View source for An enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapons, plunders wealth or usurps agricultural fields, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor

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{{terms|"According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors: (1) a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire to the house, (3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who occupies another's land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife"|"An enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapons, plunders wealth or usurps agricultural fields, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor"|"Enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapon, plunders wealth, or usurps agricultural field, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor"}}
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{{compiler|Laksmipriya}}
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{{first|24May12}}
{{last|24May12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
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[[Category:Enemy]]
[[Category:Set (verb)]]
[[Category:Fire]]
[[Category:House]]
[[Category:Administration]]
[[Category:Poison]]
[[Category:Attack]]
[[Category:All of a Sudden]]
[[Category:With]]
[[Category:Dead]]
[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Plundering Money]]
[[Category:Wealth]]
[[Category:Usurp]]
[[Category:Agriculture]]
[[Category:Field]]
[[Category:Entice]]
[[Category:Someone]]
[[Category:Wife]]
[[Category:Is Called...]]
[[Category:Aggressor]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Chapter 07 Purports - The Son of Drona Punished]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Purports]]
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" class="section" sec_index="0" parent="compilation" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is"><h2>Bhagavad-gita As It Is</h2>
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<div id="BG_Chapters_1_-_6" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" text="BG Chapters 1 - 6"><h3>BG Chapters 1 - 6</h3>
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<div id="BG136_0" class="quote" parent="BG_Chapters_1_-_6" book="BG" index="30" link="BG 1.36" link_text="BG 1.36">
<div class="heading">According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors: (1) a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire to the house, (3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who occupies another's land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife. Such aggressors are at once to be killed, and no sin is incurred by killing such aggressors.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:BG 1.36 (1972)|BG 1.36, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and our friends. What should we gain, O Kṛṣṇa, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?</p>
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<div class="purport text"><p>According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors: (1) a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire to the house, (3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who occupies another's land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife. Such aggressors are at once to be killed, and no sin is incurred by killing such aggressors. Such killing of aggressors is quite befitting any ordinary man, but Arjuna was not an ordinary person. He was saintly by character, and therefore he wanted to deal with them in saintliness. This kind of saintliness, however, is not for a kṣatriya. Although a responsible man in the administration of a state is required to be saintly, he should not be cowardly. For example, Lord Rāma was so saintly that people even now are anxious to live in the kingdom of Lord Rāma (rāma-rājya), but Lord Rāma never showed any cowardice. Rāvaṇa was an aggressor against Rāma because Rāvaṇa kidnapped Rāma's wife, Sītā, but Lord Rāma gave him sufficient lessons, unparalleled in the history of the world. In Arjuna's case, however, one should consider the special type of aggressors, namely his own grandfather, own teacher, friends, sons, grandsons, etc. Because of them, Arjuna thought that he should not take the severe steps necessary against ordinary aggressors. Besides that, saintly persons are advised to forgive. Such injunctions for saintly persons are more important than any political emergency. Arjuna considered that rather than kill his own kinsmen for political reasons, it would be better to forgive them on grounds of religion and saintly behavior. He did not, therefore, consider such killing profitable simply for the matter of temporary bodily happiness. After all, kingdoms and the pleasures derived therefrom are not permanent, so why should he risk his life and eternal salvation by killing his own kinsmen? Arjuna's addressing of Kṛṣṇa as "Mādhava," or the husband of the goddess of fortune, is also significant in this connection. He wanted to point out to Kṛṣṇa that, as husband of the goddess of fortune, He should not induce Arjuna to take up a matter which would ultimately bring about misfortune. Kṛṣṇa, however, never brings misfortune to anyone, to say nothing of His devotees.</p>
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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="SB1716_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_1" book="SB" index="224" link="SB 1.7.16" link_text="SB 1.7.16">
<div class="heading">An enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapons, plunders wealth or usurps agricultural fields, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor. Such an aggressor, though he be a brāhmaṇa or a so-called son of a brāhmaṇa, has to be punished in all circumstances.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 1.7.16|SB 1.7.16, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">O gentle lady, when I present you with the head of that brāhmaṇa, after beheading him with arrows from my Gāṇḍīva bow, I shall then wipe the tears from your eyes and pacify you. Then, after burning your sons' bodies, you can take your bath standing on his head.</p>
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<div class="purport text"><p>An enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapons, plunders wealth or usurps agricultural fields, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor. Such an aggressor, though he be a brāhmaṇa or a so-called son of a brāhmaṇa, has to be punished in all circumstances. When Arjuna promised to behead the aggressor named Aśvatthāmā, he knew well that Aśvatthāmā was the son of a brāhmaṇa, but because the so-called brāhmaṇa acted like a butcher, he was taken as such, and there was no question of sin in killing such a brāhmaṇa's son who proved to be a villain.</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="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="LectureonSB1716VrndavanaSeptember141976_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="173" link="Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976">
<div class="heading">If somebody is aggressor, there is no sin in killing aggressor. Enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapon, plunders wealth, or usurps agricultural field, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor. Everything... This is Vedic knowledge. Everything has got definition.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976|Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So here, a brahma-bandhu... Aśvatthāmā was born of a brāhmaṇa, Droṇācārya. But he killed the five sons of Draupadī most abominably, when they were sleeping. So what to speak of brāhmaṇa, he's less than a kṣatriya even. Because a kṣatriya also do not kill anybody while one is sleeping. A kṣatriya challenges, offers him weapon, fights, and then one of them is killed. That is... So here it is brahma-bandhoḥ ātatāyinaḥ. Ātatāyinaḥ, aggressor. Anyone who kidnaps one's wife is called aggressor. One who sets fire in your house, he's aggressor. One who is coming to kill you with weapon, he's aggressor. In this way there is a list of aggression. So aggressor can be killed immediately. If somebody is aggressor, there is no sin in killing aggressor. Enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapon, plunders wealth, or usurps agricultural field, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor. Everything... This is Vedic knowledge. Everything has got definition.</p>
<p>So this Aśvatthāmā was an aggressor. Therefore Arjuna decided to kill him. He is, although he's born in a brāhmaṇa family... Naturally a person born in a brāhmaṇa family is expected to become a brāhmaṇa by qualification. That was the training. The brahmacārī... Generally the sons of brāhmaṇa and kṣatriyas especially, these two sects, up to vaiśya, they were trained up as brahmacārīs. And śūdras were not interested. The door is open for everyone, but the lower class, except brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, they are not interested to become brahmacārī or their parents are not interested. Just like we are going to open this brahmacārī school, or āśrama, but I am doubtful whether we'll get many children. Because in this age people are interested to become śūdras. Nobody is interested to become brāhmaṇa. Technology. Technology means śūdra. Technology is not the business of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, or vaiśya. No. Just like blacksmith, goldsmith, carpenter, craftsman. These are technology. They are meant for the śūdras. Brāhmaṇas, they are to be trained up how to become truthful, how to become controller of the senses, how to become simple, how to become tolerant. In this way. Kṣatriya—how to become strong, stout, brave, no going away when there is challenge, not to go away from fighting, to possess land, to rule over, īśvara-bhāvaś ca, and charity. These are the kṣatriya qualifications. The charity was given by the kṣatriyas. Even there are instances that Muhammadan rulers in this country, they also gave in charity land and temple in Vṛndāvana. There are many instances. Aurangzeb gave some land, Jahangir gave some land. There is still one temple, it was constructed by Jahangir, and the other side of the Yamunā there is a village called Jahangir-pura. That village was given to the brāhmaṇas for maintaining the temple. So charity, that is kṣatriya's business, and perform yajñas, give in charity, to rule, not to go away from fighting, challenge, very strong, stout—these are kṣatriya qualification. And the vaiśya qualification—agriculture. Kṛṣi. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya, and cow protection. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam. And if there is excess, then vāṇijya, trade. Otherwise there is no question of trade. And vaiśya... And śūdra, paricaryātmakam ([[Vanisource:BG 18.44 (1972)|BG 18.44]])—to work for some payment. That is this blacksmith, goldsmith, weaver. You take some work from him and pay him something, maintain him. That is śūdra. So in the śāstra it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga almost everyone is a śūdra. You'll find they're interested in accepting some service. Even one is born of a brāhmaṇa family, he is looking after some good job. That is śūdra mentality. That is not brāhmaṇa's business. Brāhmaṇa will not accept anyone's service, neither the kṣatriyas, neither the vaiśyas. Only śūdras.</p>
<p>So considering all these points, Aśvatthāmā is accepted here as brahma-bandhu. And at the same time he's aggressor. Brahma-bandhoḥ ātatāyinaḥ. Therefore Arjuna promised, "I shall kill him." Arjuna did not promise to kill a brāhmaṇa. No. That was not his business. Because he's proved to be brahma-bandhu and ātatāyinaḥ, he deserved to be killed. Therefore it is sanctioned</p>
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