Fw: Srila Prabhupada Giving First Class on Bhagavad-Gita as it is-73/07/07 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.1

[Guest guest]

Hare Krsna!Please Accept My Humble Obiesances!All Glories To Srila

Prabhupada!This is the Lecture of the first class on " Bhagavad-Gita As it

Is " ,You can Read This,or Listen ,To Srila Prabhupada ,Giving the Class

Personally,By Clicking Onto(listen )! I hope this meets you in Good Health.and

Krsna Consciousness,Your Servant,Jaya Kesava Dasa

" The Material World Means Politics,

Jealousy, Diplomacy, Envy "

73/07/07 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.1

 

listen

 

 

--------

 

 

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

 

dhrtarastra uvaca

dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre

samaveta yuyutsavah

mamakah pandavas caiva

kim akurvata sanjaya

[bg. 1.1]

 

Prabhupada: (during chanting of sloka) Now, in your leisure hour you

will try to repeat and get by heart some of the slokas. That will be very nice.

Go on.

 

Pradyumna: (after synonyms) " Translation: Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya,

after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, what did my sons and

the sons of Pandu do, being desirous to fight? "

 

Prabhupada: So the history is that same family, there was dispute who

would occupy the throne. Dhrtarastra and, actually he was the eldest son of the

king, and next was Pandu. So every country the law of primogeniture, what is

called? The eldest child... In your country even the eldest child is a girl, she

also occupies the throne. Just like present Queen Elizabeth. Formerly there was

Queen Victoria; before that, another Elizabeth. But in India woman has no such

right. Woman is never given any responsible post. That is the opinion of the

greatest politician in the history of the world, Canakya Pandita. According to

his opinion, visvaso naiva kartavyah strisu raja-kulesu ca. He has given his

explicit opinion that " You cannot trust with any responsible post or any

responsibility with a woman and politician. " Those who are diplomat, politician,

you cannot trust them.

 

So the general regulation is that woman should remain under the

protection of husband, er, father, husband and children. Just like these Pandus,

their mother, Kunti, she was very, very qualified lady. But still, after the

death of her husband, she always remained with the sons. The sons are going to

the forest; the mother is also going. Also the wife is also going, Draupadi.

This was the... So two parties... Dhrtarastra was the eldest son, but he was

blind, bodily defect. Therefore he was not awarded the throne. His next brother,

Pandu, he was offered the throne, but he died very early age, a young man. When

these Pandus, the five sons, Yudhisthira Maharaja, at at that time not Maharaja,

Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, they were very small children, so

they were taken care of by Dhrtarastra and other elderly family... Bhismadeva.

He was the grandfather of the Pandavas. He was the elder uncle of Dhrtarastra.

Bhisma was elder brother of Dhrtarastra's father. He was so old. But he was...

Actually, the kingdom belonged to Bhisma, but he remained a brahmacari, he did

not marry. There was no issue of Bhismadeva. Therefore his nephews, Dhrtarastra

and Pandu, they were inheritor.

 

Now, after the death of Pandu, there was conspiracy. Dhrtarastra wanted

that " Actually, this is my kingdom. Now, somehow or other, I could not get it.

Now my brother is dead. So if I do not inherit, why not my sons.? " This was the

politics. Politics are always there, and enviousness, jealousy. This is the

nature of this material world. You cannot avoid it. Spiritual world means just

the opposite. There is no politics. There is no jealousy. There is no

enviousness. That is spiritual world. And material world means politics,

jealousy, diplomacy, enviousness, so many things. This is material world. So

even in the heavenly planets, these things are there, politics. Even in animal

kingdom, these politics are there. This is the nature. Matsarata. Matsarata

means enviousness. One man is envious of another man. It doesn't matter, even

they are brothers or family members. Here the family members, Dhrtarastra and

Pandu, two brothers, their sons, they were family members, but the

enviousness...

 

So the Krsna consciousness movement is not for the persons who are

envious. Envious. It is a movement to train people how to become not envious. It

is very first-class scientific movement, yes. Not to become envious. Therefore

Srimad-Bhagavatam in the beginning introduces, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo atra

[sB 1.1.2]. In this Srimad-Bhagavatam, dharma, religious principles, cheating

type of religious principle is completely eradicated, thrown away, projjhita.

They are kicked out, projjhita. Just like you collect all the dirty things from

the room, sweeping and then kick out, don't keep it within the room. Similarly,

cheating type of religious system -- kicked out. It is not such religion, " this

religion, " " that religion. " Any religion system, if there is jealousy, that is

not religion. Jealousy means... We should understand jealousy, what is jealousy.

Jealousy means that you are rightful owner of something; I won't allow you to

take it. This is jealousy. This is jealousy. Jealousy, try to understand.

Suppose you are rightful owner of something, and I am trying that " You don't own

it. I shall own it. Or somebody own it. I shall not allow it. " This is jealousy.

 

So what is the rightful ownership of the living entity? That is to be

understood. Birthright, what is called birthright. Just like everyone has got

right to live under the protection of the government, everyone. That is good

government. Government should give security of life and property. That is

government. Not only for the human being, but even for the ant. This is

government. Not that I give protection to my brother, and not to others. That is

not... Just like Pariksit Maharaja, he was giving protection to the animals

also. When he was on his tour, as soon as he saw that a black man was trying to

kill one cow, oh, immediately he took his sword, " Who are you? You are trying to

kill? "

 

So this is good government. Unless the government is equal to

everyone... Just like God is equal to everyone. The king or the government must

be representative of God. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, king is

offered as good respect as to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. King is called

nara-deva, nara-deva. That means " God in human form. " King is given... Why?

Because he acts as the representative of God. He cannot be jealous to any living

entity, at least, born in his kingdom. That is called praja. Praja means one who

has taken birth, or, in other words, national, national. So that was the duty.

 

So formerly, when there was fight between two kings, it is on the

principle that who is giving good protection to the citizens, not for personal

profit. Who is able to give good protection, life, security for life and

property, he should become king. So these persons, this Dhrtarastra and his

sons, they were jealous. How they could give protection to the citizens? They

are themselves jealous. Just like nowadays, all these politicians, they are

jealous. They cannot give any protection to the citizens. They are simply

interested with their party politics. They have no time even to think how to

give nice protection to the citizens so that they may feel happy always that " We

have got good government. There is no cause of anxiety. We have got sufficient

food, sufficient protection, sufficient opulence, everything sufficient. " That

is good government.

 

So here, Dhrtarastra, he is jealous. He cannot give any good government.

Krsna knew it. Krsna sent a messenger, Akrura. You have read in the

Srimad-Bhagavatam. Before this Battle of Kuruksetra from Dvaraka, He sent his

uncle Akrura: " Just go to Hastinapura, New Delhi, and see what is the

situation. " So Akrura understood that Dhrtarastra was planning something. So he

talked with him that " Why you are implicated in such planning? Krsna does not

want it. " Although Dhrtarastra knew that Krsna was the Supreme Personality of

Godhead... So Dhrtarastra said that " I know that what I am planning, that is not

good. I know Krsna -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He has requested

me. But I tell you frankly, I cannot do without it. So when Krsna will be

pleased upon me, I may be. "

 

So this is the position of the materialistic person. A materialistic

person knows that he is sinful. A materialistic person knows that whatever he is

doing is wrong, but he cannot check. Just like the thief. A thief knows that if

he commits stealing, he will be arrested, he will be punished. He knows. Because

he heard from lawbooks, from other sources, and he has also seen that a thief is

arrested and he is taken by the police for being punished. So we have got two

kinds of experiences: by hearing and by seeing directly. In Bengali it is

called, dekha-suna. In India it is called. The two kinds of experience: one by

seeing, practically experiencing, hand to hand; another by hearing. So one who

is intelligent, he gets his experience simply by hearing from the right source.

That is nice.

 

So our process is that we are getting experience about the perfect

knowledge, the destination of life, simply by hearing from Krsna. So we are the

most intelligent person. It is not possible to experience directly, but if one

has got intelligence, then simply by hearing and considering and thinking over

it, he gets the experience. So those who are very sinful, they get experience by

hearing and by direct, directly seeing also; still, they cannot check from

sinful activities. So Dhrtarastra, Dhrtarastra, by his sinful activities he

became so much fallen that he did not hear anybody's advice, Vidura's advice,

Bhisma's advice, that " Don't plan like this. They are rightful owners. The

Pandavas, they are rightful owners. They are minor, but don't try to cheat

them. " But Dhrtarastra was...

 

So when the planning was complete and the warfield was set up at

dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre [bg. 1.1]. Dharma-ksetre means, kuru-ksetre, that

place is a pilgrimage. People still go to observe religious ritualistic

performances. And in the Vedas there is injunction, kuru-ksetre dharmam acaret:

" If you want to perform some ritualistic ceremonies, religious, then go to

Kuruksetra. " So Kuruksetra is a dharma-ksetra. It is a not fictitious thing,

just like rascal commentators, so-called, they say, " Kuruksetra means this

body. " It is not that. As it is. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is.

Kuruksetra, dharma-ksetra. It is a place of religion. And especially when Krsna

was present there, it is already. Why this house? Before our occupation, why

this house was an ordinary house? Now it is temple. It is dharma-ksetra, it is a

religious place. Why? Because Krsna is there. Krsna is there. So either you take

Kuruksetra, ordinary place. But because in the battlefield Krsna was there

directing Arjuna. So it is already dharma-ksetra.

 

So formerly people were religiously trained up. So they could not speak

lies in a dharma-ksetra. That is still the practice. Just like in the western

world, the Christians go to the church, they admit, confession, " Yes, I have

done it. " But that has become a formality. But actually, one should admit in

religious place that " Yes, I have done this. " But that does not mean you admit

and again do it. No. You admit once, then you are excused. But don't do it

again.

 

So here Dhrtarastra says, samaveta yuyutsavah [bg. 1.1]. " All these

people, my sons, mamakah... " Mamakah. That means " my sons, " and pandava, " my

brother Pandu's sons. " Samaveta, " they assembled. " What is the purpose? The

purpose is yuyutsavah. This word yuyutsu is still used in Japan. Perhaps you

know, yuyutsa, fighting. So yuyutsu, those who are desirous of fighting. Now,

both the parties were desiring to fight, and they assembled. Why he is asking

question, kim akurvata: " What did they do " ? Because he was little doubtful that

" These boys, after being assembled in dharma-ksetra kuru-kse..., they might have

changed their ideas. They might have settled up. " Actually, the sons of

Dhrtarastra might have admitted, " Yes, Pandavas, you are actually the owner.

What is the use of unnecessarily fighting? " So he was very much anxious whether

they had changed their decision. Therefore he is asking. Otherwise there was no

question of asking, kim akurvata. He... Just like if you are given food, if I

ask somebody that " Such and such gentleman was served with nice dishes. Then

what did he do? " This is foolish question. He would eat. That's all. (laughter)

What is the question of " What did he do? " Similarly, when it is already settled

up that they were to fight, there was no such question as kim akurvata, " What

did they do? " But he asked this question because he was doubtful whether they

had changed their opinion.

 

Kim akurvata sanjaya [bg. 1.1]. He was asking his secretary. He was

blind man. He was always conducted by his secretary Sanjaya, a very faithful

secretary. And he is explaining the Bhagavad-gita by experiencing, by television

within the heart. That art is not yet developed. You have got television through

machine, but there is another television -- you can see within your heart

everything, what is going on outside. So that television was known to... That

will be explained by Sanjaya, that by the grace of Vyasadeva, he learned this

televisioning, and he was sitting with his master within the room and he was

actually seeing how the fighting is going on. And he was explaining. This is the

basic principle of Bhagavad-gita, I mean, the basic platform. So let us discuss

gradually, one after an... Thank you very much.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973

 

Please Read (Krsnawonders)Home Page-

" Wonders of Krsna " -

http://jayakesava108.tripod.com/

Hari Bol!Jai Radhe!,Your Humble Servant,

Jaya Kesava Dasa

 

 

 

H OM E

 

 

© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.