Strife

Expressions researched:
"strife"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 8.17, Purport:

The duration of the material universe is limited. It is manifested in cycles of kalpas. A kalpa is a day of Brahmā, and one day of Brahmā consists of a thousand cycles of four yugas, or ages: Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali. The cycle of Satya is characterized by virtue, wisdom and religion, there being practically no ignorance and vice, and the yuga lasts 1,728,000 years. In the Tretā-yuga vice is introduced, and this yuga lasts 1,296,000 years. In the Dvāpara-yuga there is an even greater decline in virtue and religion, vice increasing, and this yuga lasts 864,000 years. And finally in Kali-yuga (the yuga we have now been experiencing over the past 5,000 years) there is an abundance of strife, ignorance, irreligion and vice, true virtue being practically nonexistent, and this yuga lasts 432,000 years. In Kali-yuga vice increases to such a point that at the termination of the yuga the Supreme Lord Himself appears as the Kalki avatāra, vanquishes the demons, saves His devotees, and commences another Satya-yuga. Then the process is set rolling again.

BG Chapters 13 - 18

BG 13.23, Purport:

The living entity can be situated either in the material energy or in the spiritual energy. As long as he is conditioned by the material energy, the Supreme Lord, as his friend, the Supersoul, stays with him just to get him to return to the spiritual energy. The Lord is always eager to take him back to the spiritual energy, but due to his minute independence the individual entity is continually rejecting the association of spiritual light. This misuse of independence is the cause of his material strife in the conditioned nature. The Lord, therefore, is always giving instruction from within and from without. From without He gives instructions as stated in Bhagavad-gītā, and from within He tries to convince the living entity that his activities in the material field are not conducive to real happiness. "Just give it up and turn your faith toward Me. Then you will be happy," He says. Thus the intelligent person who places his faith in the Paramātmā or the Supreme Personality of Godhead begins to advance toward a blissful eternal life of knowledge.

BG 16.16, Purport:

A demoniac person believes in the strength of his personal work, not in the law of karma. According to the law of karma, a man takes his birth in a high family, or becomes rich, or very well educated, or very beautiful because of good work in the past. The demoniac think that all these things are accidental and due to the strength of one's personal ability. They do not sense any arrangement behind all the varieties of people, beauty and education. Anyone who comes into competition with such a demoniac man is his enemy. There are many demoniac people, and each is enemy to the others. This enmity becomes more and more deep—between persons, then between families, then between societies, and at last between nations. Therefore there is constant strife, war and enmity all over the world.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.3.1, Purport:

The previous chapter has already explained that Vidura questioned the sage Maitreya as to the cause of the misunderstanding between Lord Śiva and Dakṣa. Another question is why the strife between Dakṣa and his son-in-law caused Sati to destroy her body. The chief reason for Satī's giving up her body was that her father, Dakṣa, began another sacrificial performance, to which Lord Śiva was not invited at all. Generally, when any sacrifice is performed, although each and every sacrifice is intended to pacify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, all the demigods, especially Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva and the other principal demigods, such as Indra and Candra, are invited, and they take part. It is said that unless all the demigods are present, no sacrifice is complete. But in the tension between the father-in-law and son-in-law, Dakṣa began another yajña performance, to which Lord Śiva was not invited. Dakṣa was the chief progenitor employed by Lord Brahmā, and he was a son of Brahmā, so he had a high position and was also very proud.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 61:

During this strife between Balarāma and Rukmī, Lord Kṛṣṇa did not utter a word, for He knew that if He supported Balarāma, Rukmiṇī would be unhappy, and if He said that the killing of Rukmī was unjust, then Balarāma would be unhappy. Therefore, Lord Kṛṣṇa was silent on the death of His brother-in-law Rukmī on the occasion of His grandson's marriage. He did not disturb His affectionate relationship with either Balarāma or Rukmiṇī. After this, the bride and bridegroom were ceremoniously seated on the chariot, and they started for Dvārakā, accompanied by the bridegroom's party. The bridegroom's party was always protected by Lord Kṛṣṇa, the killer of the Madhu demon. Thus they left Rukmī’s kingdom, Bhojakaṭa, and happily started for Dvārakā.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.2:

People with demoniac mentalities never surrender to the Supreme Lord. There have always existed two kinds of men: the good, pious men and the impious reprobates. These two types of people are always present in every country and at every period in history. Pious men obey God's laws and are gradually elevated to perfection. The impious, on the other hand, capriciously flaunt God's laws and try to be independent. The racial strife, civil wars, violent revolutions, and world wars so common in the modern age are all caused by the whimsical and selfish nature of impious men.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

The most effective method for directing humanity toward a positive and favorable consciousness is available in India. Any person, under any circumstances, can reach an elevated state of consciousness by properly hearing the Bhagavad-gītā, and then, by constantly chanting the name of God, he can win God over. The present state of world affairs is full of foreboding, strife, and struggle. These are the effects of Kali-yuga. But our faith in the eternal nature of jīva prompts us to believe that anyone can attain devotional service to Kṛṣṇa simply by hearing and chanting His name and thereby awakening his inherent dormant love for Him. We have full faith in the words of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī quoted above from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—that simply by chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa one can reach His eternal kingdom.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Just like my body. My body, there are different parts of my body. The head is the most important part of my body. The next important part is my arms. The next important part is my belly. And the next important part is my legs. But although the head is the most important part of my body, there is no question of neglecting the lowest part of my body, the legs. Similarly, although there are divisions in the human society, four divisions, according to the different modes of nature... The highest class is called the brāhmaṇa, or the most intellectual class. And the next class is called the kṣatriya, just the administrative class. And the next is the vaiśya, or the mercantile, productive class. And the next is the śūdras, or the laborer class. So all of them, they are required. But if they cooperate for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so there is no strife between these higher and lower classes.

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

We find in the present social, I mean to say, status of our life, we are actually existing in four divisions, but there is no cooperation. Practically, everyone is dissatisfied. Take for example the strife between the capitalist class and the laborer class. They, they are trying in different way. There is no compromise. There is always friction. And especially in a country like India, oh, there is always friction, and other countries also. So they are not satisfied. Recently also, in your country also, there was strike by the bus drivers and the subway drivers and administration. So there is always strike. Why? This is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There cannot be any cooperation unless there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is an essential fact for harmonizing even the present material society. That is required.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Everyone is trying to become happy without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like in your country I heard in a... The Archbishop of Canterbury... There was some meeting. So he said that "You want kingdom of God without God. That is your philosophy." The modern, so-called politicians, they want to make everything very nicely going on. They have discovered this United Nations so that there may not be any war or any strife or any scarcity. They have medical department, W.H.O. Do you know the W.H.O.? W.H.O. department. W.H.O. means World Health Organization. W means World and H means Health and O means Organization, of the United Nations. So there is a W.H.O. organization but there is no health. (laughter) The W.H.O. organization is there, worldwide, but there is no health. This is their business. Because there is no Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Los Angeles, July 14, 1974:

So everything is there. Here it is said that surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam. All opulences are there. I have already explained. Anything fortune... There are mines. There are petrol. There are water. Everything is there. But as soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, then the time will take away everything. Yes. It will not allow. Time will not allow to enjoy. Then there will be strife, there will be misunderstanding. Just like the petrol is there in, within this earth, but because we do not know how to use them, therefore there is scarcity of petrol. Petrol is there. We do not know how to use Kṛṣṇa's property. We are trying to use everything as my own. But factually it is not. Factually it is everything Kṛṣṇa's. So if we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, every one of us, there is no scarcity, no want. Because the things are there already. There is no question of scarcity. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, there is scarcity. It is very clear. We have forgotten that this petrol belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Then it is all right. This land belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But the Arabians are thinking, "This land belongs to us." Therefore there is difficulty.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:

Sammataḥ means approved. Ātmavit sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means superior. We are accustomed to hear so many things, radio and dictaphone and so many things. We are hankering after hearing tape record or this gramophone album, and news from in the newspaper. We are always anxious, very anxious. Big, big news... In your country especially, millions of papers, newspaper, such big, just to hear what is going on in the world. But after seeing one or two pages, you throw it away. Because you are hackneyed. You know that there was political strife, there was fire, there was burglary, there was this, there was this... The same story. Carvita-carvaṇānām, chewing the chewed. No, actually, no pleasure. By... We have seen in your country, and nowadays in our country so many nice news magazines, but they see one or two pages and they throw away. Because there is no pleasure, although I have got hankering to hear so many things.

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

We are wandering in this way, up and down, brahmāṇḍa bhramite. Brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva. If one is fortunate, he can get the information of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. He gets this information. So this assembly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is an attempt to make people fortunate. From the unfortunate position, to become fortunate. Everyone is unfortunate, at least in this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Now see everyone. Everywhere, there is simply problems. There is simply problem. One problem in one country, another problem in another country. There is strife, there is government... There is... Even the president, and he is also, has to meet so many problems. At the end he has to be dragged down. Now he's going to die in the hospital. What to speak of others. The problem, only problem. Therefore everyone is unfortunate. This is the conclusion. You may think that "I am very fortunate." President Nixon was thinking, "I am very fortunate. I have become the President of United States." But now he's realizing, "I am the most unfortunate."

Lecture on SB 5.5.20 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1976:

This planet, the whole planet, was formerly known as Bhāratavarṣa. Before that, it was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. After the reign of Bharata Mahārāja it was named Bhāratavarṣa. So the emperor of Bhāratavarṣa, of this, ruling all over the world, even up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit... And this New Delhi, Hastināpura, was the capital of the world, and there was only one flag, united. There was no need of hundreds of flags, United Nation. We have seen in New York the United Nation organization. The flags are increasing, not under one flag. The culture is lost. In India also the division. Everywhere the division is increasing. In Europe there is only one city. That is also another state. Luxembourg or...? So without the central point, certainly, gradually the division will increase, and in the name of nationalism, the strife and quarrel and fight will increase. Just like in India twenty years before or thirty years before, there was no Pakistan. Now they are divided, and already two big fights have been fought.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

Everyone is self-interested. Everyone is looking after his self-interest. That's good, very good. But do you know what is your self-interest? That they do not know. Somebody is thinking, "My self-interest is this"; somebody is thinking, "My self-interest is this," and therefore there is collision, strife, fight. But actually, the self-interest is one for the..., at least for the human being. What is that? Realization of God. It is equally important for the Americans; it is equally important for the Indians; equally important for every living being, especially for the civilized man. This is self-interest. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is that Absolute Truth? Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That should be our first business. Of course, we require a living place and eating materials and sex arrangement or defense arrangement. That is required. You do that. But don't forget your main business. Then you are cats and dogs. Your main business is God realization.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

Because this material world is such nice place that nobody can adjust things. It is simply waste of time, who are trying to adjust things. The other day, in television or radio, the man asked me, "Swamijī, whether it is possible to adjust the misadjustments of this material world?" I told him flatly that it is not possible. You can simply refer the history that the same thing is... "History repeats itself." When there was Roman Empire, Mogul Empire, the same strife, the same political dissension, the same fight. Everything was there two thousand years before, as history gives us evidence, and the same thing is happening also. So there is no adjustment. The only adjustment is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So long your life is there, you just improve, revive your original consciousness. What is that? "Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord, or God, is very great. I am His eternal servant." That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Kṛṣṇa" means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and "I" means I am His eternal part and parcel. Every one of us—servant. Everyone. Now, you are all, boys, ladies and gentlemen, sitting here. Nobody can say that "I am not servant." Everyone is servant. Everyone is servant. If he is not servant to anyone, at least he is servant of a dog.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.15 -- Dallas, March 4, 1975:

Although they are party, their aim is how to develop the country. Similarly, these Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, although they appear to be a separate party, but their aim is how to serve Kṛṣṇa. So don't think the party means some opposite party. No. Everyone has got for the advanced devotee to serve the Lord in a particular way so that the Lord may be more satisfied. That is their intention. Sometimes we also have some parties in the temple: someone wants to dress the Deity in a way, another wants to... Of course, they are not transgressing the rules and regulation, but still, everyone wants that "I shall serve the Lord in this particular way." We cannot change the original rules and regulation, but there is variety. We are not impersonalist. Every person has got to serve the Lord in a particular way, and that is allowed. The central point is Kṛṣṇa. So although there are parties, if the central point is Kṛṣṇa, so there is no dissension. It is a competition, that "My Godbrother, my Godsister, is serving such a way. She is so well versed in this art. Why not try myself to do something?" This is variety. That is not this ordinary party strife if we make Kṛṣṇa the center.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Just like President Nixon. He's exalted. He is occupying such exalted position, but public is criticizing like anything. Hm? And he's still not leaving that post. Unless he's forced. So harāv abhaktasya... Is that a very good quality? He's publicly elected president. If public (is) accusing him in so many ways, he should have (said), "All right, if you don't like, I resign." But no. So where is the good quality? There is no good quality. Because he has no sense of God consciousness. So without sense of God consciousness, nobody can possess any good quality. That is impossible. And a small man, like our students, because he's God conscious, you'll find so many good qualities in them in comparison to others. So these are the version of the Vedas. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā. One who has become a devotee of the Supreme Lord, all the good qualities will be manifest in him. So we want good quality men. So the one process—to make him God conscious. He'll become the best person in the society. And if the society is composed of the nice person, then where is the war, where is the strife, where is the competition, where is the...? Nothing. Everything will be solved. So all the problems will be solved simply making the people God conscious. If not all, a section will do that. Sinless, God conscious persons, their examples will be followed, and society will change.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is... Rarely they found. Therefore they appreciate. One may comment on scholarship. That is jñāna. And devotion without scholarship-sentiment. Just see. They're both combined. Perfect knowledge. That is wanted. That is my Guru Mahārāja's... He used to say, "Philosophy without religion is dry speculation, and religion without philosophy is sentiment."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you wrote this in your purport in Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: That should be confirmed(?). Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. Don't accept it blindly. We have not accepted Caitanya cult blindly. This is practical. The purpose was to separate from India to become happy. Where is the happiness?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Civil strife.

Prabhupāda: And that is real happiness?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Not they are. And this was the British plan: "So they are driving away? All right, make such arrangement. They'll perpetually remain unhappy."

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Dallas 9 September, 1972:

Regarding your questions you say that amongst the elder disciples there are still symptoms of greed, anger, strife, bickering, etc., but you are one of them. You are one of the old students, so you fall in that group. So the fighting is among that group, but not amongst the real workers. There was fighting amongst the gopis also, so we cannot expect there will be some utopia without fighting, there is even in the spiritual sky transcendental greed, lust, envy, like that. But that is transcendental. Hamsaduta is maintaining his position of service, so why, even if a little fighting, you should go away? We should never give up our duty. My godbrothers always discouraged me but I did not give up, I am doing my duty and always keeping my spiritual master in front. Even there is some difficulty or hardship, or even my godbrothers may not cooperate or there may be fighting, still, I must perform my duty to my spiritual master and not become discouraged and go away, that is my weakness.