Guest guest Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 In the material world, fighting is altogether polluted by hate and enmity, and with the advent of modern mechanistic warfare, it has degraded into mere terrorism and indiscriminate butchery. The dharma of kshatriyas is to fight, but when they engage in a trial of arms, such as the one at Kurukshetra, they at least observe the rules of chivalry. No kshatriya would attack an enemy when he was disarmed or asleep. Equals fought only with equals on equal grounds. Battles were conducted in the spirit of sporting contests, and they were waged where civilians would not be in danger. All things deteriorate in time: Chivalry is dead, and the plan for our next big war has the military on both sides bunkered safely in underground Pentagons, while their weapons rain destruction onto each other’s defenseless civilian population. We have reason enough to dislike fighting, but we shouldn’t project all the despicable characteristics of fighting in the material world onto God’s transcendental fighting. The perversions are ours, not God’s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 In the material world, fighting is altogether polluted by hate and enmity, and with the advent of modern mechanistic warfare, it has degraded into mere terrorism and indiscriminate butchery. The dharma of kshatriyas is to fight, but when they engage in a trial of arms, such as the one at Kurukshetra, they at least observe the rules of chivalry. No kshatriya would attack an enemy when he was disarmed or asleep. Equals fought only with equals on equal grounds. Battles were conducted in the spirit of sporting contests, and they were waged where civilians would not be in danger. All things deteriorate in time: Chivalry is dead, and the plan for our next big war has the military on both sides bunkered safely in underground Pentagons, while their weapons rain destruction onto each other’s defenseless civilian population. We have reason enough to dislike fighting, but we shouldn’t project all the despicable characteristics of fighting in the material world onto God’s transcendental fighting. The perversions are ours, not God’s. ...and so what does that mean here? The islamists are not observing any rules of combat - like the wearing of any markings or any uniform that contrasts them from civilians. That is only one example. Yes our western nations are not dharmic in the true sense but - they are fighting irregular fighters who have even less regard for rules and rights - in that regard - we have to see that our support must go to them because - if they don't try to counter the islamic revolution - who shall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientMariner Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 Srimad BhagavatamCanto 6, Chapter 16, TEXT 41 visama-matir na yatra nrnam tvam aham iti mama taveti ca yad anyatra visama-dhiya racito yah sa hy avisuddhah ksayisnur adharma-bahulah SYNONYMS visama--unequal (your religion, my religion; your belief, my belief); matih--consciousness; na--not; yatra--in which; nrnam--of human society; tvam--you; aham--I; iti--thus; mama--my; tava--your; iti--thus; ca--also; yat--which; anyatra--elsewhere (in religious systems other than bhagavata-dharma); visama-dhiya--by this unequal intelligence; racitah-- made; yah--that which; sah--that system of religion; hi--indeed; avisuddhah--not pure; ksayisnuh--temporary; adharma-bahulah--full of irreligion. TRANSLATION Being full of contradictions, all forms of religion but bhagavatadharma work under conceptions of fruitive results and distinctions of "you and I" and "yours and mine." The followers of Srimad-Bhagavatam have no such consciousness. They are all Krsna conscious, thinking that they are Krsna's and Krsna is theirs. There are other, low-class religious systems, which are contemplated for the killing of enemies or the gain of mystic power, but such religious systems, being full of passion and envy, are impure and temporary. Because they are full of envy, they are full of irreligion. Purport, by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada If one transgresses the laws of a man-made government, he may escape being killed by the state, but one cannot escape the laws of God. A killer of any animal must be killed in his next life by the same animal. This is the law of nature. What if you see a coyote eating a baby calf and you kill the coyote to save the life of the baby calf. I have also read that ksaitrayas (spelling?) can kill useless animals in the forrest if they are training to become warriors or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientMariner Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 ...and so what does that mean here? The islamists are not observing any rules of combat - like the wearing of any markings or any uniform that contrasts them from civilians. That is only one example. Yes our western nations are not dharmic in the true sense but - they are fighting irregular fighters who have even less regard for rules and rights - in that regard - we have to see that our support must go to them because - if they don't try to counter the islamic revolution - who shall? Bhakta Don, I have to admit that is a fair point you are making there. Sorry that I said no civilians were involved with Kurukshetra. Apparently I was wrong on that and thanks for correcting me. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 ...and so what does that mean here? The islamists are not observing any rules of combat - like the wearing of any markings or any uniform that contrasts them from civilians. That is only one example. Yes our western nations are not dharmic in the true sense but - they are fighting irregular fighters who have even less regard for rules and rights - in that regard - we have to see that our support must go to them because - if they don't try to counter the islamic revolution - who shall? Mahaprabhu Sri Caitanya. He showed how to convert the Muslims to the path of Bhakti. By being humble, tolerant etc.. He even told their king he didn't want to overthrow him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2006 Report Share Posted November 10, 2006 Donald Rumsfeld: The War Crimes Case JURIST Contributing Editor Marjorie Cohn of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, president of the National Lawyers Guild, says that although Donald Rumsfeld is resigning as US Secretary of Defense, steps should be and will be taken to hold him accountable for breaches of international law and even war crimes sanctioned in Iraq and Guantanamo during his tenure ... As the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives and were on the verge of taking over the Senate, George W. Bush announced Wednesday that Donald Rumsfeld was out and Robert Gates was in as Secretary of Defense. When Bush is being run out of town, he knows how to get out in the front of the crowd and make it look like he's leading the parade. The Rumsfeld-Gates swap is a classic example. The election was a referendum on the war. The dramatic results prove that the overwhelming majority of people in this country don't like the disaster Bush has created in Iraq. So rather than let the airwaves fill up with beaming Democrats and talk of the horrors of Iraq, Bush changed the subject and fired Rumsfeld. Now, when the Democrats begin to investigate what went wrong, Rumsfeld will no longer be the controversial public face of the war. Rumsfeld had come under fire from many quarters, not the least of which was a gaggle of military officers who had been clamoring for his resignation. Bush said he decided to oust Rumsfeld before Tuesday's voting but lied to reporters so it wouldn't affect the election. Putting aside the incredulity of that claim, Bush likely waited to see if there would be a changing of the legislative guard before giving Rumsfeld his walking papers. If the GOP had retained control of Congress, Bush would probably have retained Rumsfeld. But in hindsight, Bush has to wish he had ejected Rumsfeld before the election to demonstrate a new direction in the Iraq war to angry voters. Rumsfeld's sin was not in failing to develop a winning strategy for Iraq. There is no winning in Iraq, because we never belonged there in the first place. The war in Iraq is a war of aggression. It violates the United Nations Charter which only permits one country to invade another in self-defense or with the blessing of the Security Council. Donald Rumsfeld was one of the primary architects of the Iraq war. On September 15, 2001, in a meeting at Camp David, Rumsfeld suggested an attack on Iraq because he was deeply worried about the availability of "good targets in Afghanistan." Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill reported that Rumsfeld articulated his hope to "dissuade" other nations from "asymmetrical challenges" to U.S. power. Rumsfeld's support for a preemptive attack on Iraq "matched with plans for how the world's second largest oil reserve might be divided among the world's contractors made for an irresistible combination," Ron Suskind wrote after interviewing O'Neill. Rumsfeld defensively sought to decouple oil access from regime change in Iraq when he appeared on CBS News on November 15, 2002. In a Macbeth moment, Rumsfeld proclaimed the United States' beef with Iraq has "nothing to do with oil, literally nothing to do with oil." The Secretary doth protest too much. Prosecuting a war of aggression isn't Rumsfeld's only crime. He also participated in the highest levels of decision-making that allowed the extrajudicial execution of several people. Willful killing is a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions, which constitutes a war crime. In his book, Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib, Seymour Hersh described the "unacknowledged" special-access program (SAP) established by a top-secret order Bush signed in late 2001 or early 2002. It authorized the Defense Department to set up a clandestine team of Special Forces operatives to defy international law and snatch, or assassinate, anyone considered a "high-value" Al Qaeda operative, anywhere in the world. Rumsfeld expanded SAP into Iraq in August 2003. But Rumsfeld's crimes don't end there. He sanctioned the use of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, which are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, and thus constitute war crimes. Rumsfeld approved interrogation techniques that included the use of dogs, removal of clothing, hooding, stress positions, isolation for up to 30 days, 20-hour interrogations, and deprivation of light and auditory stimuli. According to Seymour Hersh, Rumsfeld sanctioned the use of physical coercion and sexual humiliation to extract information from prisoners. Rumsfeld also authorized waterboarding, where the interrogator induces the sensation of imminent death by drowning. Waterboarding is widely considered a form of torture. Rumsfeld was intimately involved with the interrogation of a Saudi detainee, Mohamed al-Qahtani, at Guantánamo in late 2002. General Geoffrey Miller, who later transferred many of his harsh interrogation techniques to Abu Ghaib, supervised the interrogation and gave Rumsfeld weekly updates on his progress. During a six-week period, al-Qahtani was stripped naked, forced to wear women's underwear on his head, denied bathroom access, threatened with dogs, forced to perform tricks while tethered to a dog leash, and subjected to sleep deprivation. Al-Qahtani was kept in solitary confinement for 160 days. For 48 days out of 54, he was interrogated for 18 to 20 hours a day. Even though Rumsfeld didn't personally carry out the torture and mistreatment of prisoners, he authorized it. Under the doctrine of command responsibility, a commander can be liable for war crimes committed by his inferiors if he knew or should have known they would be committed and did nothing to stop of prevent them. The U.S. War Crimes Act provides for prosecution of a person who commits war crimes and prescribes life imprisonment, or even the death penalty if the victim dies. Although intending to signal a new direction in Iraq with his nomination of Gates to replace Rumsfeld, Bush has no intention of leaving Iraq. He is building huge permanent U.S. military bases there. Gates at the helm of the Defense Department, Bush said, "can help make the necessary adjustments in our approach." Bush hopes he can bring congressional Democrats on board by convincing them he will simply fight a smarter war. But this war can never get smarter. Nearly 3,000 American soldiers and more than 650,000 Iraqi civilians have died and tens of thousands have been wounded. Our national debt has skyrocketed with the billions Bush has pumped into the war. Now that there is a new day in Congress, there must be a new push to end the war. That means a demand that Congress cut off its funds. And the war criminals must be brought to justice - beginning with Donald Rumsfeld. On November 14, the Center for Constitutional Rights, the National Lawyers Guild, and other organizations will ask the German federal prosecutor to initiate a criminal investigation into the war crimes of Rumsfeld and other Bush administration officials. Although Bush has immunized his team from prosecution in the International Criminal Court, they could be tried in any country under the well-established principle of universal jurisdiction. Donald Rumsfeld may be out of sight, but he will not be out of mind. The chickens have come home to roost. Marjorie Cohn, a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, is president of the National Lawyers Guild, and the U.S. representative to the executive committee of the American Association of Jurists. Her new book, Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law, will be published this spring by PoliPointPress. November 9, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2006 Report Share Posted November 10, 2006 Even though Rumsfeld didn't personally carry out the torture and mistreatment of prisoners, he authorized it. Under the doctrine of command responsibility, a commander can be liable for war crimes committed by his inferiors if he knew or should have known they would be committed and did nothing to stop of prevent them. The U.S. War Crimes Act provides for prosecution of a person who commits war crimes and prescribes life imprisonment, or even the death penalty if the victim dies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2006 Report Share Posted November 10, 2006 Oh yes, how terrible if someone who tried to institute a system of national health care for all Americans, such as they have in the 70 other industrialized countries in the world, will win. I guess when we are employed by the Federal Government with our Cost-of-Living Allowance, paid vacations, paid sick days, medical insurance for the rest of your life then as a compassionate Vaisnava we are not into supporting someone into providing health care for the 45 million Americans with no health insurance. Better that the kids already existing don't have any medical coverage, great idea, I'll be sure to let any children you may have spawned when you were a "ganga-smoking surfer" who grew up with no medical coverage to know that. mahak: If that is ALL hillary is about, then I support her. What I dont support is her similar arrogance (a la bush) and other stances she takes. She has been a classic enabler to the horrors perpetrated by the bush cabal from the beginning. She has no position on anything, and if she does take a stand, its about unstricted abortion industry stuff. At least Kerry, who also had weak backbone during his campaign, will take a stand based on his positions, but hillary has no position, she just follows the political safe route. She has never provided what has been needed, OPPOSITION, DEBATE. And your insult is bogus, I know all my children, and as far as health care goes, what does that mean? Rutilin for all children with imagination? Where does hillary stand on the CODEX fraud? She is in their back pocket. She is alligned with the corporations, just like bush, except shes with the managed care corporations instead of the pharmaceuticals, just as evil, just as greedy, just as "bought off". She is not for the people, she is for her own egomania. She thinks its perfectly okay for Israel to bulldoze rachel corey, she thinks its perfectly okay to publically hang saddam hussein for crimes that are actually similar to the over-response carried out by our own FBI and ATF against the branch davidians. Except the branch davidians did not attempt to assassinate GHW Bush nor WJC like the islamists who tried to assassinate saddam. Our own re-elected seantor, maria cantwell D-WA, is similar to hillary in her femnist abrasiveness, but I like her okay because she wants to bust the power companies for price gouging, she actively supports liberal causes (and even some rather conservative ones as well). Tell me, hillary expert, what has hillary done as a senator other than pound her fists in support of Israel over-reaction against palestinian civilians, whikle her face grimaces to make her look like ronald reagan on his bad hair day without his astrologer? mad mahax. PS If hillary was running, and it was her alone that would determine whether the seante was run by dems or republicans, Id vote aganst her. BTW, for the record, I really liked bill clinton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 When a country is able to "provide health care" for all of its citizens, it means that everyone in that country has access to good, free or inexpensive, medical care like they somehow or other are able to do in the 70 other industrialized countries in the world other than the United States. When a country is able to "provide health care" for all of its citizens, it means that 45 million people in a country don't go to bed at night without medical coverage, including some of society's most vulnerable members: millions of its children. When a country is able to "provide health care" for all of its citizens, it means that the single largest source of bankruptcies in the country is from businesses failing, not from the poor and the working poor being unable to pay their medical bills. In any event, I think that EVERY child in this world is mine, because Srila Prabhupada said, "Your children are your Deities". And once you get off of the bodily platform, you see that means every single person in this world, including every child in this world and every elderly in this world and anyone who was once ever a child. I do know that Hillary tried to provide Universal Health Care coverage for all Americans, and she has my respect for that. We all have our good points and our bad points. You yourself tell us about all of the people that you respect who inspired you, even though later on perhaps some of them were not able to act according to the highest principles due to their human weakness. I felt that it was a very noble endeavor to try to provide health care for all Americans, even though it was probably doomed to failure due to the financial influence of Big Pharma. I feel it was a noble endeavor in the same way that some individuals seem to have a pocket of affection for people tried to do a noble thing like spread KC and some might say failed miserably at it. They still have your admiration to this day for that one good thing that they tried to do, even if it was a somewhat Quixotic endeavor in retrospect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Well one thing for sure we'll see if the tide changes now the new mob gets a go at least. That is if the previous lads haven't siphoned the coffers dry to do anything. Maybe they can focus on a bit of environmental repair so that everyone on the planet can have a chance to revive their health. No more mother, no more children period. Looks like a feast of humble pie is on the menu, I love it. Will anyone be strong enough to turn the tide though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayodhya Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 How were innocents killed at Kurukshetra? It was a designated battlefield where all the rules of war were followed until Jayadratha killed Abhimanyu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2006 How were innocents killed at Kurukshetra?It was a designated battlefield where all the rules of war were followed until Jayadratha killed Abhimanyu. Whenever there is a war, there is certainly a massacre of many innocent living beings, such as boys, brahmanas and women, whose killing is considered to be the greatest of sins. They are all innocent creatures, and in all circumstances killing of them is forbidden in the scriptures. Maharaja Yudhisthira was aware of these mass killings. Similarly, there were friends, parents and preceptors also on both sides, and all of them were killed. It was simply horrible for him to think of such killing, and therefore he was thinking of residing in hell for millions and billions of years. [sB 1.8.49, PURPORT] Prabhupada says: Whenever there is a war, there is certainly a massacre of many innocent living beings, such as boys, brahmanas and women So what does that mean then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayodhya Posted November 12, 2006 Report Share Posted November 12, 2006 These are just isolated statements of things with nothing to back them up. Yes, people can say things have happened or will happen, but nothing in the epic says it does. Where in the Mahabharata does it explicitly say that the fighting of Kurukshetra extended into the inhabited ares? You didn't even quote the Mahabharata, and instead, took an outside source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 These are just isolated statements of things with nothing to back them up. Yes, people can say things have happened or will happen, but nothing in the epic says it does. Where in the Mahabharata does it explicitly say that the fighting of Kurukshetra extended into the inhabited ares? You didn't even quote the Mahabharata, and instead, took an outside source. I'm quoting Prabhupada and - he knows the "Mahabharata" better than both of us - maybe after the rules went down - like no fighting at night etc., then - these 'other' things went on - like when the mass murderer son of drona killed the sons of draupadi? Maybe it is implied that these things went on - it is said that 600 million people were killed in that war - were they all soldiers? Not likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Don you need to find a proper Guru who can clear away all these misconceptions that you are thinking. A Guru you learn from via a book will never be able to change your thinking from nescience to truth. Find a living Guru - soon. Your foolish ideas are painful to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Don you need to find a proper Guru who can clear away all these misconceptions that you are thinking. A Guru you learn from via a book will never be able to change your thinking from nescience to truth. Find a living Guru - soon. Your foolish ideas are painful to read. Prabhupada is a living guru and - what do you have against Prabhupada? Quote: Find a living Guru - soon. Reply: Any suggestions? Quote: Your foolish ideas are painful to read. Reply: Then don't... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Prabhupada is living? Uh huh.... Please explain why the Vedabase doens't have any new comments and advice from Srila Prabhupada for the year 2006? You ritviks don't know what it really means, when Krishna says: tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnenta sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva darshinah. Ignorant. Blind, like owls who close their eyes when the sun comes up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayodhya Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 You stated that 600 million people were alive during the time of the Mahabharata. There weren't that many people in India at that time alone. Only in the early 1900's did numbers drastically take the turn that it has today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Prabhupada is living? Uh huh.... Please explain why the Vedabase doens't have any new comments and advice from Srila Prabhupada for the year 2006? You ritviks don't know what it really means, when Krishna says: tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnenta sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva darshinah. Ignorant. Blind, like owls who close their eyes when the sun comes up. Quote: Prabhupada is living? Reply: As Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura so articulately put it: He reasons ill who says that Vaishnavas die, When thou art living still in sound! The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try To spread the holy name around. Lord Jesus is a living example how one has to suffer in this material world simply for the matter of preaching the message of God. [Letter 65/11/19] So are 'Lord Jesus' and - all great vaishnava's no longer "living" - or - is it only your mind that they are dead too? There are two--vani or vapu. So vapu is physical presence and vani is presence by the vibration, but they are all the same. [Letter 70/06/22] There are two conceptions of presence—the physical conception and the vibrational conception. The physical conception is temporary, whereas the vibrational conception is eternal. When we enjoy or relish the vibration of Krsna’s teachings in Bhagavad-gita, or when we chant Hare Krsna, we should know that by those vibrations He is immediately present. He is absolute, and because of this His vibration is just as important as His physical presence. When we feel separation from Krsna or the spiritual master, we should just try to remember their words of instructions, and we will no longer feel that separation. Such association with Krsna and the spiritual master should be association by vibration, not physical presence. That is real association. [Elevation to Krsna Consciousness] There are two conceptions: the physical conception and the vibration conception. So physical conception is temporary. The vibration conception is eternal...So we should give more stress on the sound vibration, either of Krsna or of the spiritual master. Then we’ll feel happy and no separation. [sB 7.9.12, lecture] So I question what your "living guru" is teaching you about these things. Respectfully - who is your 'living guru' can I obtain and read anything he has written? Quote: Please explain why the Vedabase doens't have any new comments and advice from Srila Prabhupada for the year 2006? Reply: Please explain what is lacking in the Vedabase - what practical information isn't presented in detail? Unless you're after some irrelevant esoterica [rasa theology etc.,] - the Vedabase is the best option for a vani or a sound vibration connection to a real guru. Has your guru also produced so prolific of a vani with books lectures conversations and letters - one that can be examined in contrast to others?? Are his teachings available whenever you need or want them and for as long or short a time as you want or need each time? The Bhaktivedanta Vedabase covers all that. Quote: You ritviks don't know what it really means, when Krishna says: tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnenta sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva darshinah. Why do you think i'm a ritvik? Also I don't think that you understand this text you've quoted: Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth. [bG 4.34] Knowing vani and vapu - where is the difficulty in that? Quote: Ignorant. Blind, like owls who close their eyes when the sun comes up. Reply: I guess you would know that best...? NOTE: For those who would like to do so - there is an older easy to use free version of the complete Vedabase with all of Prabupada's books lectures conversations and letters- it is worth every moment you spend reading and using the search feature - that is what makes the Vedabase a dynamic learning experience! Download it FOR FREE here: http://www.winsite.com/bin/Info?26500000037010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 You stated that 600 million people were alive during the time of the Mahabharata. There weren't that many people in India at that time alone. Only in the early 1900's did numbers drastically take the turn that it has today. It is said in the Mahabharata, Adi-parva (20) that 640,000,000 men were killed in the eighteen days of the Battle of Kurukshetra, and some hundreds of thousands were missing. Practically this was the greatest battle in the world within five thousand years. [sB 1.8.46, purport] So that is the information that I take. Here is something of interest about the Battle of Kurukshetra: Rules of engagement The two supreme commanders met and framed "rules of ethical conduct", dharmayuddha, for the war. The rules included: Fighting must begin no earlier than sunrise and end exactly at sunset. Multiple warriors may not attack a single warrior. Two warriors may "duel," or engage in prolonged personal combat, only if they carry the same weapons and they are on the same mount (no mount, a horse, an elephant, or a chariot). No warrior may kill or injure a warrior who has surrendered. One who surrenders becomes a prisoner of war and a slave. No warrior may kill or injure an unarmed warrior. No warrior may kill or injure an unconscious warrior. No warrior may kill or injure a person or animal not taking part in the war. No warrior may kill or injure a warrior whose back is turned away. No warrior may attack a woman. No warrior may strike an animal not considered a direct threat. The rules specific to each weapon must be followed. For example, it is prohibited to strike below the waist in mace warfare. Warriors may not engage in any "unfair" warfare whatsoever. Most of these laws were broken at least once by both sides. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurukshetra_war Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 Prabhupada is living? Uh huh.... Please explain why the Vedabase doens't have any new comments and advice from Srila Prabhupada for the year 2006? You ritviks don't know what it really means, when Krishna says: tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnenta sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva darshinah. Ignorant. Blind, like owls who close their eyes when the sun comes up. Nothing to say now? Where can i find your 'living' guru's teachings? Who is your 'living' guru? Whomever he is - he cannot measure-up to the incredible devotional and scholarly standards which Srila Prabhupada presents within his books etc., if that is incorrect let's see your guru's writings to make the contrasted comparisons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 You stated that 600 million people were alive during the time of the Mahabharata. There weren't that many people in India at that time alone. Only in the early 1900's did numbers drastically take the turn that it has today. Hare Bolo! Did you see the specific quote? It is said in the Mahabharata, Adi-parva (20) that 640,000,000 men were killed in the eighteen days of the Battle of Kurukshetra, and some hundreds of thousands were missing. Practically this was the greatest battle in the world within five thousand years. [sB 1.8.46, purport] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 So we hear that the democrats are going to try to pressure President Bush into some negotiations with Iran and Syria - to try to solve the Iraq insurgency. It sounds like even the 'left leaning' Tony Blair suggested such a thing yesterday [and thank goodness he seems to be resiling it today]. That some negotiations with Iran and Syria - to try to solve the Iraq insurgency - is a big mistake - because Iran and Syria are part of the problem - is scarcely difficult to understand. It is long obvious that Iran and Syria are involved in directing and arming the insurgents [just as they assisted hezbollah to rearm after that latest conflict with Israel] - so - if the western nations decide to enter into 'peace' negotiations with the leaders of Iran and Syria - it isn't because the leaders of Iran and Syria have turned aside from their obnoxiously adversarial and altogether irregular positions regarding their 'widespread' islamic revolution and - their desire for the demise of the state of Israel - if these 'negotiations' proceed with the leaders of Iran and Syria - this would serve as an acute machination towards their goals of hastening their 'widespread' islamic revolution and - their avowed desire to induce the demise of the state of Israel. It is a big mistake to enter into negotiations with the leaders of Iran and Syria - especially under these circumstances. The circumstances in which there could be talk of negotiations could not come to exist without their first having *turned aside from their obnoxiously adversarial and altogether irregular positions. Just see what a democratic president/government might do to sell out to terrorists and - for what - an impermanent flaccid peace?! *it would have to be in a most convincing fashion for the most doubting of us in the world - for those of us who would not be fooled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayodhya Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 Actually, according to Vyaasa himself, with complimentary calculations, the number of total men on both sides was 4 million. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kurukshetra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Don Muntean Posted November 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 Actually, according to Vyaasa himself, with complimentary calculations, the number of total men on both sides was 4 million. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kurukshetra According to the link you've just posted [and posted by me earlier] it is an even greater number than both of us are advancing: Army divisions and weaponry The combined number of warriors and soldiers in both armies was approximately 1.7 billion.<sup id="_ref-1" class="reference">[2] </sup>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kurukshetra <sup id="_ref-1" class="reference"> </sup> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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