, whatever Kṛṣṇa does, that is all good. There is nothing criticizing. You cannot criticize Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. You cannot say, "Why Kṛṣṇa took part in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra?" Yes, He had business to do it. Because He appeared, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He had to kill all the demons. That was His another business. Not only to dance with the gopīs in Vṛndāvana, but He had other business to kill the demons. In Vṛndāvana also, so many demons were appearing daily, and Kṛṣṇa was killing them. So that is another side of Kṛṣṇa's business. But if you study Kṛṣṇa from your materialistic angle of vision, you'll misunderstand. You should know Kṛṣṇa's dancing with the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa's fighting in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra is the one and the same. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Actually, devotional service depends on the main principles, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam (SB 7.5.23). But within the category of dāsyam,... Just like Hanumān, Hanumānjī: he was engaged in the platform of dāsyam. Arjuna was engaged in the platform of sakhyam. So they were also working very hard. The Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it was not a place of sitting down very easily and silently. When he was fighting, he was fighting just like a soldier. He took all the duties of a soldier. But it was being fought for Kṛṣṇa.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

He depends on Kṛṣṇa, and if there is necessity of exhibiting some yogic power, Kṛṣṇa will show. Kṛṣṇa will exhibit. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. So although Arjuna did not manifest any yogic power, but, by Kṛṣṇa's grace everything was so wonderfully performed in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Otherwise Arjuna was a, an insignificant warrior in front of Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Dronācārya. This is admitted by Mahārāja Parīkṣit, that it is simply by the grace of Kṛṣṇa that his grandfather came out victorious in front of Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Dronācārya and similar great heroes.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.16 -- Mayapur, April 9, 1975:

Sometimes they consider, "Because God is very old, therefore He must have big, big beard and..." That is imagination. Here you find the real description of God: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyam (Bs. 5.33), "Original," Purāṇa-puruṣam, "the oldest of all," nava-yauvanaṁ ca, "but His bodily feature is just like a fresh young man." That is Kṛṣṇa. You'll never find Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, when He was in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He was a great-grandfather, but you'll find a young boy. That is Kṛṣṇa. So that is eternal.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.2 -- Mayapur, March 2, 1974:

Just like Arjuna was fighting, kṣatriya. His business was to fight. Why he was fighting the battle of Kurukṣetra? To become master of the kingdom. But he remained eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is success. Don't be satisfied simply I become master of your material position. At the same time, you try to become the servant of the supreme; then you are successful. Relative. Our mastership is relative. Under certain condition we become master, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is master without any condition. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa prema pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

Guest (3): Lord Kṛṣṇa preached Bhagavad-gītā in battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and it is afterwards written by Vyāsadeva.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (2): Is the Vyāsadeva got it out of his meditation, or how the actual thing which was conveyed to Arjuna was again in real thing took a shape in Bhagavad-gītā?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.164-173 -- New York, December 13, 1966:

So in His svayaṁ-rūpa, in His personal feature, He always remains at Vṛndāvana, and He is just like a cowherd boy. That is His real feature, Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, that is not the real feature of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a person, high-court judge, where you will find his real feature? His real feature you will find at his home, not on the bench. In the bench, even his father comes, the high-court judge's father, he will have to address the judge, "My lord." That is the court.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.164-173 -- New York, December 13, 1966:

Just like Govardhana. You have seen that picture. At seven years old, He lifted the hill. And when He was young He married sixteen thousand wives, and sixteen thousand features... So... And when He was in Battle of Kurukṣetra, He showed the universal form. So before claiming oneself as "I am God," they should be prepared to show these uncommon features. Otherwise, no sane man will accept any fool as God.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:

This is another characteristics of God. Kiśora-śekhara-dharmī vrajendra-nandana. Kiśora-śekhara. Kiśora. Kiśora is... Kiśora age is called from eleven years to sixteen years. These teen years, or, in English, what is called? Adolescent? Yes. This, this age... So Kṛṣṇa represents Himself just like a boy from eleven to sixteen years old. Not more than that. Even in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, when He was great-grandfather, still, His feature was just like a young boy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

And if you are rigidly in this chanting process, you must understand that Kṛṣṇa is with you and there is no danger, there is no illusion, there is no māyā. Kṛṣṇa can be present by His fame. Just like we read something, we discuss something about Kṛṣṇa's activities—"Oh, He was present in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. He became the charioteer and He delivered the lectures on Bhagavad..." These discussions, that is also presence of Kṛṣṇa. Then His pastimes. Just like His līlā in Vṛndāvana or with any other devotees.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.40-50 -- San Francisco, January 24, 1967:

That is their interpretation. But actually it is not. In every śloka, if you know Sanskrit, you'll see the meaning is clear. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). There was actual some fight between the two cousin groups, and they fought at the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. That Kurukṣetra is still existing. If you go to India that... There is a railway station, Kurukṣetra. It is about 150 miles from Delhi. And people go there for pilgrimage. Therefore it is dharmakṣetra, a place of religious rites.

Festival Lectures

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

So let us go and see..." So they went to Kurukṣetra to see Kṛṣṇa. Whenever they got some opportunity, they wanted to see. Just like these cowherds boys, when there was Battle of Kurukṣetra near Delhi... Vṛndāvana is not far away from Delhi. It is about ninety miles. So they went to see Kṛṣṇa in the charioteer fighting dress. They were astonished. They thought that "Kṛṣṇa is our friend, cowherd boy. How is that, He is in the chariot fighting?" So they became astonished.

Ratha-yatra and Press Conference -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for your kindly receiving me to serve you. This Ratha-yātrā festival is part of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started by Lord Kṛṣṇa five thousand years ago in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Perhaps all of you know the famous book of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā. In that Bhagavad-gītā, Ninth Chapter, last verse, it is said there, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), mām evaiṣyasi kaunteya. In that verse it was assured by (the) Lord that "You always think of Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. "Become My devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. "Just worship Me. In this way you will come to Me." Mām evaiṣyasi.

Ratha-yatra -- New York, July 18, 1976:

Those who have gone to India might have seen this holy place, Kurukṣetra. There is a railway station also of the name Kurukṣetra, and it is a vast field. The Battle of Kurukṣetra took place also during Lord Kṛṣṇa's time, and the Bhagavad-gītā is the product in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So this ceremony..., Kṛṣṇa, with His elder brother Balarāma and His younger sister Subhadrā, visited in this chariot at Kurukṣetra, and we are observing this festival. Formerly one king of the name Indradyumna, he started the temple of Jagannātha in Orissa at Purī.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

He is the original person. Then must be very old? No. Adyam purāṇa puruṣam nava-yauvanam ca. Always fresh youth. That is Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, you have seen the picture, He's just like a boy of twenty years or, at most, twenty-four years old. But at that time, He had great-grandchildren. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is always youth. Navayauvanam ca. These are the statements of Vedic literatures.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974:

So our this principle of teaching is based on Bhagavad-gītā. (aside:) Give him the book. Perhaps you have heard the name of Bhagavad-gītā, and some of you might have read it, Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra to groups of cousin-brothers. They were fighting to occupy the kingdom, and in that place Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, happened to be present as the chariot driver of one group, Arjuna.

Arrival Talk in Room -- Mayapur, March 23, 1975:

Many countries. It is unnatural to deny God. It is unnatural. This is also Kṛṣṇa's another magic. All such people who had any doubt about Kṛṣṇa, they have been kept over there in Russia. Just like the other day there was a train crash accident. So all these rascals they are brought together in that way in a train or two train, and they smashed. That is... Just like Kṛṣṇa did in Battle of Kurukṣetra. All the rascals were brought into the battlefield and finished.

Arrival Talk -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Did he go on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra... So not that imitation. Of course, ultimate is always be absorbed in glorifying the Lord, but not in the beginning. In the beginning you must work very hard; you come to the stage of pure devotional platform. Then you can fully engage yourself meditation or chanting. Not in the beginning. In the beginning you should be very expert and active.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Devotee: I made some bread, too.

Prabhupāda: Fruits. Bread not required. That's all.

Bīrabhadra: I would like to know if it is all right to play the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bīrabhadra: Like, is it all right to pretend you're Bhīṣma and pretend...

Prabhupāda: What does he say?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wants to know if it's all right to make believe he's in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Sometimes we are playing that he is Bhīṣma and one of us might be Arjuna or Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No. No. You should not ever think that "I am Bhīṣma. I am Arjuna." No. Never think like that. You should always think that "I am the servant of Bhīṣma, servant of Arjuna, servant of Kṛṣṇa, servant of His servant." Never think... That is Māyāvāda. If I think I am Kṛṣṇa or if I think I am Bhīṣma, if I think I am Prahlāda, this is Māyāvāda. This monism, this is offense. Never think like that. You should always think that "I am servant of such devotee or Kṛṣṇa." Never think that "I am that." No.

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Servant of his servant (CC Madhya 13.80).

Bīrabhadra: Servant of the servant of Bhīṣma...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all.

Bīrabhadra: Is it all right to play the Battle of Kurukṣetra if you're the servant of the servant of Bhīṣma?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Viṣṇujana: Is it all right to play like he's fighting the battle as servant of the servant of Bhīṣma? He likes to play like he's in the battle. He likes to run and play. It makes him think of the Lord.

Deity Installation and Initiation -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Prabhupāda: What is his original name?

Śyāmasundara: Doug.

Prabhupāda: Dhaumya. Your name is Dhaumya dāsa, Dhaumya dāsa, one of the commander in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Dhaumya. (laughter) Don't laugh. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now bow down here. (chants japa) Chant. You'll get bead, bead bag. Keep it in that. Yes. (chants japa) You know what are the rules? What are the four rules?

Devotee (4): No intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, and no illicit sex life.

Prabhupāda: So how many rounds you will chant?

Devotee (4): At least sixteen.

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Who will preach unless one knows Kṛṣṇa, why He appears, janma, why He disappears, janma karma, why He works in the warfield of battle, battlefield of Kurukṣetra, karma? Or so many karmas, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present. So unless one understands why Kṛṣṇa comes and work like that, why He comes... Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). But they are all transcendental.

General Lectures

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

Practically, it is as old as the creation of this world, but as things change in course of time, so it required rejuvenation. So this movement was rejuvenated about five hundred years ago. Before that, Lord Kṛṣṇa... You might have heard His name. Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā, the famous philosophical doctrine of Indian Vedānta philosophy. Lord Kṛṣṇa instructed Bhagavad-gītā in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means the last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā we find everything complete so far God consciousness is required. The first and foremost qualification to understand the science of God or to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is to understand yourself. The first thing is what you are or what I am. In the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra this perplexed question was there before Arjuna. Arjuna was to fight with his brothers and relatives on the other side to decide who shall be the emperor of the region. So in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, when he actually came in front of his relatives, he decided that "It is no good fighting with my relatives and taking the kingdom. Better I shall beg. I don't want this kingdom." That is a very nice proposal, nonviolence, not to fight. But on this point the Bhagavad-gītā, or the science of God, developed from the lips of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness acts by the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, and so Arjuna agreed to fight the battle of Kurukṣetra. In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness this dictation of the Lord is received through the transparent medium of the spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts with submissive faith and love for Kṛṣṇa under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate.

Press Release -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1968:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new introduction of the mental speculators. Actually this movement was started by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. At least five thousand years ago the movement was presented by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. From this Bhagavad-gītā we can understand that this system of consciousness was spoken by Him long, long before—He imparted to the sun-god Vivasvān. That calculation goes to show that before the repetition of the Bhagavad-gītā in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it was once before explained at least forty million years ago.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 30, 1969:

These are the evidences of Vedic literatures. And when He was actually present, He was attractive in so many features. In the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, when He was speaking the Bhagavad-gītā, the speech which He delivered, although He is not present now in our vision, you cannot find in the whole world such attractive speech of wisdom. Nobody can say. What we have got, practical experience, about His speech, which is still going on, still we are trying to understand.

Lecture -- Boston, December 23, 1969 :

Thatis stated in the Vedic literature Brahman, every living entity is Brahman, but the Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. He never becomes not God. We see Kṛṣṇa's life, when He was a child on the lap of His mother, He is God. So many demons they are killed. He hasn't got to meditate to become God. When He was playing, He was God, and when He was fighting in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He is God. That is God. Not that sometimes not God, sometimes God. That is not God. God is always God, in any circumstance. That is God. (pause) Hare Kṛṣṇa. I am not God. I cannot give so many things. (laughter) So distribute prasādam. (everyone chants japa) (indistinct) Huh? Oh, yes, why not? Nobody, who will please go, please take prasādam.

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

That means "I first of all spoke to the sun-god." Now if you take that duration, it will be some millions of years before it was spoken. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So apart from that statement, from historical point of view, since the days of Mahābhārata, yes, Battle of Kurukṣetra... Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. From historical point of view, it is five thousand years old. So this Bhagavad-gītā teaching is coming from, at least, from five thousand, since five thousand years. So it is older than any other scripture in the world. So you try to understand as it is, without any unnecessary commentary.

Speech to Maharaja and Maharani and Conversations Before and After -- Indore, December 11, 1970:

Mahārāja. (Hindi) Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) (break) ...gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te. Your Highness, Her Highness, and Ladies and Gentlemen, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has a very intimate relationship with the kṣatriya family. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Long, long years ago He was speaking in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra that about many, many thousands of millions of years ago He spoke the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān, the predominating deity of the sun globe.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

It is nothing like concocted mental speculation. It is authorized on the basis of Vedic knowledge, specifically, directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago when there was no history of other religion. In the modern age, any religion you can take into consideration, they are not older than 2,600 years. But so far this Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new movement. It is the oldest. From historical point of view, at least five thousand years old. When Kṛṣṇa introduced this consciousness, that is, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra which took place at least five thousand years ago. And if we believe śāstras, then it is not only four or five thousand years but it is older than forty millions of years. Not forty, four hundred millions of years.

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

So He can expand Himself in many forms, multiforms. That is explained. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam. Ananta-rūpam. Ādyam, but He is the original person. Purāṇa-puruṣam, the oldest person, because He is the original. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca, but He is still young man. You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. You will never see Kṛṣṇa as old man. When Kṛṣṇa was in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra... You have seen the picture. Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot of Arjuna. At that time His age was not less than hundred years. He had great-grandchildren. But you have seen the picture. He was looking like a boy of sixteen to twenty years. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is described in the Vedic literatures as nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Kṛṣṇa's body... Therefore His body is spiritual body.

University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new movement, started by me, but this movement was started by Kṛṣṇa Himself, five thousand years ago. I need not explain about this movement. Kṛṣṇa, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, instructed Arjuna the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The, in the Ninth Chapter it is said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "Always think of Kṛṣṇa," man-manā. Bhava mad-bhakto: "Just to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." And māṁ namaskuru: "Offer obeisances unto Me." Kṛṣṇa instructed, mām eva ya prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Kṛṣṇa instructed that He's the Supreme Personality.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa says that "Both Arjuna, you, Me and all these persons, the soldiers and the kings who are assembled in this Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, don't think that they did not exist in the past nor they will not exist in the future." That means present, you can see. Just like we are sitting together. Present we can see that you are there, I am here. Similarly, in the past also we are existing, and in the future also we shall exist in the same way. As you are individual souls, we are assembled together for understanding something.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

So if you learn this science, simply to understand why Kṛṣṇa advents, why Kṛṣṇa takes part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra or other activities just like a human being... Why? If you try to understand this fact... That can be known. They are all mentioned in the śāstra. The sādhus, they know; the guru, he knows.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Four hundred and twenty-seven thousands of years. The complete age of Kali-yuga is 432,000's years. Out of that, the Kali-yuga has begun from the date of Battle of Kurukṣetra, historical. So we have passed 5,000 years from the date of Battle of Kurukṣetra. Therefore 432,000's of years minus 5,000's of years, the remaining age—427,000's of years. This is practically the beginning of Kali-yuga. Now the more the age of Kali-yuga will increase, the sufferings of Kali-yuga will also increase. At the end of Kali-yuga there will be no food supply.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

But Kṛṣṇa said, sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭo parantapa. Now Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago, when Kṛṣṇa was talking with Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he was perplexed whether to fight or not to fight, and just to enthuse him in the fighting, He spoke this Bhagavad-gītā five thousand years ago to Arjuna. And He said there that "The paramparā system, disciplic succession, is now broken; therefore I am speaking to you again so that people may learn from you what is the purport of this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

Now, just like Arjuna. What is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā? Arjuna is a fighter. Why? He's a soldier. He knew how to fight. That's all. He's not a Vedantist; he is not a brāhmaṇa; he is not a sannyāsī. He is gṛhastha, householder. He appeared on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra for fighting on political reasons. So he knew all this business. But he utilized his talent in fighting art for Kṛṣṇa. He did not want to fight. As a Vaiṣṇava, he is very kind. He said that "My brothers, my cousins, certainly they have insulted my wife. They have taken my kingdom by gambling and so many devices. I know that. Still, because they are my brothers, I don't wish to kill them."

Lecture -- Nellore, January 4, 1976:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very old, at least five thousand years old. And if we take history before that, then it is at least forty millions of years old. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness was spoken by Kṛṣṇa before the Battlefield of..., Battlefield of Kurukṣetra took place. Kṛṣṇa instructed this same Bhagavad-gītā philosophy to the sun-god.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started by Kṛṣṇa Himself. Apparently the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago, and He said that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement I spoke to the sun-god long, long years ago." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This is avyaya.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

In the Mahābhārata this Bhagavad-gītā is set up, and the writer of Mahābhārata is Vyāsadeva himself, and therefore the recorder of the speech, what Kṛṣṇa said in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, is also Vyāsadeva. So Vyāsadeva, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, he says everywhere, bhagavān uvāca. He never says that "I am writing." He says, bhagavān uvāca.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: So Hegel glorifies this war, he says, "There is an ethical element in war."

Prabhupāda: No, war, we also say dharma-yuddha, dharma-yuddha. Just like battle of Kurukṣetra is concluded by Sañjaya that, what is that? Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ (BG 18.78). Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ, he said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, "My dear sir, I think the side on which Kṛṣṇa is there, he'll be victorious." So actually even there is war, the party who is God conscious, they"ll be victorious. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ. What is that verse? Eh?

Śyāmasundara: What about between America and Germany, for instance? Neither one of them were God conscious.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Competition, that is another thing. But if you say that war settles up morality, ethical law, then... Without any aim. We say yes, war may be there or must be there, but the party who has got Kṛṣṇa's support, they are victorious, they are right party. This is our philosophy. We don't say that war should be stopped, war must be there, because this world is material world, there must be war, opposite elements. Now, the party who has got Kṛṣṇa's support, that party... That is the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. We don't say stop war, but we say if you fight, fight on behalf of Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: So his statement that progress comes through conflict is true, but in the conflict you should take the right side.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is real progress. Right side means on which side Kṛṣṇa is. That is the instruction on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra.

Kīrtanānanda: But what is it that we can make progress on? He is simply thinking in terms of material advancement.

Śyāmasundara: Ethical advancement, he says that there's an ethical element...

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: Evil situation.

Hayagrīva: The Christian, there's a Christian conception of God as being at war with Satan, and it appears also that Kṛṣṇa was at war on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and there were wars between the demigods and the demons, but in the Vedic literatures these wars do not seem to be taken as serious confrontation between God and God's enemies, but Kṛṣṇa seems to fight the demons in a playful mood. This isn't the case in Christianity.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. So His fighting with the demons is, actually it is play. It doesn't affect His energy. Just like a small child is fighting with his strong father. So one slap by the strong father is sufficient to the small child. Similarly the fighting of the demons with God is like that.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: Morality means to abide by the orders of God. That is real morality. Other things which we manufacture, that you will find different in different countries. But religion and morality both of them are the same principle because religion means to carry out the orders of God, and morality means only the, I mean the principle to fulfill the desires of God. Just like in the battle of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna was considering, "Killing is immorality." But when he understood by the instruction of Kṛṣṇa that this fight is necessary as it is designed by Kṛṣṇa, so this is morality. Ultimately, morality means to carry out the desire of Kṛṣṇa or God.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: After many, many births, when one actually becomes a wise man, this faith comes in. Therefore it is said, sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. Such kind of mahātmā is very rare to be seen, for this faith is not so easy. Na janma-koṭibhir labhyate, Rūpa Gosvāmī has said. This faith, sukṛtibhiḥ na janma-koṭibhir labhyate. Those who are pious, they are candidate, that also requires many, many births to come to this faith. Tatra laulyam eka mūlyaṁ na janma-koṭibhir sukṛtibhiḥ labhyate. So the faith is not so easy thing. Kṛṣṇa is, from the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, five thousand years ago, the Bhagavad-gītā is being studied by so many scholars like Gandhi, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Vivekananda, Aurobindo.

Page Title:Battle of Kuruksetra (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, JayaNitaiGaura
Created:24 of Jul, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=222, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:222