View source for War, pestilence, famine

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{{terms|"famine, pestilence and war"|"war, pestilence, and famine"|"war, pestilence, famine"}}
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{{compiler|Laksmipriya|Jayaram}}
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{{first|22Dec08}}
{{last|29Jan10}}
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[[Category:War, Pestilence, and Famine|1]]
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
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<div id="SB_Canto_1" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 1"><h3>SB Canto 1</h3>
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<div id="SB1737_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_1" book="SB" index="245" link="SB 1.7.37" link_text="SB 1.7.37">
<div class="heading">The material world is itself a place always full of anxieties, and by encouraging animal slaughter the whole atmosphere becomes polluted more and more by war, pestilence, famine and many other unwanted calamities.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 1.7.37|SB 1.7.37, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">No one can create a living being despite all advancement of material science, and therefore no one has the right to kill a living being by one's independent whims. For the animal-eaters, the scriptures have sanctioned restricted animal sacrifices only, and such sanctions are there just to restrict the opening of slaughterhouses and not to encourage animal-killing. The procedure under which animal sacrifice is allowed in the scriptures is good both for the animal sacrificed and the animal-eaters. It is good for the animal in the sense that the sacrificed animal is at once promoted to the human form of life after being sacrificed at the altar, and the animal-eater is saved from grosser types of sins (eating meats supplied by organized slaughterhouses which are ghastly places for breeding all kinds of material afflictions to society, country and the people in general). The material world is itself a place always full of anxieties, and by encouraging animal slaughter the whole atmosphere becomes polluted more and more by war, pestilence, famine and many other unwanted calamities.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_4" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
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<div id="SB42014_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="807" link="SB 4.20.14" link_text="SB 4.20.14">
<div class="heading">As soon as there is complete eradication of sinful activities in the state, then there will be no more war, pestilence, famine or natural disturbances.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.20.14|SB 4.20.14, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">An executive head should not be callous to the welfare of the general mass of people while he simply goes on collecting taxes. The king's real duty is to see that the citizens gradually become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa conscious means completely free from all sinful activities. As soon as there is complete eradication of sinful activities in the state, then there will be no more war, pestilence, famine or natural disturbances. This was actually prevailing during the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. If a king or head of the government is able to induce the citizens to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he is worthy to rule over the mass of people; otherwise, he has no right to levy taxes. If the king looks after the spiritual interests of the citizens, he can levy taxes without difficulties. In this way both the subjects and the king will be happy during this life, and in the next life the king will be able to share one sixth of the pious activities of the citizens. Otherwise, by levying taxes on the sinful citizens, he will have to share the reactions of their sinful activities.</p>
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<div id="SB42021_1" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="814" link="SB 4.20.21" link_text="SB 4.20.21">
<div class="heading">Unable to check such illicit smuggling, the government has decided to manufacture the liquor at cheaper prices so that people can have their supply of intoxication directly from the government instead of purchasing it in public lavatories. This kind of government cannot check the resultant actions of sinful life, namely war, pestilence, famine, earthquakes and similar other disturbances.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.20.21|SB 4.20.21, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Just today we have seen in the newspapers of Bombay that the government is going to repeal its prohibition laws. Ever since Gandhi's noncooperation movement, Bombay has been kept dry and has not allowed its citizens to drink. But unfortunately the citizens are so clever that they have increased illicit distillation of liquor, and although not being sold publicly in shops, liquor is being sold in public lavatories and similar abnormal places. Unable to check such illicit smuggling, the government has decided to manufacture the liquor at cheaper prices so that people can have their supply of intoxication directly from the government instead of purchasing it in public lavatories. The government failed to change the hearts of the citizens from indulging in sinful life, so instead of losing the taxes they collect to inflate the treasury, they have decided to manufacture liquor to supply to the citizens who hanker after it.</p>
<p>This kind of government cannot check the resultant actions of sinful life, namely war, pestilence, famine, earthquakes and similar other disturbances. Nature's law is that as soon as there are discrepancies in regard to the law of God (which are described in Bhagavad-gītā as dharmasya glāniḥ, or disobedience to the laws of nature or God), at once there will be heavy punishment in the form of sudden outbreaks of war. We have recently experienced a war between India and Pakistan. Within fourteen days there have been immense losses of men and money, and there have been disturbances to the entire world. These are the reactions of sinful life. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to make people pure and perfect. If we become even partially pure, as described in the Bhāgavatam (naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.18|SB 1.2.18]])), by development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then lust and greed, the material diseases of the citizens, will be reduced. This can be made possible simply by broadcasting the pure message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Big commercial and industrial firms have contributed many thousands of rupees to a defense fund that burns the money in the form of gunpowder, but unfortunately, if they are asked to contribute liberally to advance the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are reluctant. Under the circumstances, the world will periodically suffer from such upsurges and outbreaks of war, which are the consequences of not being Kṛṣṇa conscious.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_101_to_1013" class="sub_section" sec_index="10" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13"><h3>SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13</h3>
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<div id="SB1043_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_10.1_to_10.13" book="SB" index="151" link="SB 10.4.3" link_text="SB 10.4.3">
<div class="heading">By nature's law, when there is an unwanted increase in population, kāla appears, and by some arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, people are killed wholesale in different ways, by war, pestilence, famine and so on.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 10.4.3|SB 10.4.3, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">Kaṁsa immediately got up from bed, thinking, "Here is Kāla, the supreme time factor, which has taken birth to kill me!" Thus overwhelmed, Kaṁsa, his hair scattered on his head, at once approached the place where the child had been born.</p>
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<div class="purport text"><p>The word kālaḥ is significant. Although the child was born to kill Kaṁsa, Kaṁsa thought that this was the proper time to kill the child so that he himself would be saved. Kāla is actually another name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead when He appears only for the purpose of killing. When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa in His universal form, "Who are You?" the Lord presented Himself as kāla, death personified to kill. By nature's law, when there is an unwanted increase in population, kāla appears, and by some arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, people are killed wholesale in different ways, by war, pestilence, famine and so on. At that time, even atheistic political leaders go to a church, mosque or temple for protection by God or gods and submissively say, "God willing." Before that, they pay no attention to God, not caring to know God or His will, but when kāla appears, they say, "God willing." Death is but another feature of the supreme kāla, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the time of death, the atheist must submit to this supreme kāla, and then the Supreme Personality of Godhead takes away all his possessions (mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham ([[Vanisource:BG 10.34 (1972)|BG 10.34]])) and forces him to accept another body (tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 2.13 (1972)|BG 2.13]])). This the atheists do not know, and if they do know, they neglect it so that they may go on with their normal life. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to teach them that although for a few years one may act as a great protector or great watchman, with the appearance of kāla, death, one must take another body by the laws of nature. Not knowing this, they unnecessarily waste their time in their occupation as watchdogs and do not try to get the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is clearly said, aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani: ([[Vanisource:BG 9.3 (1972)|BG 9.3]]) without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one is condemned to continue wandering in birth and death, not knowing what will happen in one's next birth.</p>
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG131LondonJuly241973_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="20" link="Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973">
<div class="heading">The people should take care of mother cow. But they are not taking care of mother. Therefore they are sinful. They must suffer. There must be war, pestilence, famine.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973|Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">In India in village, there is, still the system is amongst the poor men, the cultivators, that if the cultivator cannot provide to keep a cow, he will not marry. Jaru and garu. Jaru means wife, and garu means cow. So one should keep a wife if he is able to keep a cow also. Jaru and garu. Because if you keep a wife, immediately there will be children. But if you cannot give them cows' milk, the children will be rickety, not very healthy. They must drink sufficient milk. So cow is therefore considered mother. Because one mother has given birth to the child, the another mother is supplying milk. So everyone should be obliged to mother cow, because she is supplying milk. So according to our śāstra there are seven mothers. Ādau mātā, real mother, from whose body I have taken my birth. Ādau mātā, she is mother. Guru-patnī, the wife of teacher. She is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī, brāhmaṇī. The wife of a brāhmaṇa, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, the queen is mother. So how many? Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, then dhenu. Dhenu means cow. She is also mother. And dhātrī. Dhātrī means nurse. Dhenu dhātrī tathā pṛthvī, also the earth. Earth is also mother. The people are taking care of mother land, where he is born. That is good. But by the by they should take care of mother cow also. But they are not taking care of mother. Therefore they are sinful. They must suffer. They must have, there must be war, pestilence, famine. As soon as people become sinful, immediately nature's punishment will come automatically. You cannot avoid it.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG32125NewYorkMay301966_1" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="125" link="Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966">
<div class="heading">Whenever there is unwanted population these three things will naturally, by nature's course will appear—famine, pestilence, and war—and the population will be finished.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966|Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Now, Kṛṣṇa says that "If I do not place the ideal life, then the population will be saṅkara." Saṅkara means unwanted, creating disturbances always. There will be no peace in the world. And actually we are feeling that there is no peace in the world. Why? Because the population has become unwanted. And by increasing such population the natural sequence will be... There must be. There will be some disease, there will be some famine or there will be some war when the population will be vanquished. That is the law of nature. That is accepted in economics also, Malthusian theory. Perhaps most of you know that whenever there is unwanted population these three things will naturally, by nature's course will appear—famine, pestilence, and war—and the population will be finished. So there was some unwanted population at that time also for which Kṛṣṇa arranged the war, battlefield of war. Battlefield of war. So we have to follow. If we want very good population, very good generation, then we have to follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā.</p>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB1725VrndavanaSeptember221976_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="180" link="Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976">
<div class="heading">The more people will be materialistic, the world will be burdened. Therefore there must be war, pestilence, famine, to clear these rascals, clear out.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976|Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">As it is said here, bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā. When these rascals and fools increase, it becomes a burden to the earth. Just like a practical example: a child or a man, you weigh him. When he's alive you will find one weight, and when he's dead you will find another weight. That is practical. It will be heavier. Why heavier? Because there is no more spirit soul. So the more people will be materialistic, the world will be burdened. Therefore there must be war, pestilence, famine, to clear these rascals, clear out. You'll find these things. In Europe, every ten years, twenty years, there is a fight, war. It is the history. From the Greece history, Roman history and Seven Years War, Hundred Years War-wars. There must be war, because they are sinful. The same sinful, killing animals continually. So there is war, reaction. 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.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB1725VrndavanaSeptember221976_1" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="180" link="Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976">
<div class="heading">As soon as you become sinful, there is reaction immediately. Immediately there will be war, pestilence, famine, flu, and so on.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976|Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">When Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent, so He gave him instruction that "There is no question of nonviolence. You are talking like an anārya, uncivilized man." Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam. "In warfield, and you are talking of nonviolence, rascal. There is no question of nonviolence. You have to fight." So he was still arguing. Then he finally said, "My dear Arjuna, you fight or don't fight. It doesn't matter. They are not going to return. They'll be finished here. That is My arrangement." He says, nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin: "They're not going to return." It is Kṛṣṇa's arrangement. He says,</p>
:yadā yadā hi dharmasya
:glānir bhavati bhārata
:abhyutthānam adharmasya
:tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
:([[Vanisource:BG 4.7 (1972)|BG 4.7]])
<p>When people become too much sinful, too much godless, the world becomes overburdened, and there must be some machine to kill. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra ([[Vanisource:BG 3.27 (1972)|BG 3.27]]). They are thinking independently. No independence. As soon as you become sinful, there is reaction immediately. Immediately there will be war, pestilence, famine, flu, and so on, so on.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB1833LosAngelesApril251972_2" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="228" link="Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972">
<div class="heading">Killing business can be done without the presence of Kṛṣṇa. Because there are so many natural forces, war, pestilence, famine.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Just you have got a very nice example. Just like Jesus Christ, Lord Christ. So what was his fault? But the sura-dviṣām, the envious persons killed him. And if we find, if we analyze, what is the fault of Jesus Christ, there is no fault. The only fault he was preaching about God. And still he'd find so many enemies. He was cruelly crucified. So you'll always find this, sura-dviṣām. So Kṛṣṇa comes to kill these sura-dviṣām. Therefore vadhāya ca sura-dviṣām. These envious persons are killed.</p>
<p>But this killing business can be done without the presence of Kṛṣṇa. Because there are so many natural forces, war, pestilence, famine. Anything. Just set on working. Millions of people can be killed. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to come here to kill these rascals. They can be killed simply by Kṛṣṇa's direction, nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 3.27 (1972)|BG 3.27]]). Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). The nature has got so much power that it can create, it can maintain, it can annihilate, dissolute, everything. Nature is so powerful.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB1834LosAngelesApril261973_3" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="230" link="Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973">
<div class="heading">As soon the world becomes overburdened, there must be a war, pestilence, famine, epidemic and finish. This is natural.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973|Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So Kuntīdevī is describing different statements of different persons why Kṛṣṇa appeared. Somebody says that He appeared on the request of Devakī and Vasudeva. Somebody says He appeared on the request of Brahmā.</p>
<p>So there is bhūri-bhara, bhūri-bhara. It is said: bhārāvatāraṇāyānye bhuvo nāva ivodadhau. Bhuva, this world becomes overburdened. Overburdened. As soon it becomes overburdened, there must be a war, pestilence, famine, epidemic and finish. This is natural. Overburdened. Nature's law. This is called... In economics there is some law. So why the world becomes overburdened? The earth planet... Not only earth planet. There are many millions of other planets also. They are bearing big, big mountains, big, big oceans. Why it becomes overburdened?</p>
<p>Yes. First of all, you have to consider how this planet is floating in the air. It is floating in the air as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, gām āviśya ([[Vanisource:BG 15.13 (1972)|BG 15.13]]). Because Kṛṣṇa enters within this... Kṛṣṇa. Just like He enters within the atom. So He's the spirit, Supreme Spirit. So because the Supreme Spirit is within, therefore it is floating. Not that weightlessness. Weight is there, very heavy weight. Just like you can test. This body will float in the water so long you are living. And as soon as the spirit soul goes, then immediately the body goes down. The law of gravity acts. The so-called law of gravity. This is an example. A child, so long it is living you can take in one hand. But as soon as the child is dead, it becomes heavier. That is natural.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB1152526LosAngelesDecember41973_4" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="292" link="Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973">
<div class="heading">Kṛṣṇa is exhibiting how things are going on. As soon as there will be burdensome, there will be some war, pestilence, famine—and finished.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973|Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Just like at the present moment the politicians, as soon as they see that they cannot manage things, in the country there is confusion, they declare some war so that the whole attention may be turned that side, and there will be no agitation of the internal dissatisfaction. This is diplomacy. This is diplomacy. We have seen it in Pakistan. As soon as they cannot rule over, they cannot, but they (indistinct), "Oh, the Hindus are our enemy. Kashmir, he has taken." Attention is diverted and they declare war, and again become defeated. So this kind of war is not required. This kind of war is not required. But war is there already, struggle for existence. Just like here, when Kṛṣṇa saw that the Yadu dynasty is becoming... On the strength of Kṛṣṇa, they have become so powerful that they (are) unnecessarily fighting, so Kṛṣṇa wanted that His family, may be..., it may not be degraded farther, so He wanted to kill them. And who can kill them? No outsider can kill them, they are Kṛṣṇa's descendants, that is not possible. Therefore yadūn yadubhir anyonyaṁ bhū-bhārān sañjahāra ha, they fighting amongst themselves, they reduced the burden of the world.</p>
<p>So it is... Kṛṣṇa is exhibiting how things are going on. As soon as there will be burdensome, there will be some war, pestilence, famine—and finished. And finished. You don't require to reduce population by contraceptive method. By nature's way, the wholesale it will be reduced, bhū-bhārān sañjahāra. By nature's way. Why should you commit sinful activities? You don't beget children unnecessarily and don't kill them. That is religion. That is civilization.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB1152526LosAngelesDecember41973_5" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="292" link="Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973">
<div class="heading">When one becomes unnecessarily powerful, disturbs the world situation, he's a burden. That kind of burden is vanquished by Kṛṣṇa's desire, will. There must be some catastrophe like war, pestilence, famine, and everything will be finished.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973|Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So that is our aim. Our aim is not to produce cats and dogs. There are so many cats and dogs, the world is not happy. Now there is need of producing nice children, sober, gentle, devotee of Kṛṣṇa, good brain, good character. These things are required. So they were not unwanted children, these Yadus. This is a make-show (indistinct) other. They came, they are all demigods, they descended just to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's mission. Kṛṣṇa's mission, Kṛṣṇa came down so all the confidential servants of Kṛṣṇa, they also appeared to help Him in different... So when Kṛṣṇa wanted to go, He wanted to go with the descendants also, who came to help Him. So this is a make-show that the Yadus fought amongst themselves. The real purpose is, Kṛṣṇa wanted to take them away. Otherwise, superficially, when one becomes unnecessarily powerful, disturbs the world situation, he's a burden. He's a burden. That kind of burden is vanquished by Kṛṣṇa's desire, will. There must be some catastrophe like war, pestilence, famine, and everything will be finished.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB7943VisakhapatnamFebruary221972_6" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="849" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972">
<div class="heading">The calamities of birth, the calamities of death, the calamities of old age, the calamities of disease, they are already there. And above that, the calamities of war, pestilence, famine, earthquake, and so many other things.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972|Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So Kṛṣṇa also says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā ([[Vanisource:BG 7.14 (1972)|BG 7.14]]), the same thing. As Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā duratyayā, similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja also says duratyayā, it is very difficult to supplant the laws of nature. If you don't act according to the direction... Veda means knowledge. So in the Vedas, they are giving direction how to live. Even if you want to be materially prosperous, you have to follow these rules and regulations. And if you want to get out of this material world, these are the rules and regulations. Otherwise, we have to meet always... Already there are calamities. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi ([[Vanisource:BG 13.8-12 (1972)|BG 13.9]]), the calamities of birth, the calamities of death, the calamities of old age, the calamities of disease, they are already there. And above that, the calamities of war, pestilence, famine, earthquake, and so many other things.</p>
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="MorningWalkApril131976Bombay_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="74" link="Morning Walk -- April 13, 1976, Bombay" link_text="Morning Walk -- April 13, 1976, Bombay">
<div class="heading">The occasional war, pestilence, famine, that's all.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- April 13, 1976, Bombay|Morning Walk -- April 13, 1976, Bombay]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: I have seen Gandhi's prayer meeting, and I attended. Utmost, five minutes reading Bhagavad-gītā, then again politics immediately. Immediately politics. I was in Delhi. I attended the meeting when Nawa Khalia (Noakhali?) fast. So this was his prayer. I have seen. And as a result of this, in that prayer meeting he was killed. (Hindi) So nature punishment are there. (Hindi) The last stage of Kali-yuga means you die.</p>
<p>Dr. Patel: But the way the modern civilized nations are exploiting the resources of the world, another fifty years there will be no resources left, and civilization automatically will die out.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Wars. The occasional war, pestilence, famine, that's all.</p>
<p>Dr. Patel: Even there is no war, sir, or no pestilence, the population...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: There will be war. Because you are dissatisfied, I am dissatisfied, on some little provocation we fight. Nobody is happy. I have seen in Allahabad. Little provocation, two brothers fought so much, one brother was killed immediately. Then, when he was ordered to be hanged, his father appealed that "I am the father. One son I have already lost. If he is hanged, then my.... You hang me, my good man(?)." Then he excused him and he actually was.... Upon the father's appeal. I have seen it.</p>
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<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
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<div id="1968_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Correspondence" text="1968 Correspondence"><h3>1968 Correspondence</h3>
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<div id="LettertoSatsvarupaSeattle9October1968_0" class="quote" parent="1968_Correspondence" book="Let" index="357" link="Letter to Satsvarupa -- Seattle 9 October, 1968" link_text="Letter to Satsvarupa -- Seattle 9 October, 1968">
<div class="heading">The students act sinfully, and when there is reaction of war, pestilence, famine, and so many other nature's disturbances, they pray to God for stopping them.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Satsvarupa -- Seattle 9 October, 1968|Letter to Satsvarupa -- Seattle 9 October, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Students' prayers 24 hours a day to listen to the political talks and desiring the war should stop is useless. God cannot be their order supplier. First of all they act sinfully, and when there is reaction of war, pestilence, famine, and so many other nature's disturbances, they pray to God for stopping them. This is not possible. Just like a criminal first of all commits theft, burglary and debauchery, and when he is captured, by the police force, if he prays to the government to stop, that is not possible. So they are engaged in all sinful activities, and by natures' law, there must be reaction. I am encouraging now cow killing or animal killing, and when by nature's law, the turn comes upon me to be killed, if I pray I want to stop it, how it can be stopped? So their process is not very genuine. They want to make God as order supplier. So God is not order supplier. He is order giver. He orders everyone to surrender unto Him, and the fools and rascals who do not surrender unto Him, they want to order God in the form of so-called prayer, that He should ask material nature to stop her legal activities. That is not possible. So the situation is not very favorable, but if somebody agrees to hear Bhagavad-gita and the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, continually for some time, even they do not pay me anything, I am prepared to go and lecture. But not to take part in some political agitation.</p>
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