War and Violence

Srimad Bhagavatam says, "A Kṣhatriya is also twice-born like a brāhmaṇa, and his duty is to give protection to the helpless. The kṣatriya king is considered to be the representative of God to give protection to the helpless and chastise the miscreants." (SB 1.17.5)

Hyderabad: Recently we have seen a war between India and Pakistan because of the killing by terrorists of innocent and helpless citizens of INDIA who came to Kashmir as tourists.

Srimad Bhagavatam says, “A Kṣhatriya is also twice-born like a brāhmaṇa, and his duty is to give protection to the helpless. The kṣatriya king is considered to be the representative of God to give protection to the helpless and chastise the miscreants.” (SB 1.17.5)

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INDIA responded in line with Shastric principles in order to eliminate the miscreants and terrorists who create fear & terror in the hearts of innocent and helpless. By attacking the neighbour country and removing the infrastructure for training terrorists, Indian administration had upheld the vedic principles.

When enemies attack us or create terror in the minds of citizens, we cannot use non-violence as a means to solve the problem. Violence is required & there is a place for it in society.

Is Violence good or bad?

The Founder & Acharya of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement, Vishwa Guru Srila Prabhupada explains this nicely. He gives the example of a knife.

A knife is used to cut the body. If the knife is in the hands of a terrorist, then he cuts the body to kill the person. But if the same knife is in the hands of a trained surgeon, he cuts the body with it but to save the life of a person!

Whether a knife is good or bad?

It depends on who is using it! Similarly violence by an ARMY person is good. Violence by the police to put a criminal into prison is good. But violence against innocent and helpless citizens of the state by organized terrorists or thieves or goondas is bad.

Violence and non-violence have their respective uses in human society. But violence is used only to establish Dharma and orderliness in the society and not for personal aggrandizement.

Who is considered helpless?

According to Vedic culture, first protection: to the cows, to the women, to the brāhmaṇas, to the children and to the old man. This is the first business of the king, to give protection. (SB 1.16.21 lecture by Srila Prabhupada)

Protecting five categories of citizens is the first priority for the King and administration. They are:

1. Cows
2. Women
3. Brahmanas or Vaishnavas
4. Children
5. Old people

As per Vedic wisdom, a citizen is called as Praja in Sanskrit. Praja means the one who is born in the country or kingdom. All human beings born in a particular kingdom or place are called Praja. But, vedic wisdom goes one step further. It says that Praja includes even all kinds of living entities like animals, trees, birds, aquatics, etc. Killing these animals and living entities in slaughterhouses is considered the greatest sin accumulating in the world. The reaction to this sin comes out in the form of wars where people kill each other and die in millions like they kill millions of animals in organized slaughterhouses. These reactions can come out in the form of pestilence, famine and many other unwanted calamities.

It is the duty of the king to ensure that all these living entities are protected but first priority is of those above mentioned five categories.

Religious wars and irreligious wars:

Religious war is explained in Srimad Bhagavatam by Lord Krishna Himself:

“A person who knows the principles of religion does not kill an enemy who is careless, intoxicated, insane, asleep, afraid or devoid of his chariot. Nor does he kill a boy, a woman, a foolish creature or a surrendered soul.” (SB 1.7.36)

Srila Prabhupada explains this verse:

“An enemy who does not resist is never killed by a warrior who knows the principles of religion. Formerly battles were fought on the principles of religion and not for the sake of sense gratification. If the enemy happened to be intoxicated, asleep, etc., as above mentioned, he was never to be killed. These are some of the codes of religious war. Formerly war was never declared by the whims of selfish political leaders; it was carried out on religious principles free from all vices. Violence carried out on religious principles is far superior to so-called nonviolence.”

Srila Prabhupada mentions that sometimes religious wars are required in human society in order to remove the miscreants and protect the innocent and helpless. But, wars are sometimes called by some kings for some sense gratification purpose, for their selfish purposes. These wars are condemned by Shastras. Violence is not supposed to be used ordinarily. It is meant for removing disturbing elements in society.

Peace formula:

Srila Prabhupada explains in a lecture that the peace formula given in Bhagavad Gita as below:

The peace formula is given by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 5.29):

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

One who simply understands that throughout the entire universe Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer and beneficiary of all kinds of sacrifices, penances and austerities, which should be performed only to attain His devotional service, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being and thus the proprietor of all the material worlds, and that Kṛṣṇa is the only friend who can actually do good to all living entities —one who understands these three principles about Kṛṣṇa immediately becomes desireless (niṣkāma) and therefore peaceful.

The easiest way to become desireless and peaceful is to start chanting the Holy Names of Krishna every day & gradually everything becomes clear:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

This Mantra can be chanted by a Soldier or by a normal citizen. Or it can be chanted by a Brahmana or a common man. Anyone in this universe can chant this mantra, irrespective of caste, religion, country, creed, gender, community, with devotion and hear the sound with attention to gain the attachment to the Supreme Lord. One automatically becomes happy after reaching the shelter of the Supreme Lord. Hare Krishna!

Sriman Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa Prabhu ji,
M.Tech (IIT Madras),
President, Hare Krishna Movement, Hyderabad.
Phone : 96400 86664