This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, our proposition is that we are, I mean to say, presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not misinterpret. So dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra. Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra, the place where religious ritualistic performances are done. Kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret. That is the Vedic version. So Kurukṣetra is always... Still people go for pilgrimage in Kurukṣetra, and the station is there, Kurukṣetra, and the place is there. People go there. Kurukṣetra. Why one should interpret that kuru-kṣetra means this body and Pāṇḍavas means these pañca-indriyas, so many things? There is no question of interpretation. And this Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata means "The History of Greater India." That is Mahābhārata. History, it is history. It is not a fiction. It is history. Mahābhārata. This planet was formerly known as Bhārata-varṣa. This planet. The whole planet. Not that the piece of land, as we are calling now, Bhārata-varṣa. No. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after the reign of Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva, this planet became Bhārata-varṣa. So Bhārata-varṣa means the whole planet. But we have lost... Just like we have lost portion of the present Bhārata-varṣa as Pakistan. Everyone knows, twenty years before there was no such thing as Pakistan. But circumstantially we have lost. So..., so the whole Bhārata-varṣa has been partitioned as this portion is called America, this portion is called Europe, this portion is called Asia. These are modern names. Actually, the whole planet was Bhārata-varṣa. And the whole planet was being controlled by Vedic culture. 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.
Partition
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 6
People in general are not very advanced in knowledge by which to discriminate between religion and irreligion. The innocent, unenlightened citizen is like an ignorant animal sleeping in peace with its head on the lap of its master, faithfully believing in the master's protection. If a leader is actually kindhearted and deserves to be the object of a living entity's faith, how can he punish or kill a foolish person who has fully surrendered in good faith and friendship?
The Sanskrit word viśvasta-ghāta refers to one who breaks faith or causes a breach of trust. The mass of people should always feel security because of the government's protection. Therefore, how regrettable it is for the government itself to cause a breach of trust and put the citizens in difficulty for political reasons. We actually saw during the partition days in India that although Hindus and Muslims were living together peacefully, manipulation by politicians suddenly aroused feelings of hatred between them, and thus the Hindus and Muslims killed one another over politics. This is a sign of Kali-yuga. In this age, animals are kept nicely sheltered, completely confident that their masters will protect them, but unfortunately as soon as the animals are fat, they are immediately sent for slaughter. Such cruelty is condemned by Vaiṣṇavas like the Viṣṇudūtas. Indeed, the hellish conditions already described await the sinful men responsible for such suffering. One who betrays the confidence of a living entity who takes shelter of him in good faith, whether that living entity be a human being or an animal, is extremely sinful. Because such betrayals now go unpunished by the government, all of human society is terribly contaminated. The people of this age are therefore described as mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). As a consequence of such sinfulness, men are condemned (mandāḥ), their intelligence is unclear (sumanda-matayaḥ), they are unfortunate (manda-bhāgyāḥ), and therefore they are always disturbed by many problems (upadrutāḥ). This is their situation in this life, and after death they are punished in hellish conditions.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
This became a perplexing problem for him because his wife kept requesting him to kill Subuddhi Rāya. Finally the Nawab sprinkled a little water on Subuddhi Rāya's head from a pitcher that had been used by a Muslim.
Five hundred years ago in India, the Hindus were so rigid and strict that if a Muslim would sprinkle a little water from his pitcher upon a Hindu, the Hindu would be immediately ostracized. Recently, in 1947, during the partition days, there was a big riot between Hindus and Muslims, especially in Bengal. The Hindus were forcibly made to eat cow's flesh, and consequently they began crying, thinking that they had become Muslims. Actually the Muslims in India did not come from the country of the Muslims, but Hindus instituted the custom that somehow or other if one contacted a Muslim, he became a Muslim. Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were born in a high brāhmaṇa family, but because they accepted employment under a Muslim government, they were considered Muslims. Subuddhi Rāya was sprinkled with water from the pitcher of a Muslim, and consequently he was condemned to have become a Muslim. Later, Aurangzeb, the Muslim emperor, introduced a tax especially meant for Hindus. Being oppressed in the Hindu community, many low-caste Hindus preferred to become Muslims. In this way the Muslim population increased. Later the British government made it a policy to divide the Hindus and the Muslims, and thus they maintained ill feelings between them. The result was that India was divided into Pakistan and Hindustan.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Light of the Bhagavata
Verse 20. Fierce torrents of rain break over the strands and the partition walls of the paddy field. These disturbances resemble those created by the seasonal opponents of the standard principles of the Vedas, who are influenced by the age of Kali.
Verse 38. After the rainy season, the farmers begin to rebuild the partitioning walls of the paddy fields so that the water will be conserved, just as yogīs try to use their conserved energy for self-realization.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Prabhupāda: Now, the idea of accepting spiritual master, that is also very obligatory. You see? As soon as you accept one as the spiritual master. First of all, we have recorded in your... You have heard it, that acceptance of spiritual master must be selected, you see, after careful examination, just like one selects his bride or bridegroom after careful examination. And in India they are very careful because the marriage of the boys and girls take place under the guidance of the parents. So the parents very carefully see. So similarly, if one has to... The acceptance of spiritual master is necessary. According to Vedic injunction, one, everyone, should have a spiritual master. Perhaps you have seen a sacred thread. We have got sacred thread. Mister Cohen, you have... This kind of... Sacred thread. That sacred thread is the sign that this person has his spiritual master, has a spiritual master. Just like... Here, of course, there is no such distinction. A married girl... And according to Hindu system, they have got some sign so that people can understand, "This girl is married." They put on a red, I mean to say, painting here so that others know that "This girl is married." And, according to, what is called this? The division of the hair? What is this line? You call?
Young man: Part.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Young man: Part.
Prabhupāda: What is the spelling?
Young man: To part!
Prabhupāda: To part. This parting, this parting is also... There is some meaning. When the parting is here, in the middle, then that girl has her husband and she is coming from respectable family. And if the, I mean to say, partition is here, then she is a prostitute. You see? A prostitute cannot... There was king's ruling that a prostitute cannot (laughs) part here. And then again, when a girl is well dressed, it should be considered that she has got her husband at home. And when she is not well dressed, then it should be understood that her husband is out of home. You see? And a widow's dress... There are so many. There are symptoms. So similarly, this thread, sacred thread, is a sign that this person has accepted somebody as his spiritual master. He has got his... Just like this red mark symbolizes that "This girl has her husband," similarly, this sacred thread is the symbol that "This man has got his spiritual master." So there is a ceremony. You see? So according to Vedic system, one has to accept a spiritual master in order to make a solution of his life. In every step of his life the spiritual master guides him. He also makes question to the spiritual master and he guides him so that he will, his life, his progress of life, may be systematic.
The Īśopaniṣad teaches us, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "Nothing, nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Everything belongs to God." There is a story that God laughs when two party fights for the land. Actually we have seen. In India, when there was partition day, the Hindu, Muslim, fought. Hindu, Muslim, fought, and when both of them died and lied on the street and strewn all over the street and ask them, "Now, whose land it is?" now nobody replied. Nobody replied. The God's land will remain here. And we simply fight that "This is my land. This is my land." These are all these, I mean to say, paraphernalia of our illusion. Illusion.
Yes. He was killed by violence. And his idea... He wanted to make Hindu-Muslim unity in India. The British government fabricated the Hindu-Muslim riots, and lastly, at last also, their purpose was fulfilled by partition of India, Pakistan and India. Now, Mahatma Gandhi worked throughout his whole life just to make a unification of the Hindus and Muslims. Unfortunately, at last, he had to see that the Hindus and Muslims of India were divided into Pakistan and India. And his nonviolence also failed.
So, because if we do not follow the right person, mahājana—mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186)—then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Kṛṣṇa sets. Kṛṣṇa is not advocating, I mean to say, nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible because Kṛṣṇa Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Mahājana. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find that it has been advised that religious principles should be followed by taking the life examples of great personalities. Religious principles...
It has been described in the Bhāgavata that tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. If you want to establish religious truth, you cannot establish it by your logic and argument. It is not possible because I may be a very perfect religious man, but I may not be a very good arguer; another strong man who can argue very strongly, who knows logic very nicely, he can defeat me. He can make my all conclusion null and void. So therefore, simply by argument or logical conclusion one cannot reach to the truth, to the religious truth. It is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Śrutayaḥ means revealed scriptures. Revealed scriptures. Just like in the world there are many revealed scriptures. There are Vedas, Purāṇas, the Bible, the Koran, and there are so many religious scriptures also. And if you go on reading them, although the aim is one, still, you will find some discrepancy from one to another. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Vibhinnāḥ means they are diverse. They are diverse. Śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And so far philosophers are concerned, one philosopher tries to defeat another philosopher. That is the philosophical way. So nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Therefore this truth of religion is very confidential. Nihitaṁ guhāyām. Guhāyām means it is very confidential.
Yes. That dissatisfaction is always there. Just like if a animal or a living entity is put into the water, then however expert swimmer he may be, it is struggle. In the water... That... Because that is not his natural position. The same man, if he is taken over the water, one inch over the water, he feels relief immediately. And if he is put into the land, then he's perfectly relieved. So therefore Lord Caitanya offers His prayer to Kṛṣṇa, ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience." Kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya: "Kindly pick me up from this ocean of nescience and fix me as one of Your dust of the lotus feet." You see? So that should be our prayer, that... This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa is also prayer. Hare means "O the energy of the Lord," and Kṛṣṇa means "O the Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead, please take me out of this ocean of nescience and fix me up in Your eternal, transcendental service." This is the prayer. So any other question? Anyway, you are maintaining this institution. Thanks to you. (chuckles) Although the assembly is not as great as the hall, (laughs) but still, you are maintaining. It is nice. So our Indian brothers, they do not participate in this meeting? No. So it is past nine. We can have saṅkīrtana for few minutes. No other questions from anybody? This is newly partitioned?
Just like Bharata Mahārāja. Bharata Mahārāja, he was a great king, but at an early age, only—he was only twenty-four years old—he gave up his kingdom. Bharata Mahārāja means the king by whose name India is called Bhāratavarṣa. Not only India—this whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. Gradually, it is declined. Just like recently we have partitioned, Pakistan. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. So anyway, that Bharata Mahārāja, at the time of his death, he had a pet deer. He thought of the deer and he became next life a deer. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "It is not that because you think of Me you get a body like Me, but it is the general rule. If you think... At the time of your death, whatever you think, you carry the idea with your mind and you get the immediately a similar body." That means you are put into the womb of a mother to get a similar body. So instead of thinking of Kṛṣṇa always, if we think of our dog, as Bharata Mahārāja was thinking of the deer, oh, there is risk of getting a dog's body.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Yes, particularly. One should be willing to go back to home, back to Godhead and take shelter particularly, means his representative. Such person can be elevated. So it is not that... But unfortunately, in India, although Bhagavad-gītā is there, they neglect it. The so-called brāhmaṇas, so-called gosvāmīs, so-called..., they neglect this process. Just like in India, the Muhammadans, the Muhammadans who claim to be partitioned: Pakistan and Hindustan. There are number of Muhammadans, they protested that "India is going to be independent, but we do not wish to participate with the Hindus. We must be separate." Why? Because they have got a bad experience that the Hindus did not treat them very well. Did not... Even śūdra. In South India, it was the process, so bad process. If śūdra is passing on the street, he has to cry, "I am a śūdra passing on the street. Please close your door." The brāhmaṇas would close the door so that they may not even see a śūdra. Then everything will be spoiled, their food grains and everything. They will close. You see. Now the result is that South India, the Communists Communists means the so-called low-class people, śūdras and caṇḍālas, they are now in majority. They have formed a government that on principle, as soon as some brāhmaṇa comes for government service, he will reject. So the brāhmaṇas are now hiding themselves, that he is brāhmaṇa, because he cannot get any job. (laughter) This is the position.
So this negligence, this is not Vedic culture. Because they neglected... These Muhammadans who came, who grown in India, they were not imported from Afghanistan or Turkey or any Muhammadan country. They were Indians. But they were not given any facility for spiritual culture. The brāhmaṇas monopolized it. Although they would not do anything. They would all, degraded form. But the state, they would keep these śūdras and the caṇḍālas downtrodden and ill-treated. So therefore, when Aurangzeb passed a law, Jeziar tax.(?) Jeziar(?) tax means all the non-Muhammadans would pay a tax. So these low-class people were so neglected. They thought—it is natural—that "Why should we pay this tax? We are not very much well-treated by the Hindus. So what is the use of remain Hindu and pay the tax?" So the wholesale, this neglected class of men became Muhammadans. This is the history.
They do not know. They not only create family but also society, community, nation, In this way we are embarrassed. The so-called nationalism, socialism and communism—simply moha, moha, exactly the same way as the small, that insects, under some illusion, moha, they come to the light and sacrifice their life. I have told you many times. We have seen in 1947, partition days, Hindu-Muslim fighting. One party was Hindu, other party was Muslim. They fought and so many died. And after death, there was no distinction who is Hindu or who is Muslim. The municipal men, they gathered together in piles and to throw them somewhere. Exactly the same way, the same insects, they come to the light and die in the morning, and we gather them together and throw in the street.
So long the life is there, everyone is thinking, "I have got this responsibility. I have got this responsibility. I have got this responsibility," and they are working very, very hard and doing all nonsense. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Now, somebody's stealing for the sake of family maintenance, doing so many sinful activities, but when they are scattered again by the laws of nature, nobody will be sympathetic to me if I suffer for my own sinful activities.
So this monarchy is different. People now, they have taken to democracy. Democracy is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there will be no more monarchy or the kingdom ruled by the kṣatriyas, but amongst the people who will be tricky, some way or other get the votes of the people, he will be seated on the throne. That is stated. Some way or other. So therefore, people are in trouble because so many rascals, they somehow or other manage to get some vote and become the president and minister and... So what they know? They do not know how to govern, how to bring peace in the country. But this monarchy, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, just see. Because for the sake of his personal interest so many have been killed, he was sorry. Just see. Not that some way or other, you divide India: "Let me become Prime Minister, that's all." We have got political information that in India when it was..., the proposal was for partition, Gandhi was completely against this partition. He said, "Better I will have no independence; still, I shall not allow the country to be divided." He was stubborn on this point. But he was absent, and in the meantime our, the big Prime Minister signed it, agreed, partition because he wanted to be prime minister anyway, some way or other. "Let the country go to hell." This is politician, going on.
And they will give up their homely life and will go to the forest, to the hills. Just like every year you hear. Now it is going on. Just like in Vietnam. The poor people, they are sometimes evacuating this place and evacuating... vacating this place, vacating that place. They are troubled. The politicians, they are making their own plan, and the poor people ... We have seen. When partition was made in India, all poor Hindus and Muslims, they were in trouble. And the leaders, they were in happy mood in their apartment, ordering and eating very nicely, butter and bread. That's all. This is going on. Therefore the only opportunity of becoming happy is that you preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement amongst the people, so if the people become educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if they decide that "We shall vote for Kṛṣṇa conscious leader," then there will be happiness.
Just like Pṛthu Mahārāja, the king. We were discussing. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement comprehends all sides of life. It is not that a stereotype "churchianity," weekly going to the church and come back and do all. No. It is embracing all sides of our life. But the only aim is how to go back to home, back to Godhead.
Nowadays it is very prominent. I heard that for land there was a fight in somewhere near. So that is going on, nation to nation, community to community. So bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. They are thinking, "This land is mine. The land of my birth is mine." We have seen. There was fight between Hindu and Muslim during partition days: "This is my Pakistan," "This is my Hindustan." So bhauma ijya-dhīḥ.
Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13), yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile... Now, we go to tīrtha-sthāna, we go to Hardwar and Vṛndāvana and other nice holy places... And the Christians go to Jordan. So... Jerusalem. They take birth in the Jordan. So yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile. Salile means water. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu. But have no interest to understand his identification, spiritual identification, from the ācārya. Janeṣv abhijñeṣu. Abhijña means one who knows, ācārya. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the Vedic instruction. To understand your spiritual identity, you must find out a proper guru.
So with one cloth or two cloths you can go on for six months. There is no much expenditure. And this vegetarian diet, if you take a few grains of this chick pea and little milk, you don't require anything to eat. Everything, facility, is there still. But they have... The people are being trained up to imitate Western civilization. That is the government policy, that, "Unless you become Westernized, technologist, you'll not be happy." But they can become happy even in this condition. This artificial partition has caused some trouble by the Britishers because the Pakistan has taken away all the wheat and rice. Their purpose was that. The Punjab side, they are producing wheat in very large quantity. In Bengal, that is the, perhaps the biggest rice producing country in the world, Bengal. So rice is in Pakistan and wheat is in Pakistan. Even cows, they were maintained by the Punjabis, big, big cows, milk-producing. They are now in the Punjab. So there is no milk, there is no rice, there is no wheat. And they have no sugar. The sugar is produced this side. In this way, always. And the Kashmir question... That is British policy. Due to this partition only, India's position is now very crippled. And these rascal leaders, they accepted partition for becoming prime minister. This policy. Gandhi never agreed. So the Jawaharlal Nehru, in order to become prime minister, he committed such a blunder. Therefore India is given... Still, if they keep to their original culture, they will not be unhappy. And you find in every city some such institution as this Gītā Bhavan, in every city you'll find. People are contributing. They are coming.
So the Gandhi's picture, Gandhi was fishing with the tackle, and Jinnah was standing behind with a knife and plate, that "Let this rascal struggle for independence, and as soon as (sic:) he's get, I will take share and go away, Pakistan." Actually he did so. He never went to jail, but he took the share and made Pakistan. So Gandhi, therefore, was not in favor of partition. But he had to do, accept it. Because the Britishers were very intelligent, that "Let us divide it so that India may not become a strong power." So that still, it is going on, the animosity between Pakistan and Hindustan. It is British plan. That is politics.
So similar plan is always there, that we are struggling for existence and accumulating so many things. Just like you have got this nice city, Chicago. Not only Chicago; there are many others in America. But the people are not thinking that "How long I shall remain American and enjoy this? Maybe fifty years, twenty-five years or utmost hundred years. But everything will be taken—my American citizenship, my body, my wealth—everything will be taken by death. So what insurance I am doing for that purpose, that it will not be taken, I shall enjoy it?"
That is the position now. This is called Kali-yuga. They have no other shelter. Now, these people are so frightened of their life and property; still, they cannot go to the... But it will happen in this age. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam. Due to this rascal government people will be so much embarrassed that ācchinna-dāra-draviṇāḥ: they will be separated from their wife, children, and money, and they will go to the forest. This will happen. They will go to the forest. Nobody wants to leave the company of wife, children, and property, but people will be forced. Just like we have seen already in the time of partition, the Muslims and Hindus. The Hindus were going away, and the Muslims were also going away. Nobody was happy, but the partition was made, and this was accepted as India's independence. This is called māyā. They are going to be more dependent, more and more, and still, it was accepted as independence.
We have seen practically in India. During the partition days, when the Britishers left India, they gave a parting kick by dividing Pakistan and India. So I have seen in my own eyes there was fighting between the Hindus and Muslims for at least one week in Calcutta, and heaps of dead bodies there were. So the fighting was between Hindu and Muslim, but when they died the body is piled up and it was taken for burning or to throw away. So the land remained there and these people fighting between themselves, that "This is mine, this is mine," they finished their life. The land remained where it was there.
So this is called illusion. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), "It is mine, it is yours." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Why they should think like that? Bhagavān, in the Bhagavad-gītā He says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "All the forms of different grades of life," sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yaḥ tāsāṁ mahad yonir, "the material world is the mother and I am the father." Very simply understanding. Everything is grown from the material nature. Our life is also from there. The grass is growing, and the grass is eaten by the animals, and then animals beget another animal, or vegetables we also eat and by eating we live. Then by eating we get our semina. Then we beget another children, another child. So actually we are born, every one of us born and nourished by this material nature.
He doesn't care for anybody. He is free. So that is the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that you shall become a foolish, but the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that you will be happy. You will be happy in the feeling, "There is my protector. There is my protector." There is one nice prayer by Yamunācārya. He says, apaharṣayiṣyāmi sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ. Mano-rathena... I... Exactly I don't just now remember. Sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ. Kadāpaharṣayiṣyāmi sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ. Bhavantam evaṁ caran nirantaraṁ praśānta-nihśeṣa-manāntaram. He says, bhavantam eva caran nirantaram: "My dear Lord, when I shall be always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Bhavantam eva caran nirantaram. Nirantaram means incessantly, without any partition that "This much I am worldly conscious, and this much I am Kṛṣṇa conscious." No. Simply Kṛṣṇa conscious. Bhavantam eva caran nirantaram. How you can be so Kṛṣṇa conscious? Now, praśānta-nihśeṣa-mano-rathāntaram: "I shall finish altogether all concoction of my mind." Everything is creating different consciousness by the concoction of mind. Sometimes I am feeling, "Oh, I shall become a great businessman," "Oh, I shall become the president," "I shall become the minister," or "I shall become this and that," so many. The mind is always agitating: "I shall possess that thing. I shall possess that thing. I shall kill him. I shall finish him." So these are called mental hallucination. So one has to become completely free from this mental hallucination or craziness. Then one can be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Once one becomes, somehow or other, a Muhammadan, he has no more chance to come back to the Hindu society. This policy was being followed. And therefore the result is that these fallen souls, whom we call fallen souls, the Muhammadans, they partitioned. Now we are crying. Not only that. I think, from historical point of view, this whole planet was India, Bhārata-varṣa. This planet was called Bhārata-varṣa—not this portion of land. But because gradually the Vedic culture became diminished, they separated from this Vedic culture, as we have got actual experience, and within twenty years the Pakistan is taken away from India.
So if follow that policy that one who is born in India as brāhmaṇa, except him, nobody can become brāhmaṇa, then this Vedic civilization will be, in due course of time, lost. We should be very careful. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading Vedic culture outside India.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
We are disappointed. As I, yesterday I cited the example of Mahatma Gandhi. For his country's love, he did so much. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity, and he wanted nonviolence. In this way he was organizing. But the world is so ungrateful that instead of unity of Hindu-Muslim, in India we experienced complete partition, Hindustan and Pakistan. So he was baffled. And so far nonviolence was concerned, he was killed by violence. So he died very disappointed. So everyone... This is giving the best example, typical example. Everyone. We are attached to the love of this material world, but we are all disappointed. From everyone's experience, you'll find. Everyone is disappointed. Both sides, the lover and the beloved, both sides. You have got very good experience in this country. They marry, again they are divorced, because disappointed. So this is going on. Therefore our love has to be reposed to Kṛṣṇa. That is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, premā pumartho mahān. Pumartho, we want some achievement in this life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Achieve love of Godhead. That is the best."
General Lectures
He entrusted his countrymen—means any Indians. Not that because He appeared in Bengal it was entrusted to the Bengalis, but He said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra: "on the land of Bhārata-varṣa." India is known as Bhārata-varṣa. Perhaps most of you know it. This is after the name of King Bhārata. There was a great king, Bhārata, who was the emperor of the world, and this planet was named Bhārata-varṣa after his name. Before that this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after Mahārāja Bhārata, this planet was named as Bhārata-varṣa. But gradually, there was partition. As recently also there has been partition of India—Hindustan and Pakistan—similarly, this planet, known as Bhārata-varṣa, was partitioned gradually, one after another. So then the other names—Europe, Africa, or America, or Germany—these names gradually developed. Actually the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. That we understand from the Vedic history. And there was one king. That king also belonged to Hastināpura, which is called at the present moment New Delhi, near about that.
Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded anymore by "geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York, they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations. But actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India, our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhijī for uniting all the different section of the people, but actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact, it is not being united; they are becoming disunited more and more—not only the Hindus and Muslims. Now in India, there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually, we are not being united. We are being separated.
Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded any more by geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. "Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations, but actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhiji for uniting all the different section of the people. But actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact it is not being united. They are becoming disunited more and more.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Originally only Calcutta, now Bombay also. Because the Britishers, they made Calcutta capital. And Calcutta was very, very important city. But these Calcutta men, they create sometimes situation, very complicated. So once in 1905 the same situation was there, politically. Sir Surendranath Bannerjee made, Surendranath Bannerjee's movement, partition of Bengal. Lord Collier, he wanted to divide Bengal, made it East Bengal and West Bengal. And Surendranath Bannerjee... He is the practically father of Indian politics. Gandhi's not. He was. He was. And in the beginning, in European circles he was famous. He was called "Surrender-not." The spelling of the name, s-u-r-e-n-d-e-r, Surendranath. In Parliament he was known as "Surrender-not." He was a very powerful politician. So there was trouble in Calcutta; so therefore they transferred, 1911, capital to Delhi. Otherwise, from the very beginning of British occupation Calcutta was the capital. You have seen the government viceroy's house near that Hamilton building where you were trying to purchase.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Suppose one is pāpa-yoni. Kṛṣṇa says that 'They can be elevated to the transcendental position if they accept Me.' Why this propaganda was not done by the higher class people so that the so-called pāpa-yoni could be elevated? Why you rejected them? The result was that the Mohammedans... Instead of accepting them, you rejected them, and they have partitioned, and they have gone away, and they have become eternal enemy of India." You see? So this is the first time that we are trying to elevate to the highest position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even one is in the pāpa-yoni. It doesn't matter because soul is pure. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. The Vedas says, "The soul is untouched by any material contamination." Simply, temporarily, he is covered. This covering should be opened. Then he becomes pure. That is the mission of human life, to uncover ourselves from this material envelopment and come to the spiritual understanding, surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Life is perfect.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: And it has become successful. If I had taken this position from India... I was trying. In India also, I tried. I wrote Mahatma Gandhi that "You are very respectable man, and people like you. You preach Bhagavad-gītā. You stand with your photograph. There is Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you preach Bhagavad-gītā? Now politics is finished. You have got independence." But this politics is so sweet to these politicians, that until he was killed, he could not give up politics, until he was killed. He was advocating non-violence, but he was forced to die by violence. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity. He was forced to accept partition of India. He was so much baffled, but still, he would not give up politics until he was killed. On the day of his death, in the morning, because he had so many letters, so many secretaries, so he said, "I am very much useless. I want to die." He said like that. And actually, in the evening he was killed. He was thinking that "My next solace is only death," because he could understand, "I have created simply problems. No problem I have solved.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually, this independence movement was started from Bengal. Partition of Bengal and the movement started, Surendranath Bannerjee. Gandhi admitted, "Father of nation is Surendranath Bannerjee." Yes. And later on, actually, if you don't take other, the independence came through a Bengali, Subash Chandra Bose.
Dr. Patel: Yes.
Mr. Sar: Right.
Dr. Patel: Not even... Philosophy also. Gaurapāda,(?) the grandson of Śaṅkarapāda. Gaurapāda, Gaurapāda was, he's Govindapāda and Govindapāda is Śaṅkarācārya. So that also you will see that some Śaṅkara's greatest sire was a Bengali gentleman.
Prabhupāda: Now taking too much, too much taking in political part. Aurobindo, Aurobindo, he was a politician.
Prabhupāda: Anything Indian, they dislike in Pakistan. So this is going on by the politicians. They are creating situation because they are not honest, they are not clean. And a clean man cannot become politician. Mr. Lloyd George said that "consistency by the politician is the qualification of an ass." There cannot be any consistency amongst the politicians. So that is the defect, that the politicians are the heads, the leaders of the society, and they are in disagreement. Everyone has got his own ideal, and the fight is going on, and the poor man in the state, they are suffering. Just like in India they partitioned, Pakistan and Hindustan. It was arranged by the leaders, Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru. Especially Jinnah. The people are suffering. And the Britishers made partition in such a way that they will remain continually in war because everyone wants the necessities of life. The foodstuff is in Pakistan, and the industry is in India. So the Pakistan will suffer for want of industry, and India will suffer for want of food. This is British plan for partition. They had no business to divide the country, but they wanted to do it as a parting kick, that "You want independence. You will have independence, but you will remain perpetually in war." That was British policy. None of them are benefiting.
Prabhupāda: So where is your enemy? Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then where is your enemy? Formerly, a man might have become enemy of another man. But this demonic civilization has created nation to nation, country to country, community to community, all enemies. And on account of this communistic enemy, so many innocent people are killed. I have seen in Calcutta during the partition days. So many innocent Hindus and Muslims were killed. Any (indistinct), very quickly this Communistic feeling is aroused, and they fight, like cats and dogs. "Oh, here is another dog! Here is another dog, coming from another neighborhood." So this is demonic civilization. If you want to go to some country, you have to take visa, permission, this, that, so many. Why? Vedic civilization is "You come to my country. Welcome. You are my guest." Gṛhe śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akutobhayam: "Even one is enemy, when he comes to my house, he is my honorable guest." And here, they are so much afraid that you keep dogs. The dog is kept here.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So this National Army was formed by Subhas Candra Bose outside India with the cooperation of Hitler and Tojo. He's formed that, what is called, Indian government outside India, the INA, the soldiers... The INA soldiers means all the soldiers that were arrested in the battlefield, they were given to Subhas Candra Bose, either by the Japanese or by the Germans. So the soldiers took this opportunity; they voluntarily surrendered to the enemy. So when the Britishers understood that the soldiers, Indian soldiers, are now noncooperating, then they decided, "No, no more. It is not possible." So they voluntarily withdrew, that Sir Sirpiting(?) Lawrence, the secretary of state for India. Then they voluntarily settled up. And they settled up means the last parting kick was partition-Pakistan and India. And they partitioned in such a way that these two people will fight everlong. That is going on. They are very good politicians. So after all, it is all... There is a verse in the Bhagavad-gītā:
Prabhupāda: Relevance mean you are spirit soul. You are not this body. This thing first you have to understand. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is India's philosophy, that "I am spirit soul." And if you realize brahmāsmi, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na... (BG 18.54). As soon as you realize that you are not this material body, you are spirit soul, then immediately you become jolly, prasannātmā. Prasannātmā means na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He has no more any hankering for things which he does not possess, no more any lamenting which he has lost. Take, for example, that we have lost our portion of country as Pakistan and fighting since... This was a plan by the British government that divide them in such a way. They will perpetually fight. They will never be happy. This was their plan. That has been successful. But we are lamenting. Both... Pakistan is lamenting or not, I do not know, but Hindustan is lamenting. Gandhi was against this partition. But Jawaharlal Nehru, just to become prime minister, immediately divided.
So these things are going on. So lamenting, we have lost our... But if you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, you can make the whole world Hindustan.
Interviewer: Thank you.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, during Partition (break) ...policy to attract these, all the intelligent class of Indian, to India..., er...
Devotee (2): England.
Prabhupāda: There is job visa. They gave indiscriminately job visa, so that India will be vacant of all intelligent persons and they cannot make... That was the policy.
Dr. Patel: United States are giving also what we call job visa.
Prabhupāda: No, not only. Everywhere I have seen. One who is qualified, he gets very easily job in Europe or America, high salary. They get cheaper. Yes. What the Americans will accept for two thousand dollars, Indians will accept at seven hundred dollars.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because they are doing these things all in.... Wales.... What is called? Ireland, Germany. That is their business: divide and rule. Before leaving India, immediately they partitioned. Burma was Indian. Ceylon was Indian. So they had already divided.
Hari-śauri: Made them all into separate states.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (japa) Now England is finished. There are aristocrat type statues now rolling on the ground. Who takes care? Their, their Lennon? Lennon, John Lennon and George Harrison, they are purchasing big, big palaces. (japa)
Hari-śauri: All the aristocracy, they just go out to work like anyone else.
Prabhupāda: The lords are roaming on the street. I have seen many lords. They're ordinary.... Even they haven't got car. The Queen also, just like ordinary, common man. Royal family.
Prabhupāda: Punjab is the best province in India.
Mr. Malhotra: You know we came and settled in Poona after partition of the country. Previously we were in Rawalpindi. (Hindi) (break)
Prabhupāda: On my way to Kashmir.
Mr. Malhotra: Yes, because at Rawalpindi you could get taxi, then buses. After Rawalpindi you have to go by train. Then from there you could get car, taxi, and in those days there were yakas (?) also. You know. Tongas. Tongas, buses. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...young age when I was 25 years. (break) ...via Jammu.
Mr. Malhotra: Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And I came back via Rawalpindi.
Prabhupāda: Because they won't take it. They'll take this unauthorized interpretation.
Indian lady: I remember, I come from Sindh, and before partition, we were taught all these religious books in our school. But now...
Prabhupāda: Simply reading will not do. You have to learn from the right person.
Indian lady: By reading, reading, we learn.
Prabhupāda: No, if you read as it is, then you will be benefited. But if you read these rubbish commentaries, then (speaks to another man) You inquired about that land? He wants to avoid the land.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: A lot of these Punjabis had to go through this. During the Partition a lot of Punjabis had to face the fight and killing them off.
Prabhupāda: No, in Bengal also there was fight.
Setterji: Huh? First Bengal? Was in Punjab.(?)
Prabhupāda: Noakali there was great fight.
Setterji: After this war I cannot slept six months perfectly.
Prabhupāda: Mind was so disturbed.
Setterji: Because these, that scenes, came always...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. In vision.
Setterji: ...in dreams that "We were fighting; we were killing, they are killing; we are killing."
Prabhupāda: Just see how much struggle.
Prabhupāda: They created untouchables, repressed, sidual,(?) so many partition.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who created them?
Prabhupāda: Britishers. Then, when Gandhi tried to accommodate them, then rupture between Hindu-Muslim, Muslim League, riot. To keep their kingdom they were doing... So many innocent persons were massacred. Anyāyena artha-sañcayan. The Britishers committed so many sinful activities. They will suffer.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now they're suffering for it.
Prabhupāda: Everyone is doing.
Bhavānanda: Yes, he said Muhammadans invited him to speak, and they're very... They don't even know who is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It's been so long since Partition, and they've been cut off. They don't even... One Muhammadan lawyer bought a Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Wanted to read about Him, he said.
Prabhupāda: Full set? Full set?
Bhavānanda: I think one book.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was just inquiring whether you were drinking fruit juice.
Prabhupāda: Fruit juice is very good.
Bhavānanda: I noticed, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your complexion is yellowish. Liver is...
Prabhupāda: There is no hope of life. Therefore we have called you. This condition is hopeless. We have given our will. Now we can... If I die in Vṛndāvana, there is no harm. But Kṛṣṇa can play anything wonderful. But from physical condition there is no hope.
| Page Title: | Partition |
| Compiler: | Sahadeva, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 26 of Apr, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=1, OB=2, Lec=21, Con=15, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 40 |