Ksatriya principles

Expressions researched:
"fighting principle" |"fighting principles" |"ksatriya principle" |"ksatriya principles" |"principles of the ksatriyas" |"principles of ksatriya"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

It is the custom—according to kṣatriya fighting principles—that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked.

BG 1.45, Translation and Purport: Better for me if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battlefield. It is the custom—according to kṣatriya fighting principles—that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked. Arjuna, however, decided that even if attacked by the enemy in such an awkward position, he would not fight. He did not consider how much the other party was bent upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to soft-heartedness resulting from his being a great devotee of the Lord.

SB Canto 3

A person who follows the ksatriya principles by protecting society from thieves and miscreants is called a ksatriya, not the one who is simply born a ksatriya.

SB 3.6.31, Translation and Purport: Thereafter the power of protection was generated from the arms of the gigantic virāṭ form, and in relation to such power the kṣatriyas also came into existence by following the kṣatriya principle of protecting society from the disturbance of thieves and miscreants. As the brāhmaṇas are recognized by their particular qualification of inclination towards the transcendental knowledge of Vedic wisdom, so also the kṣatriyas are recognized by the power to protect society from the disturbing elements of thieves and miscreants. The word anuvrataḥ is significant. A person who follows the kṣatriya principles by protecting society from thieves and miscreants is called a kṣatriya, not the one who is simply born a kṣatriya.

Today most men are śūdras, as the strict principles of kṣatriya life have practically been abolished.

SB 3.22.16, Purport: Even Kṛṣṇa married Rukmiṇī by that process, and some of His sons and grandsons also married by kidnapping. Kṛṣṇa's grandsons kidnapped Duryodhana's daughter, which caused a fight between the Kuru and Yadu families. Afterward, an adjustment was made by the elderly members of the Kuru family. Such marriages were current in bygone ages, but at the present moment they are impossible because the strict principles of kṣatriya life have practically been abolished.

SB Canto 4

According to kṣatriya principle and spirit, one either attains victory or dies on the battlefield.

SB 4.19.13, Purport: The words tiṣṭha tiṣṭha are used by a kṣatriya when he challenges his enemy. When fighting, a kṣatriya cannot flee from the battlefield. However, when a kṣatriya out of cowardice flees from the battlefield, showing his back to his enemy, he is challenged with the words tiṣṭha tiṣṭha. A real kṣatriya does not kill his enemy from behind, nor does a real kṣatriya turn his back on the battlefield. According to kṣatriya principle and spirit, one either attains victory or dies on the battlefield. Although King Indra was very exalted, being the King of heaven, he became degraded due to his stealing the horse intended for sacrifice. Therefore he fled without observing the kṣatriya principles, and the son of Pṛthu had to challenge him with the words tiṣṭha tiṣṭha.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Unless there was a fight, the marriage was not complete. The red vermillion which women apply to their head , is a kṣatriya principle. After killing the opposite party, the blood would be smeared over the hair of the bride.

Lecture on BG 1.16-19 -- London, July 16, 1973: Therefore Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to kidnap Subhadrā. Just see how much Kṛṣṇa was affectionate to Arjuna that Arjuna liked also to marry Subhadrā, and Subhadrā also liked, but the elder brother did not agree. So they made a plan that Arjuna kidnap Subhadrā. This kidnapping was allowed among the kṣatriyas, and fight. That is kṣatriya marriage. Unless there is fight, that marriage is not complete. The red vermillion which we apply, that is kṣatriya principle. After killing the opposite party, the blood will be smeared over the hair of the bride. That is conquer, victory. So in every marriage, Kṛṣṇa had 16,108 wives, and each wife was married by fighting, beginning from Rukmiṇī.

So in the fighting principle, Arjuna is fighting for Krsna. He is following the previous fighting acarya, Hanumanji.

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973: So in the fighting principle, Arjuna is fighting for Kṛṣṇa. He is following the previous fighting ācārya, Hanumānji. Therefore he has depicted his flag with Hanumān, that "Hanumānji, Vajrāṅgajī, kindly help me." This is Vaiṣṇavism. "I have come here to fight for Lord Kṛṣṇa. You fought also for the Lord. Kindly help me." This is the idea. Kapi-dhvajaḥ. So any activities of the Vaiṣṇava, they should always pray to the previous ācārya, "Kindly help me. Kindly..." This is, Vaiṣṇava is always thinking himself helpless, helpless. And begging help from the previous ācārya.

If you are a brāhmaṇa, you must observe the regulative principles, the qualitative principles of a brāhmaṇa. If you are a kṣatriya, then you must observe the kṣatriya principles.

Lecture on BG 1.37-39 -- London, July 27, 1973: If we observe strictly the rules and regulations of kula-dharma... Kula-dharma means if you are a brāhmaṇa, you must observe the regulative principles, the qualitative principles of a brāhmaṇa. If you are in, a kṣatriya, then you must also observe the kṣatriya principles. All these are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, who is brāhmaṇa, who is kṣatriya, by symptoms. By symptoms we have to accept whether one is brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya, not by birth. That is the injunction of the śāstras. So this has to be observed. If we want actually deliverance from this material entanglement, so these rules and regulations of kula-dharma, we must observe.

Kṛṣṇa said "As a kṣatriya you must follow your principle, kṣatriya principle."

Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973: They should not imitate the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas and the śūdras. So this principle, whether one is actually following the brahminical principle... So here Kṛṣṇa is pointing out that "As a kṣatriya you must follow your principle, kṣatriya principle." What is kṣatriya principle? Kṣatriya principle is that dharmyāddhi yuddhāt, dharmyāddhi yuddhāc chreyo 'nyat kṣatriyasya na vidyate. Kṣatriya must be always prepared, and if required, to fight also, whether people are keeping their own principle of religion. That is kṣatriya's duty.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

In ksatriya society as soon as a marriage declaration was made, all the would be husbands would come to take part in combat. That is kṣatriya principle.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973: So Karṇa was insulted during Draupadī's svayaṁvara. In the svayaṁvara... Svayaṁvara means big, big princess, very qualified princess, they used to select her own husband. Just like in your country, the selection of husband is given to the girl, as she likes. This is not very good for common, but those who are uncommon, highly qualified, one who knows how to select, to such girl the facility was given to select her husband and under very strict condition. Just like Draupadī's father made it condition—there was a fish on the ceiling, and one has to pierce the eye of the fish not directly seeing but seeing the shadow in the water down. So there were so many princes. As soon as such declaration is there, all the princes come to combat. That is kṣatriya principle.

That is the kṣatriya principle. Without fight, there is no marriage.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974: You will find in the Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when there was talking between the queens and Draupadī at Kurukṣetra on some festival, that, as women, mixing together, they talk about their marriage, about their family, about their husband, so they were also talking. So Draupadī was asking the queens of Kṛṣṇa how they are married. Because in each time Kṛṣṇa had to fight to get the wife. That is the kṣatriya principle. Without fight, there is no marriage. There must be some fight. And after killing the opposing party, their blood is taken and smeared over it. This is red vermillion. Now it can be purchased. (laughter) There is no fight.

General Lectures

Arjuna Krsnized the fighting principle. He fought for Kṛṣṇa, he did not give up fighting.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971: So Arjuna did not give up his profession as a fighter, but he submitted to Kṛṣṇa. He Krsnized the fighting principle. He fought for Kṛṣṇa, not that he gave up fighting. In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā he was a fighter, soldier. And at the end of his understanding Bhagavad-gītā he remained a fighter and a soldier, but his consciousness was changed. That is the difference.

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Only a dozen of real qualified Brahmins from all parts of the world should combine to guide the principles of the Ksatriyas, the Vaisya and the Sudras all over the world.

Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru -- Allahabad 20 January, 1952: Thus if we want to approach the Absolute Truth by new ways in harmony with present environment we should try to be true to one another in the qualified way of Brahminical culture. Only a dozen of real qualified Brahmins from all parts of the world should combine to guide the principles of the Ksatriyas, the Vaisya and the Sudras all over the world. The Socratesian way of reasoning should be fully utilized because that makes the only difference between a human being and a beast. There is ample scope for this new way of approaching the Absolute Truth and that will only solve the acute distressing world problem. If there is scarcity of such qualified Brahmins which I honestly think there is, we should combine to evolve such Brahminical culture not by blind faith but by sound reasoning and questioning. But all the same we must be sincere and thorough in our attempt.

1969 Correspondence

Lord Caitanya introduced this fighting principle of Sankirtana Movement to reclaim all the fallen souls, who consist of so-called philosophers, half-educated scientists, misguided educationists and a miscreant society.

Letter to Robert Hendry -- Los Angeles 3 August, 1969: Therefore, Krishna Consciousness is also a sort of fight; but not with rifles. Our weapon is karatalas. In this age there is no need of fighting with rifles because the population is so poor that they are already killed by so many disturbances. They are short lived, poor in knowledge, slack in advancement of spiritual life, unfortunate, and embarrassed by so many miserable conditions of life; like war, famine pestilence, poverty and so on. So to kill these persons by rifle is like bringing a cannon for killing a mosquito. So Lord Caitanya introduced this fighting principle of Sankirtana Movement to reclaim all the fallen souls, who consist of so-called philosophers, half-educated scientists, misguided educationists and a miscreant society. If you can consolidate a party of soldiers as described by you, chanting Hare Krishna Mantra and claiming everyone of them to Krishna Consciousness, that will be a glorious task, and you have all of my good wishes for you for this purpose.