Rajarsayah means

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"Rajarsayah means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Rājarṣayaḥ means all the names mentioned here, either Vivasvān or Manu or Ikṣvāku. They were all great emperors and kings.

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

So this science was spoken first of all to Vivasvān, the sun-god. He spoke to his son Manu, and Manu spoke to his son Ikṣvāku. And in the second verse, the Lord says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: "In this way, by disciplic succession," evaṁ paramparā-prāptam. That means the process of understanding this particular type of yoga—any yoga or this yoga—is to understand from disciplic succession. Paramparā. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rājarṣayaḥ means all the names mentioned here, either Vivasvān or Manu or Ikṣvāku. They were all great emperors and kings. Formerly the emperors and kings were familywise. Just like... At least, in <a in_rurl="http://i.trkjmp.com/click?v=U0c6MTc0ODc6MzQxOmVuZ2xhbmQ6NmNmY2VlNjVjNTQ5YzgzZWJkMTEwNjcwYjUyNDlhNTU6ei0xMDYzLTk5Mzg5Ond3dy52YW5pcXVvdGVzLm9yZzo0MzEyOjVhNDk5ODAzOTVhMzZkNWY4OWUyOGU2MjdjN2EwNDJi" href="#" style="text-decoration: underline;" id="_GPLITA_0" title="Click to Continue > by DownloadNSave">England</a> you have got the king by familywise. In every country it was... Now monarchy is abolished. So these kṣatriyas, they were qualified. There was no question of democracy. At the present moment, by democracy if somebody can some way or other acquire some votes he becomes the chief man, but formerly the practice was that a qualified man who is trained, a king, he was on the seat. They were called rājarṣi. Rājarṣi means practically they were sages. Just like Mahārāja Janaka. There were many kings, ideal kings. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Rāmacandra. Many kings. Even Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years before he was so responsible king that when he was on tour he saw that one cow was being attempted to be killed, and the cow was crying. At once the king stopped, "Who are you? In my kingdom a cow is crying? I shall immediately kill you." So the king was so responsible that even animal was not allowed to be dissatisfied, what to speak of man. So they were so responsible. Therefore they were called rājarṣi. Rājarṣi. And it is particularly, everything, knowledge is meant for high class of men. Low class of men, what they will understand?

Rājarṣayaḥ means "the sages among the kings."

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

Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). This knowledge, this transcendental knowledge, was imparted formerly to the kings because the kings were very responsible for the welfare of the citizens. When the kings were not responsible, then gradually the government by the people was introduced. Otherwise, formerly, the kings were very responsible, especially for the advancement of transcendental knowledge of the citizens. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayaḥ. Rājarṣayaḥ means "the sages among the kings." Although they were in royal order, they were very saintly persons. There are many examples, just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit. They were emperor of the world, but still, so pious, so religious, and so advanced in transcendent knowledge that there is no comparison. So especially meant that this was taught to the kings, to the royal order who were very pious and advanced in spiritual knowledge. Go on.

Madhudviṣa: "This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession and the saintly kings understood it in that. But in the course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost."

Rājarṣayaḥ means king, rāja, and ṛṣayaḥ. Rāja means king. Formerly, the government was monarchy. So all the kings, all the government head men, they understood Bhagavad-gītā. That is needed.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

We cannot stop their procession. (drums, etc., continue) They will stand here? No, why they are doing? Let them come. Don't ask. (break) ...find in this verse that evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rājarṣayaḥ means king, rāja, and ṛṣayaḥ. Rāja means king. Formerly, the government was monarchy. So all the kings, all the government head men, they understood Bhagavad-gītā. That is needed. This science, Bhagavad-gītā, must be learned by the leaders. The society is managed by the leaders, by the kings, by the brāhmaṇas. That is Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, they give guidance according to the śāstra, and the king is trained up in such a way that he takes instruction from the saintly persons and brāhmaṇas and rules over the kingdom. Therefore it was so perfect.

Rājarṣayaḥ means king, kṣatriya, with qualification of brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

So everything should be learned from the standard Vedic literature, and society and other things, economic development, everything... So that is here in the Bhagavad-gītā. All problems, whatever you want, you consult Bhagavad-gītā—you'll have perfect answer. That is called Vedic literature. Perfect without any flaw you'll get. But to understand Vedic literature one has to become a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya. Even in vaiśya stage or śūdra stage no possible, not possible. Vaiśya stage, little, but in brāhmaṇa stage and kṣatriya stage people are intelligent. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is said, Kṛṣṇa begins in the Fourth Chapter, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rājarṣayaḥ means king, kṣatriya, with qualification of brāhmaṇa. He has got... Although he is king, he is not brāhmaṇa, but he has got the qualification of brāhmaṇa. So that qualification of brāhmaṇa can be fully attained if one becomes Vaiṣṇava.