Kṛṣṇa's favoritism toward His devotees was exhibited in His fight with Bhīṣma. When Grandfather Bhīṣma was lying at the point of death on the bed of arrows, Kṛṣṇa was present before him, and Bhīṣma was remembering how Kṛṣṇa had been kind to him on the battlefield. Kṛṣṇa had promised that in the Battle of Kurukṣetra He would not even touch a weapon to help either side; He would remain neutral. Although Kṛṣṇa was Arjuna's charioteer, He had promised that He would not help Arjuna by using any weapons. But one day Bhīṣma, in order to nullify Kṛṣṇa's promise, exhibited his fighting spirit so magnificently against Arjuna that Kṛṣṇa was obliged to get down from His chariot. Taking up a broken chariot wheel, He ran toward Grandfather Bhīṣma as a lion runs toward an elephant to kill it. Grandfather Bhīṣma remembered this scene, and He later praised Kṛṣṇa for His glorious favoritism toward His devotee, Arjuna, even at the risk of breaking His own promise.
Fighting spirit
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up.
Any man who has genuine devotion to the Lord has all the good qualities which are found in godly persons or in the demigods, whereas the nondevotee, however advanced he may be in material qualifications by education and culture, lacks in godly qualities. As such, Arjuna, just after seeing his kinsmen, friends and relatives on the battlefield, was at once overwhelmed by compassion for them who had so decided to fight amongst themselves. As far as his soldiers were concerned, he was sympathetic from the beginning, but he felt compassion even for the soldiers of the opposite party, foreseeing their imminent death. And while he was so thinking, the limbs of his body began to quiver, and his mouth became dry. He was more or less astonished to see their fighting spirit. Practically the whole community, all blood relatives of Arjuna, had come to fight with him. This overwhelmed a kind devotee like Arjuna. Although it is not mentioned here, still one can easily imagine that not only were Arjuna's bodily limbs quivering and his mouth drying up, but he was also crying out of compassion. Such symptoms in Arjuna were not due to weakness but to his softheartedness, a characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
The age of Kali literally means the age of quarrel, and the abovementioned four symptoms in human society are the root causes for all kinds of quarrel. Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard that some of the people of the state had already taken to those symptoms, and he wanted to take immediate steps against such causes of unrest. This means that at least up to the regime of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, such symptoms of public life were practically unknown, and as soon as they were slightly detected, he wanted to root them out. The news was not palatable for him, but in a way it was, because Mahārāja Parīkṣit got a chance to fight. There was no need to fight with small states because everyone was peacefully under his subordination, but the Kali-yuga miscreants gave his fighting spirit a chance for exhibition. A perfect kṣatriya king is always jubilant as soon as he gets a chance to fight, just as a sportsman is eager when there is a chance for a sporting match. It is no argument that in the age of Kali such symptoms are predestined. If so, then why was there preparation for fighting out such symptoms? Such arguments are offered by lazy and unfortunate men. In the rainy season, rain is predestined, and yet people take precautions to protect themselves. Similarly, in the age of Kali the symptoms as above mentioned are sure to infiltrate into social life, but it is the duty of the state to save the citizens from the association of the agents of the age of Kali. Mahārāja Parīkṣit wanted to punish the miscreants indulging in the symptoms of Kali, and thus save the innocent citizens who were pure in habit by culture of religion. It is the duty of the king to give such protection, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit was perfectly right when he prepared himself to fight.
SB Canto 3
The Lord stated that the punishment inflicted by the sages upon the doorkeepers Jaya and Vijaya was conceived by the Lord Himself. Without the Lord's sanction, nothing can happen. It is to be understood that there was a plan in the cursing of the Lord's devotees in Vaikuṇṭha, and His plan is explained by many stalwart authorities. The Lord sometimes desires to fight. The fighting spirit also exists in the Supreme Lord, otherwise how could fighting be manifested at all? Because the Lord is the source of everything, anger and fighting are also inherent in His personality. When He desires to fight with someone, He has to find an enemy, but in the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no enemy because everyone is engaged fully in His service. Therefore He sometimes comes to the material world as an incarnation in order to manifest His fighting spirit.
Although Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa, formerly Jaya and Vijaya, became asuras, the demigods of this material world could not control them, and therefore Lord Brahmā said that neither he nor all the demigods could counteract the disturbance they created. They came within the material world by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He alone could counteract such disturbances. In other words, although Jaya and Vijaya assumed the bodies of asuras, they remained more powerful than anyone, thus proving that the Supreme Personality of Godhead desired to fight because the fighting spirit is also within Him. He is the original in everything, but when He desires to fight He must fight with a devotee. Therefore by His desire only were Jaya and Vijaya cursed by the Kumāras. The Lord ordered the gatekeepers to go down to the material world to become His enemies so that He could fight with them and His fighting desires would be satisfied by the service of His personal devotees.
His younger brother, Hiraṇyākṣa, was always ready to satisfy his elder brother by his activities. Hiraṇyākṣa took a club on his shoulder and traveled all over the universe with a fighting spirit just to satisfy Hiraṇyakaśipu.
Aggressive materialistic warriors are actually punished by the Supreme Lord for their policy of unnecessarily disturbing world peace. Therefore Varuṇa advised Hiraṇyākṣa that the right course to satisfy his fighting spirit would be to seek to fight with Viṣṇu.
SB Canto 8
Thereafter, being enlivened because of drinking the nectar, the demigods, who are always at the shelter of the lotus feet of Nārāyaṇa, used their various weapons to counterattack the demons in a fighting spirit.
All of these demigods and demons assembled on the battlefield with a fighting spirit and attacked one another with great strength. All of them desiring victory, they fought in pairs, hitting one another severely with sharpened arrows, swords and lances.
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
The real business of human life is to keep oneself fit for advancement in spiritual realization. Human life is not meant for making the senses unnecessarily strong so that one suffers from disease and one increases in an envious, fighting spirit. In this age of Kali, however, human civilization is so misled that people are unnecessarily increasing in economic development, and as a result they are opening more and more slaughterhouses, liquor shops and brothels. In this way, the whole civilization is being spoiled.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Kṛṣṇa cannot talk with ordinary person. Kṛṣṇa cannot fight with ordinary person. Even the demons, when they come, just like Hiraṇyākṣa, Hiraṇyakaśipu. They were Jaya-Vijaya in the Vaikuṇṭha world. So they came here, and Kṛṣṇa asked them, that "If you become My enemy, then within three births you will come back. And if you remain friend, then seven births." So they preferred, "Oh, I shall become Your enemy, Sir, so that I can come back again after three births." So why? That Kṛṣṇa has all the propensities. Just like we sometimes want to fight, mock fight. So in the Vaikuṇṭha world there cannot be any fight. So because Kṛṣṇa wanted to exercise His fighting spirit, He sent His devotee. He became enemy and He fought. So you have to understand Kṛṣṇa in that way, as Hṛṣīkeśa. He knows that unless Arjuna becomes affected family-wise, how Bhagavad-gītā will be there? Therefore although Guḍākeśa, Arjuna, is above darkness, still, by the will of Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa, he played just like ordinary man, affected with his family affection. Therefore Kṛṣṇa in the next verse says... Uvāca. Kṛṣṇa said, "My dear Pārtha, now you wanted to see with whom you have to fight. Now, here is Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and many other kings. All the descendants of Kuru dynasty, your Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons. Now you see very nicely and be prepared to fight with them." So this is the explanation of Hṛṣīkeśa and Guḍākeśa.
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
- arjuna uvāca
- dṛṣṭvemaṁ svajanaṁ kṛṣṇa
- yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam
- sīdanti mama gātrāṇi
- mukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati
- (BG 1.28)
- vepathuś ca śarīre me
- roma-harṣaś ca jāyate
- gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsate hastāt
- tvak caiva paridahyate
- (BG 1.29)
Translation: "Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up. My whole body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end. My bow Gāṇḍīva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning."
Prabhupāda: So dṛṣṭvā imaṁ svajanam. Arjuna is a great warrior, fighter, and for a kṣatriya to kill one is not very difficult task. The kṣatriyas are trained up. Hunting. Hunting is allowed for the kṣatriyas. Just like medical practitioners, they are trained up how to practice surgical operation on dead body. It is not possible to, of course, for a gentleman, to push knife in someone's body. It is naturally very difficult thing. Rogues and thieves, they can stab. So as the doctors, medical men, surgeons are trained up to operate their knife on the dead body to see where are the nerves, similarly, kṣatriyas are also allowed for being trained how to kill. Kṣatriya means... Kṣat. Kṣat means injury. And tra means trāyate, saves. A kṣatriya has to save the citizens from being injured by others. He is called kṣatriya. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows brahma, the supreme. So brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. These divisions are there according to quality. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). By guṇa. Guṇa means quality. And karma means actual operation of the guṇa.
So Arjuna is a great warrior. He could fight all the soldiers, all the fighting men, yuyutsu. The other party, they were also, they were assembled, yuyutsu, with fighting spirit. Other men, even they are not fighting spirit, we can kill very easily. But own men, although they are fighting spirit, still he hesitates. Because own men. So this "own-menship," in relationship with the body, is the barrier for spiritual understanding. So long this conception of life will exist, that "I am this body, and anyone who is related with this body, they are my own men, kinsmen, relatives..." This conception of life is the greatest barrier for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Therefore the Vedic civilization is so planned that one has to give up this rascal "own men" conception. That is the vairāgya. It is called vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya. Two things required in human life: knowledge and vairāgya, detachment. The attachment increases. First of all, it increases. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). This whole world is based on sex life. A man has got attraction for woman; a woman has got attraction for man. This is nature's bondage. Shackle. And when they are actually united, either by the father, mother, or by their own way, that shackle, that attraction, increases. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. Hṛdaya-granthim. Knot in the heart. "She is my wife." "He is my husband." Of course, now that knot is very slack. Formerly it was very strong because the woman was not allowed to mix with any other man, and the man was also not allowed with any other woman. This intermingling has slackened even that knot, hṛdaya-granthim. Therefore, even trifle cases, quarrel between husband and wife, there is divorce. Because that unity is not very strong now. That is good. Some way or other, it is slackened. So this "own-menship" comes from bodily concept of life.
First of all there must be this division, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. And when they act the duties of that particular position, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life. It doesn't matter whether you are a śūdra or you are a brāhmaṇa, but if you act for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa according to the prescription of your position, then your life is perfect. That is wanted. The whole human civilization should be based on this principle. There must be division. The division is already there. They should be coordinated, systematized. Not that everyone is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means the intelligent man. So we should pick up the intelligent men. They should be trained as brāhmaṇa. Those who are martial, having fighting spirit, they should be selected as kṣatriya. Those who are for increasing money, mercantile mentality, they should be also collected. Similarly, śūdras. And they should be trained, everyone, to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhiṁ hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).
So there is no question of Arjuna's considering whether he would fight or not. It is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa; so fight must be there. Just like when we were walking, the question was raised that "Why war takes place?" That is not a very difficult subject to understand because everyone of us has got a fighting spirit. Even children fight, cats and dogs fight, birds fight, ants fight. We have seen it. So why not human beings? The fighting spirit is there. That is one of the symptoms of living condition. Fighting. So when that fighting should take place? Of course, at the present moment, by the ambitious politicians, they fight. But fighting, according to Vedic civilization, fighting means dharma-yuddha. On religious principles. Not by whims of political ideas, ism. Just like now fighting is going on on two political groups, the communist and the capitalist. They are trying to avoid only fight, but the fighting is going on. As soon as America is in some field, immediately Russia is also there. In the last fighting between India and Pakistan, as soon as President Nixon sent their Seventh Fleet on the India Ocean, Bay of Bengal, almost in front of India... This was illegal. But very puffed-up, America. So sent the Seventh Fleet, maybe to show sympathy to the Pakistan. But immediately our Russian friend also appeared there. And therefore, America had to come back. Otherwise, I think, America would have attacked on behalf of Pakistan.
So this is going on. Fighting you cannot stop. Many people, they are thinking how to stop war. That is impossible. It is nonsense proposal. It cannot be. Because the fighting spirit is there in everyone. That is a symptom of living entity. Even children, who has no politics, no enmity, they fight for five minutes; again they are friends. So the fighting spirit is there. Now, how it should be utilized? Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there. We say, consciousness. We don't say, "Stop fight" or "Do this, do that, do that," no. Everything should be done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our propaganda. Nirbandha-kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Whatever you do, it must have some relationship with the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then you act. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇendriya tṛpti vāñchā tāra nāma prema (CC Adi 4.165). This is love. Just like you love somebody; for the sake of your beloved, you can do anything, and we do sometimes. Similarly, the same thing should be transferred to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Try to educate yourself how to love Kṛṣṇa and act for Kṛṣṇa only. This is the perfection of life.
So this problem of fighting... We have to understand that fighting spirit is there in everyone. You cannot check it, you cannot stop it. We do not say stop. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "You stop this thing," but that is not possible. You cannot stop. Because you are living entity, you have got all these propensities. How you can stop it? But it should be utilized properly. That's all. You have got the fighting spirit. How to utilize it? Yes. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura recommends, krodha bhakta-dveṣī-jane: "Those who are envious of God or God's devotee, you can utilize your anger upon them." You can utilize. The anger you cannot give up. Our business is how to utilize it. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything has to be utilized. We do not say that "You stop this, stop that." No. Kṛṣṇa says, yat karoṣi, yaj juhosi, yad aśnāsi, yat tapasyasi kuruśva tad mad-arpanam (BG 9.27). Yat karoṣi. Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You do this, you do that." He says, "Whatever you do, but the result should come to Me."
Just like so many things are taking place by interaction of different material elements. Similarly, if you don't believe in this existence of the soul, if you think that there is no soul, the life is the result of combination of matter, nitya-jātam, and when this combination of matter is some way or other dismantled, then there is no more soul, it is finished. It began at a point by combination of matter, and it ends in a point by disintegration of matter. If you think like that, then also tathāpi tvaṁ mahā-bāho. Kṛṣṇa is criticizing Arjuna, mahā-bāhu. Actually he is mahā-bāhu. Mahā-bāhu means mighty-armed. One who has got a very strong, mighty arm, he can fight very strongly. Then also, why should you give up your fighting spirit? Why should you lament for combination of chemicals and material elements. Suppose this house is a combination of material elements. So some way or other, if it is dismantled, who laments for it? No sane man will lament. Similarly, if you have no idea of the existence of soul, then also you do not require to lament.
Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything that we find here, that is in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has got twelve different kinds of relationship. Akhila-rasāmṛta. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all kind of rasa. Sometimes fighting is also pleasing. Therefore the fighting spirit is there in Kṛṣṇa. And we have got also that fighting spirit also, in small quantity. We can fight also, but Kṛṣṇa can also fight. But when Kṛṣṇa fight, the opposite party means finished. (laughter) When we fight, that is different. I may be finished or he may be finished. That is different. So this is the position.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So Kṛṣṇa has got two businesses. One, to give protection to the devotee, and the other is to kill the demon. Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared as keśava dhṛta narahari-rūpa, Nṛsiṁhadeva, and Narahari, Nṛsiṁhadeva, one side He was blessing Prahlāda Mahārāja, the devotee, and the other side He was killing his atheist father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. You have seen the picture. So Kṛṣṇa, when He has got the fighting spirit... Because Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Here in this world also, you find two things: friendship and hostility. Just like modern political atmosphere, sometimes there is conference of friendships, and sometimes there is fight with lethal weapons. So this duality is visible in this material world, but in the spiritual world there is no duality. There is absolute peace and... (break). ...So when He wants to fight, He comes here, because here there are many demons. So His fighting spirit is satisfied. Otherwise, for killing the demon, Kṛṣṇa does not require to descend. There are many agents of Kṛṣṇa. For example, this city, Visakhapatnam, on the seashore, if Kṛṣṇa desires, this whole city can be killed in a second, simply by overflooding the sea, or by storm. He has got many agents, parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Or the material agents, Durgā devī, she can all, do all these things. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to descend for killing the demons, but when He feels, just like a rich man sometimes feels to contest with some wrestler, that does not mean he requires it. That is the Kṛṣṇa spirit. He is all-blissful. So when Kṛṣṇa comes, descends, there are many demons. He especially comes for the devotee. But when He fights with the demon, that is also His favor, because anyone killed by Kṛṣṇa, he immediately attains liberation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Either He fights or blesses, the result is the same.
This God is equally kind, equally merciful, but we fight. We, I mean to say, disagree in religious principle. That is due to Kali. Not this Kali. Kali means due to our fighting spirit. It is not God. God is equal to everyone. We fight because we have got misconception. So we think that this religion is better than that religion, or that religion is better than... Every religion must be good, provided one is God conscious. We say that. So many people question in the Western countries, "Whether one can attain perfection by following Christian religion?" Why not? You can also attain. But who is following? First of all, let me see who is following Christian religion. The Christian religion says in the beginning, first commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," and you are simply killing. So where is Christian? Christian religion is not bad. No religion is bad. But where is Christian? Where is Hindu? They are all godless rascals. Therefore there is misunderstanding. Otherwise, if everyone is God conscious, if everyone knows that God is present everywhere, "Whatever I do, He will see. He'll see as sunshine. He'll see as moonshine. He'll see as water..." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. No... Who can avoid water? Who can avoid sunshine? Who can avoid moonshine? Nobody can. So God says, "These things are I am." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So how you can avoid God's vigilance? Then how you can commit sinful... They do not believe in-godlessness. They do not believe in existence of God. They have been taught like that, and they do not know what is God.
Sometimes He wants to fight. Because the fighting spirit is also there in Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, where we get? Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, all the qualities of Kṛṣṇa in minute quantity, they are within us. We are sample of Kṛṣṇa, but the, wherefrom we get this fighting spirit? The fighting spirit is there in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, just like sometimes a big man or king, they engage some wrestler to fight. They, they pay the wrestler to fight with the king. But he's not enemy. He is giving pleasure to the king by fighting, mock fighting.
So here the example is given, jalaukasāṁ jale yadvan mahāntaḥ adanti. Adanti means swallows up. Similarly, when the Yadus became very powerful... Because they are descendants of Kṛṣṇa, who can be...? So they were fighting anywhere, conquering anywhere, and everywhere they were victorious. So that was bhū-bhārān. Bhū-bhārān means burden of the world. When one becomes extravagant and misuses his power, that is burden of the world. You cannot misuse your... You get power by the grace of God, by grace of Kṛṣṇa. If you misuse it, then you become a burden, a burden. As soon as there is burden, then it is dharmasya glāniḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). As soon as there is a misuse of power, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, He comes. So Yadu-vaṁśa, Kṛṣṇa's dynasty, when Kṛṣṇa saw that they are becoming so powerful, that unnecessarily they are fighting, therefore to kill them, that fighting spirit was engaged for fighting amongst themselves, one another. Therefore they were all... Fighting, there is necessity; but if you misuse that fighting spirit...
Even Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Lord, who has nothing to do, He also sometimes thinks that "I must fight with somebody. I must play. I must become subordinate to somebody." Therefore He comes. He becomes subordinate to Nanda-Yaśodā. That is pleasure. He becomes chastised. He fights with the demon. Some of the demons, they are devotees. Just like if I want to take massage, I find out my masseur from my devotees, with all strength. You see? I cannot go outside. Similarly, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The fighting spirit is there in Kṛṣṇa also. So when He wants to fight, in the Vaikuṇṭha there is no possibility of fight. Nobody will be able to fight. Nobody will agree to fight. So there is no fighting. Fighting means must be inimical propensity. Unless you think "I am your enemy," and I think "you are my enemy," the fighting is not going on. If I think, "I am fighting with my friend," it will be false fighting. Fighting must be between two strong enemies. Therefore sometimes Jaya Vijaya come. The question is that why the living entity falls down? It is not falls down. Just like Jaya Vijaya came just to satisfy his master. His master desired fighting, so some of His servant went to the material world and became great enemy like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Rāvaṇa. For killing Rāvaṇa, Rāma is coming. Well, Rāvaṇa could not be killed without Rāma. If Rāma desired, millions of Rāvaṇas could be killed in one second. And why He is coming to, personally to fight with him? Just to satisfy a pleasure pastime, that "I shall fight." That is variety.
So to please Bhīṣma—not that it was necessary to fight with Bhīṣma, but because Bhīṣma wanted that "Either Kṛṣṇa must fight or His friend Arjuna must die"—therefore Kṛṣṇa decided... Not to... He could save His friend Arjuna in any way. But in order to show Bhīṣma that "Yes, He is fighting. He has broken His promise..." He promised that He would not fight, but Bhīṣma promised that either He should fight or His friend would die. So therefore He prepared to fight. But superficially, He did not take His original disc. He took only one broken wheel of the chariot, and taking it, He was going to kill Bhīṣma just to show him, "You promised that I would fight, so now I have taken this fighting weapon. Now you can stop. Otherwise you will be killed." So he stopped. He could understand. But while Kṛṣṇa was coming to kill him with that broken piece of wheel, that was very pleasing to him, Bhīṣma. At that time Bhīṣma was piercing with sharpened arrow the body of Kṛṣṇa. So He was pleasing, He was feeling very pleasure, being pierced by the arrow of Bhīṣma. So bhakti transaction, there are many kinds of bhakti transaction. And at the time of Bhīṣma's death he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa: in His fighting spirit He was coming to kill him. That is in Bhīṣma's prayer. There is in the Bhāgavata. He was not thinking of Kṛṣṇa with flute. He was thinking of Kṛṣṇa with the broken chariot wheel and was coming to kill him. That form was very pleasing to him.
So we can reciprocate all kinds of rasas, humor, because He is the reservoir of all rasas. So this is the rasa of chivalry, the fighting spirit. So everything is there. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Absolute Truth is that where all varieties are there, variety. Although He is one, but still, varieties are there. Otherwise wherefrom the varieties come? Everything, all varieties. You see in the material world how many varieties are there. You take one bunch of flower. You will find, if you study minutely, how many hundreds and thousands of varieties of thorns, varieties of twigs, and color, and everything is there, variety. How these varieties are coming? The Vedānta replies, "From the Absolute Truth, varieties." Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Absolute Truth has got so many varieties of energies. For each and every variety, particular, finer craftsmanship, there is different energy. They are working. Just like we require to present some varieties a specialist, so Kṛṣṇa Himself has got all the special varieties of energy, and they are working in such a nice way as svābhāvikī. He hasn't got to learn it. Svābhāvikī. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Jñāna, knowledge. Suppose if you want to paint something, you must have the knowledge of painting, jñāna. And strength, and activity. Everything.
In the material world there is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). But in spiritual also, if you enter into the spiritual kingdom, from there also... Even sometimes it so happens. Of course, that is by God's desire. Just like Jaya-Vijaya. They were personal associates. But the explanation is Kṛṣṇa wanted that "They should go..., the Hiraṇyakaśipu..., these two, Jaya-Vijaya, they should go to the material world, and I must fight with them." Because that fighting, to become angry, that tendency is there. Where He will exhibit? In the Vaikuṇṭha there is no chance of exhibiting this anger and fighting. That is not possible. Therefore He induces His devotee to "Go to the material world and become My enemy, and I shall fight. I shall become angry," because in the Vaikuṇṭha, spiritual kingdom, there is no chance. Everyone is serving; everyone is friendly. Some relation... Where is the question of fighting? But fighting spirit is there; anger is there. Where He shall exhibit? And therefore Kṛṣṇa incarnates, He becomes angry, and a devotee becomes enemy, and this is Kṛṣṇa-līlā, nitya-līlā. It is going on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
God has got all propensities. So if He wants to fulfill some propensity, then He comes here to exhibit, to manifest that. Just like God comes here, just Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra. And what was the main function of Lord Rāmacandra? He fought with Rāvaṇa, His enemy. So this is called līlā. What is that līlā, līlā pastime? When God wants to have some desire to fulfill, that "I should fight..." Sometimes you sometimes feel mock fighting with friends or with your children. Similarly, wherefrom this desire comes unless the desire is in God? Because He is the origin of all, everything. So don't you feel sometimes, mock fighting? That is enjoyment, fighting with friends, boxing. That is not fighting. That is enjoyment. Similarly, God wants to enjoy by fighting. So Vaikuṇṭha, there is no fighting because nobody can be found there enemy. Everyone is obedient servant. Therefore He comes here to find out some enemy. The two functions are served. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He satisfies His fighting spirit; at the same time, He protects the devotees and protects that enemy also by killing him. Because when a demon is killed by the Supreme Lord, he is at once liberated. The liberation which he had to achieve after many, many births, he at once achieves. That is the advantage. So He saves the enemy and saves the devotee, and at the same time, He satisfies His fighting desire. So God is good. So any fight, that is also good. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is inducing, inciting Arjuna, fight. There is a plan, big plan. So foolish people who criticize, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is inciting war. We are very good men, nonviolence." So this "good man" has no value. That fighting has much value. But there is a plan, good plan. So this is called pastime, līlā, līlāvatāra.
General Lectures
Yes, try to understand clearly this philosophy. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). These things are required. You should try to understand the transcendental subject. First of all surrender, praṇipāta. Then paripraśna. You cannot question if you are not surrendered. Just like the other day one rascal was asking—he is not a surrendered soul—"Swamijī, you know Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Just see. So this is not the process of question. One must surrender. Otherwise, you have no right to question. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena, and sevayā. Sevayā means service. You must find out a suitable person where you can question and get the proper answer, a spiritual master. That means surrender. Then question. Question is not a challenge. Question is to understand. Which I could not follow, I may ask repeatedly to understand. So two sides: sevā, service; and surrender. And in the middle, paripraśna. So paripraśna is required. Otherwise how one can understand? So questions are required. But that question is not a challenge. You should not question any person by challenging spirit. You should simply question, being inquisitive to know. That is bona fide. Otherwise, if you question just to examine his strength, that will create only fighting spirit. That is not good.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Then all murderers should be sent to medical college to become surgeons instead of condemning them. Why not?
Devotee: Or put them in the army.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct)
Devotee: They do not like that now. They recruit for the army from the prison.
Devotee (2): (indistinct)
Devotee: But we have the higher...
Prabhupāda: To some extent that is all right, because therefore the kṣatriya race is there, the fighting spirit.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: ...from where everything emanates. He is the source of all life. Whatever we see, it is in the Absolute Truth. All these universes, all these planets, all the suns and moons, the sky, and everything, they have come from the original source, the Absolute Truth. Now, in the material world we have got so many contradictions, but that contradiction is there also in the Absolute Truth. Just like fighting. Fighting is not a very good thing, but still, the fighting spirit is there in the Absolute Truth. Otherwise, how fighting can be exhibited? So the theory, nonviolence... Nonviolence is not absolute. Nonviolence and violence, everything is there in the Absolute Truth. But in the Absolute Truth, either nonviolence or violence, they are absolute. Here we have got bad effects of violence, but when violence is performed by the Absolute, it has no bad effect, it has good effect. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the battlefield, and Arjuna was denying to fight but Kṛṣṇa was asking him to fight. So the fighting was good because it was the will of the Absolute Personality of Godhead. Therefore at the end of understanding Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna agreed, "Yes, I shall fight." So fighting for the matter of executing the desire of the supreme will is also absolute. It is not different from Absolute Truth. So sometimes it is... Just like we sometimes see mock-fighting, because that fighting spirit is there. The father and son, the little son is fighting with the father. That is not fighting, but the mock fight. But the fighting spirit is there. You cannot deny it. Similarly, the fighting spirit is there. Sometimes that is exhibited by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He wanted to exhibit such fighting spirit, so who will fight with Him? Ordinary living being cannot fight with the Supreme Lord. Therefore some of His devotees, some of His associates, must fight with Him. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that Arjuna was inquiring from Kṛṣṇa that "You say that millions of years before You spoke this Bhagavad-gītā yoga to the sun-god." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).
Prabhupāda: The Lord said that "Many, many, many, many millions of years before, ago, I explained this science of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god." Now, to eliminate any doubt in the minds of ordinary persons like us, Arjuna inquired that, "Kṛṣṇa, You are my friend. We are almost of the same age. How do you say that You explained this Bhagavad-gītā millions and millions of years ago to the sun-god? How can I believe it?" In answer to this question, Kṛṣṇa said that, "Both you..." (break) "...descended on this material world many many times, but you have forgotten. I remember." That is the nature of ordinary living entity. The nature is forgetfulness. But God does not forget. He knows past, present, and future. That is the difference between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. So the fighting spirit, it is to be understood. The fighting spirit is there in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is exhibited at a certain period just to teach us that when fighting should be taken. Fighting is not very good thing, but if there is necessity... Just like in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. The Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was organized by two rival parties. One party was pious; another party was impious. So Kṛṣṇa took side of Arjuna, and he was victorious. That is the history of Kurukṣetra fight. So the Lord wanted to exhibit His fighting spirit. And who will fight with Him? Therefore two of His devotees were resigned that they should go in the material world and fight with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because in the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no question of fighting. There is no enmity. Everyone accepts the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the protector, as the master, as the Lord, and they serve faithfully. So there is no question of fighting.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
John Lennon: I've read bits of the Bhagavad-gītā. I don't know which version it was. There's so many different translations.
Prabhupāda: There are different translations. Therefore I have given this edition, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. There are interpretations. In many translations they have got interpretations. Not only in other parts of the world, but in our own country also. Just like Mahatma Gandhi. He was a great man. He has also interpreted. But the point is interpretation where required. Now, here is a fountain pen box. Everyone knows this is a fountain pen box. But if I say, "No, this is something else." That is my interpretation. Is that very nice thing? (Chuckling) Similarly, interpretation is required when things are not understood clearly. If everybody can understand this box is a fountain pen box, where is the necessity of interpretation? This is the first thing. So Bhagavad-gītā is so clear. It is just like sunlight. Sunlight does not require any other lamp. For example, I'll give you, in the first verse,
- dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
- samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
- māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
- kim akurvata sañjaya
- (BG 1.1)
The, dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca. The father of Duryodhana is asking his secretary, Sañjaya. His secretary's name was Sañjaya. "Sañjaya, my boys..." Māmakaḥ. Māmakaḥ means "my sons," and pāṇḍava, "the sons of my younger brother." His younger brother's name was Pāṇḍu, and therefore his sons are known as Pāṇḍava. So mamaka, pāṇḍava. "My sons and my younger brother's sons, they assembled together for fighting." Yuyutsava. Yuyutsava means "with fighting spirit." And dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1), on the place known as Kurukṣetra, which is a place of pilgrimage, dharma-kṣetra. Kim akurvata: "After assembling there, what did they do?" That was his question. Now, this Kurukṣetra place is still existing in India. You have been in India? No.
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: If you want to advance in spiritual life you must follow the regulative principles to rectify your mistakes in the past life and this present life. Without being freed from all contamination nobody can understand God. That is not possible. Bhagavad-gītā says, yeṣāṁ anta gataṁ pāpaṁ: "One who has become completely freed from all kinds of sinful reaction," yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, "Persons who are engaged in pious activities only," te, "such person," te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā... (BG 7.28). This life, the material life, is dvandva. Dvandva means fighting or quarreling. Every one of us has got nature for fighting with others unnecessarily. Even some people come here with a spirit of fighting with me. So this is called dvandva and moha. How this fighting spirit becomes developed? On account of illusion. What is that illusion? Accepting this body as self. So if one is contaminated by sinful activity—if he is in illusion, how he can..., illusion of accepting this body as self—what is the meaning of their self-realization? He's illusioned. He'll keep himself in all kinds of contaminated life, and artificially he thinks that by some kind of mystic meditation he'll be all right. This is going on. No. One must follow. Meditation, yogic meditation, is also possible when there is yama, niyama, āsana, praṇāyāma—the eight principles of yoga system. And nobody follows the eight principles of yoga system and simply sitting down and meditating, that will not help. The first two steps are yama, niyama, then āsana, then praṇāyāma, then pratyāhāra, then dhyāna, then dhāraṇā, then samādhi. These are explained in the yogic śāstra or Bhagavad-gītā.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Hṛdayānanda: In every class he would smoke at least four or five cigarettes. He was so nervous. (break)
Prabhupāda: The living entity is victimized, and in this life you can adventure to conquer over it. This is human life. The cats and dogs, they cannot fight with māyā, but a human being, he can fight. So if we don't fight, we don't take that adventure, then we remain cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they fight amongst themselves but not with the māyā. So aborigines, although they have got features of human being, they are no more than the cats and dogs. So they also fight amongst themselves. They do not know that the fighting spirit should be utilized to declare war against māyā. That is possible in human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This fighting is philosophy. "What is the ultimate cause? What is Brahman? What I am?" Fighting against darkness, sleeping. Kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. Everyone is sleeping on the lap of māyā. Now, this human form of life is not for sleeping but for awakening and fight with māyā. That is human life. (break) You were reading the other day why the sun changes color after rising?
Hari-śauri: All the aristocracy, they just go out to work like anyone else.
Prabhupāda: The lords are roaming on the street. I have seen many lords. They're ordinary.... Even they haven't got car. The Queen also, just like ordinary, common man. Royal family.
Rāmeśvara: One day America will be poor like that also.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Luxury leads to poverty. When the American becomes too much luxurious, they'll not be able to defend their country. Then it will be finished.
Rāmeśvara: That is the fear even now, that America has lost their fighting spirit against the Communists.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes. Yes. Vietnam. It is proof. When the Vietnam is attacked, American soldiers, they began to fly, flee away, became afraid. Naturally. They were not soldiers. They have no fighting spirit. By force they have been made soldiers. Let them take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. America will be saved. (japa)
Prabhupāda: Kava dava adakanam. As all our Godbrothers are doing. They have got a little temple, and a few devotees go and beg rice and cook it and eat and sleep, that's all.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Like being dead almost.
Prabhupāda: No fighting spirit. Ṭhākura dekhiya (indistinct). Just make a Deity, show. Our Tīrtha Mahārāja is doing that. His whole idea was, that "I have now captured the birthplace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu by high-court favor. Now I have got everything. People will come and they'll pay something, and that will be my income for my family." As the caste gosvāmīs do in Navadvīpa and other... A means of livelihood. He has no devotion. He wanted as a means of income. Like the Vṛndāvana gosvāmīs, Navadvīpa gosvāmīs do. Little devotion, automatically, there is. They are, after all, worshiping the Deity. But their purpose is different. Just like we have established Rādhā-Vṛndāvanacandra not that people will come and pay something. Who will come here, in this foreign country or in this secluded place? So our aim is to make the devotees real devotees. Not for earning money. When we establish a center in a place like this, where is the idea of getting money? (laughs) Who will come here? One, it is a foreign country, nobody knows what is Kṛṣṇa. And one has to come with so great difficulty, on the mountain. And who is coming to pay for it? After spending so much money, they will come here to pay? Our process is that wherever we stay, we worship Kṛṣṇa. As far as possible. That we are doing. Not for earning money but spending money. Now Tīrtha Mahārāja is seeing that without getting Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthsite, Swami Mahārāja, he is attracting lakhs of people. Without the favor of high-court, he is attracting. That is his envy. This year, you were not present?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Indian man (5): I feel, in this country at least, the young generation, the present generation, absolutely has got no base, religious base. And...
Prabhupāda: Religious base is there. There is scriptures. But they are not being trained up.
Indian man (5): They are trained, but after some time they...
Prabhupāda: They do not like to be trained up.
Indian man (5): What will happen to this generation after ten, twenty years?
Prabhupāda: No, if the rascals—again we have to say "the rascals"—the rascal leaders mislead them, there is no hope.
Indian man (5): There is no hope.
Prabhupāda: There is no hope. Now, to prove Bhagavad..., from Bhagavad-gītā, nonviolence, how it is possible? Bhagavad-gītā begins with the word yuyutsavaḥ. And now, if you want to make it nonviolent, that is misleading. Yuyutsavaḥ means fighting spirit. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). So where is nonviolence there? But our leaders want to prove Bhagavad-gītā nonviolence. Is not misleading? Hm? Why you should misinterpret Bhagavad-gītā?
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
The statue which you have received is not Visnu Murti. Visnu Murti is never to be found in fighting spirit with anyone. When the Lord incarnates within this material world, He does not come in Visnu Murti. Lord Nrsimhadeva although Visnu Himself, fighting with the demon Hiranyakasipu, although He is Krishna, He is different from Visnu Murti. So I think that the Murti which you have got is not Visnu Murti, but it appears to be a Murti of Lord Siva. Anyway, this Murti is not worshipable by us. In our temple we shall always worship Radha Krishna Murti or Lord Jagannatha. If possible, you can sell this Murti to some antique store and get some profit.
1970 Correspondence
Now all my disciples must work combinedly and with cooperation to spread this Sankirtana Movement. If you cannot work together then my work is stopped up. Our Society is like one big family and our relationships should be based on love and trust. We must give up the fighting spirit and use our intelligence to push ahead. You should accept help from your Godbrothers.
1972 Correspondence
Now you are my elder disciples and both of your are sannyasis and also advanced in Krsna Consciousness, so these questions should not arise amongst you again and again. That means everyone is not conscientious. These things are not new to you, why do you continually ask these questions? The GBC authority must be accepted under all circumstances, not that there will be fighting amongst you. This fighting spirit will destroy everything, but what can I do, you American and European boys are trained up in this fighting attitude. Now put it aside and simply work cooperatively for spreading this movement all over the world. The standards I have already given you, now try to maintain them at all times under standard procedure. Do not try to innovate or create anything or manufacture anything, that will ruin everything. Simply do as I am doing and be always serious and sincere to serve Krsna, and He will give you intelligence how to do everything.
1974 Correspondence
Madhavananda and Kausalya are an able couple. I have already written to Madhavananda and Mukunda about their difference of opinion. We have so much work to do, we cannot lose our solidarity. Do not cause a crack there with any fighting spirit or competition. Whenever I hear complaints or disturbances in our centers my mind becomes too much disturbed and I cannot properly translate my books. So please spare me from such disturbance by cooperating all together Godbrothers and Godsisters.
This kind of criticism and counter-criticism is not good. Those who are advanced devotees try to see only the good that other devotees are doing, just as bees are attracted to honey, while flies are attracted to sores. Gurukrpa Maharaja and Yasodanandana Maharaja have gone to Tokyo with my full knowledge for sankirtana and collecting funds for our projects in India. In the past they have collected very nicely and sent $40,000 to India. So let them work peacefully, and you engage yourself fully in Los Angeles and BBT matters. You have great responsibilities in that connection. Let us try to work cooperatively, otherwise the fighting spirit will ruin our great movement.
| Page Title: | Fighting spirit |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Alakananda |
| Created: | 14 of Mar, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=2, SB=8, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=20, Con=8, Let=5 |
| No. of Quotes: | 44 |