According to Vedic philosophy, if a kṣatriya dies in proper fighting, then he is immediately transferred to the heavenly planet. The heavenly planet. Because he sacrifices his body for right cause. Formerly, the fight was not a very trifle thing. After much consideration, then fighting or war was declared. Just like the fighting between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas; first of all there was great endeavor to stop the fight. Kṛṣṇa Himself became the messenger and was going from this party to another.
Because Kṛṣṇa . . . both the parties were Kṛṣṇa's family relative. So He wanted to stop and mitigate the misunderstanding by mutual settlement. But it was not possible. The Duryodhana's party said that, "We are not prepared to spare even a small piece of land which can hold the tip of the needle." Sūcāgra-bhūmi. Then it was decided there must be fight.
That fighting was meant for the kṣatriyas. Formerly, there was no democracy, the so-called democracy. Democracy means that there was one king only; now there are hundreds of kings. One king and few ministers. Now one governor, one, I mean to say, three dozen secretaries, and three dozen . . . so many things. It is overburdened. The tax, tax is overburdened because there are so many officers, they have to be sumptually paid. So tax is required.
So in this age, Kali-yuga, by, I mean to say, finishing the monarchical system, people have accepted the democratic system, but it is not very much improvement, because the state expenditure has very much increased and people are very much overburdened with taxes. So Kṛṣṇa advises that tasmād yudhyasva.
Tasmād yudhyasva bhārata. "Don't think that your grandfather or the other party, relatives, they'll be destroyed by fighting. It is not the fact that by destruction of the body, the soul is destroyed." Real purpose is, Bhagavad-gītā, that we should understand that the soul is always existing, even . . . na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).
- ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ
- yaś cainaṁ manyate hatam
- ubhau tau na vijānīto
- nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate
- (BG 2.19)
There is another example. Kṛṣṇa says . . . because the soul is immortal, eternal, so if somebody kills somebody, the body is destroyed, but the soul is not destroyed. So if one thinks that, "I have killed him; he's finished," he's also foolish. And one who thinks that, "If I have died in the fight, then I will be finished," no. Ubhau tau na vijānītaḥ. Both of them are ignorant. Ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate. The living soul is never killed, neither he can kill others. For duty's sake . . . of course, when there is fight . . . that is called dharma-yuddha. Dharma-yuddha: by the order of the Supreme.
Just like Arjuna was fighting by the order of the Supreme. That is dharma-yuddha. If there is no sanction by the dharma, there is śāstra injunction, "In this case fighting should be there; in case . . . in this case, there should be no fighting . . ." So one who follows the principles of regulation in the Vedas, that is called dharma-yuddha. Even there is fight, there is religion, there is piety, even by killing and being killed. Two kṣatriyas are fighting. Either he kills or he is being killed, in both ways they are profited. That will be explained.
Just like Arjuna was advised that, "My dear Arjuna, why you are hesitating to fight? Both ways you'll be benefited. If you can kill your enemies, then you get the kingdom; you enjoy. And if you are killed, then you are promoted to the heavenly planet. So where is your loss? Where is your loss?" This is the instruction given. A kṣatriya who is fighting for the real cause, as sanctioned by the dharma-śāstras, then both ways he's profited. If he becomes victorious, he's profited, but if he's killed in the battle, he's also profited. Both ways.
- ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ
- yaś cainaṁ manyate hatam
- ubhau tau na vijānīto
- nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate
- (BG 2.19)
Then the next verse He clearly explains:
- na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
- nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
- ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
- na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
- (BG 2.20)
"This soul . . . do not think that soul is born." No. As God is ever-existing, the soul is ever-existing. It is not . . . there is no question of birth. And when there is no question of birth, there is no question of death. Because we experience, anything, anybody who has taken birth, he dies. Nobody will live here.
So if the soul has no birth, there is no question of death. And as Kṛṣṇa, God, God is eternal, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa (Bs. 5.33). Purāṇa means old. Because Kṛṣṇa is the original person, therefore He must be purāṇa, the oldest, older than Brahmā. Because Brahmā is given birth by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has been addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā as prapitāmaha (BG 11.39). Brahmā is called pitāmaha, the grandfather, and prapitāmaha means "the father of the grandfather." So Kṛṣṇa has been addressed as prapitāmaha, "Father of Brahmā." Therefore He's ādi-puruṣa.