The devotees of Krsna should be trained up both ways: not only to give protection to the devotees, to give them encouragement, but if need be, they should be prepared to kill the demons

Expressions researched:
"if need be, they should be prepared to kill the demons"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

There is two mission: not only to give protection to the devotees, but also to kill the demons. To kill the demons, that is one side. So the devotees of Kṛṣṇa should be trained up both ways: not only to give protection to the devotees, to give them encouragement, but if need be, they should be prepared to kill the demons. That is Vaiṣṇavism. It is not cowardism. It is not cowardism.

Lecture on BG 1.6-7 -- London, July 11, 1973:

Somebody was criticizing me that, "Swāmījī, you are introducing this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, people are becoming coward. They simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So I replied that, "You will see the power of Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in due course of time." He required . . . because there were two battles in India: the battle between Rāvaṇa and Rāma, Rāma-Rāvaṇa, the battle of Rāmāyaṇa; and another battle was Battle of Kurukṣetra. And in these two battles the hero was Vaiṣṇava and Viṣṇu. In the Rāma-Rāvaṇa battle Lord Rāmacandra was there and His devotee Hanumān, Vajrāṅgajī. Similarly, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Kṛṣṇa was there, and His devotee Arjuna was there.

So Vaiṣṇavas, they do not simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. If there is need, they can fight under the guidance of Viṣṇu and become victorious. A Vaiṣṇava's one qualification is . . . out of twenty-six qualifications, one qualification is dakṣa, expert. If there is need of fighting, they can fight like very expert. That is also needed. Kṛṣṇa's . . . Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean one-sided.

Kṛṣṇa as all-pervading, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement also should be all-pervading. It should touch everything, even politics, sociology, everything, if required. That is the aim. Because Kṛṣṇa's mission is, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7), paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). There is two mission: not only to give protection to the devotees, but also to kill the demons. To kill the demons, that is one side.

So the devotees of Kṛṣṇa should be trained up both ways: not only to give protection to the devotees, to give them encouragement, but if need be, they should be prepared to kill the demons. That is Vaiṣṇavism. It is not cowardism. It is not cowardism. When need be. Generally, a Vaiṣṇava is non-violent. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he was non-violent, Vaiṣṇava. He said: "Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of this fighting? Let them enjoy." So by nature he was non-violent, but he was induced by Kṛṣṇa to become violent that, "Your non-violence will not help. You become violent. You kill them. I want." So if Kṛṣṇa wants, we shall be prepared to become violent also. And Kṛṣṇa, that is open secret, that paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Two business of Kṛṣṇa, two side.

So those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they should be trained up both ways, they should be prepared. But generally, there is no question of becoming violent unnecessarily. As the modern politicians, unnecessarily they declare war, a Vaiṣṇava does not do so. No. Unnecessarily, there is no need of war. When it was completely impossible to settle up the things between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas, then Kṛṣṇa said, "All right, then there must be fight." When Duryodhana declined to spare even a portion of land holding the sūcyagra, the point of a needle . . . he refused that, "I cannot spare even so much land which can hold the point of a needle." Then the war was declared. There is no question of settlement.

Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa requested that, "These five Pāṇḍavas, they are kṣatriyas. They cannot become merchant or brāhmaṇa." Brāhmaṇa's profession is paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigrahaḥ. Brāhmaṇa can take charity from others. A sannyāsī can take charity from others. Not a kṣatriya or a gṛhastha. No. That is not allowed. "So they are kṣatriyas; they cannot take the profession of a brāhmaṇa, neither they can take the profession of a mercantile man, business man.

They must have some land so that rule over, take taxation. And that is their living means.