What is religious fight? Religious fight means you have got right to kill your aggressor. If somebody takes your property, if somebody sets fire in your house, if somebody kidnaps your wife or somebody is trying to kill you, they are called aggressor. So aggressor should be killed immediately. It is not that somebody has become an aggressor, and if I say: "Now I have become a Vaiṣṇava. I'll not be violent. I shall tolerate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us to be tolerant like the tree or the grass. So I shall become tolerant. Let him do." Just like Gandhi used to say. Somebody questioned him that "If somebody comes and violates the chastity of your daughter in your presence, what will you do?" He said: "I shall remain nonviolent." But that is not śāstric injunction. This is foolishness. If somebody is aggressor, he must be killed immediately. dharma-yuddha.

Srila Prabupada. Lecture SB 1.8.50 - Los Angeles

If we live by these words of Prabhupada from his lecture, then Vaishnavas and especially Acaryas should show
achar, that is, an example to follow, to lead the masses, or in other words, not to separate words from life, from deeds. Therefore, how could they not fight during the occupation with Muslims and the British as desperately as the shahids, kamikazes or Belarusian partisans?

And especially Srila Prabhupada himself, after meeting the guru in 1922 and until 1947, according to his words from the lecture, had to participate by directing, financing or physically participating in the immediate extermination of the British, as taught by the sastras. For even if since 1922 the British have behaved like gentlemen without violence against the civilian population, they are still outright land invaders.

***

If, Srila Prabupada writes in the commentary to Bg. 1.36 that "The Vedas distinguish six types of crimes that deserve severe punishment. These are: (1) a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire to the house, (3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who occupies another’s land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife.. Those who commit these crimes must be destroyed on the spot, and their murder will not stain a person with sin," then why did not many Vaishnavas continuously fight the aggressors during the occupation by Muslims and the British?

Why didn't Rupa and Sanatana overthrow Hussein Shah, and, without developing success, liberated the whole country? Also, this liberator could be the Vaishnava king Prataparudra or another Vaishnava emperor Vijayanagara - Krishnadevarai, or they are together, after Krishnadevarai became the son-in-law of Prataparudra?

Or maybe the Vaishnavas, especially the acharyas of all the sampradayas, asked for the liberation of all India of Krishnadevaraya and Prataparudra?
Or did the brahmins perform numerous yajnas for the liberation of the country?
And when the Muslims were replaced by the British, the Vaishnavas continued to call, but already to a guerrilla war? And these texts have survived to our time?

***

And why did Bhaktivinod Thakur serve the British if he knew that according to the Vedas they were robbers and invaders?

1. Does the current government favor the worship of Lord Hari?

May the living Queen Srimati Victoria continue to rule the whole of India peacefully and freely!
May we continue to preach and rejoice in pure Vaishnavism under her rule! (Sajjana-toshani, 4.1).

2. How can the unbreakable friendship between the Indians and the British be preserved?

Friendship between Indians and Englishmen is natural. The British are Aryans and the Indians are also Aryans, so their relationship is fraternal. Where has the natural brotherly love gone? Why should we lose our natural inclination to be friends because the British have become our rulers? In our relations, the Indians are the older brothers, and the British are the younger ones.

When the younger brother grows up and becomes strong and experienced enough, he takes full responsibility for the family, because by that time the older brother is already old and weak. Therefore, he submits to his younger brother with love. What's wrong with that? When we were young, we also exerted our influence on other castes.

Now, because of old age, we are not able to do this. Therefore, what could be more pleasant than spending your years surrounded by the care of younger brothers? What can be considered more fortunate than to bless our younger brothers and constantly enjoy the nectar of the eternally blessed lotus feet of Hari? The younger brother will protect us from all kinds of disasters and misfortunes.

We no longer need to experience hardships and suffering by going to the battlefields. We will stay at home and chant the names of Hari. If, working hard for the sake of the family, younger brothers sometimes feel dissatisfaction and show anger, then we, as older brothers, will tolerate it and calm them with our affectionate speeches and loving care.

So we will earn their respect. We will never refuse to help our younger brothers with money if they suddenly need such help in the process of fulfilling their family responsibilities. We will follow the same way of expressing our love that a wealthy family man would resort to in relation to his younger brother. We will never resist. O my brothers in the nation! Here's my advice for you. Follow him, please (Sajjana-toshani, 2.5).

3. Is it possible to find peace and prosperity if enmity persists between the Indians and the British?

I appeal to the English, gifted with positive traits of character and strength, as well as to my fellow Indians. O brothers! Reject hostility - there is no use in it. If you stop the confrontation, then my well-known Shanti-devi, or goddess of peace and quiet, will give you happiness.

Everyone needs happiness - so find it under the shadow of the goddess of peace. Initially, all people are brothers. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is displeased with your mutual confrontation. You are all spiritual souls. We are constantly exposed to various adversities, catastrophes and need. If we support the universal brotherhood, we will be able to reduce adversity to a minimum.

By jointly solving emerging problems and joining efforts, we will be able to overcome natural disasters. If we continue to conflict under these circumstances, there will be no hope of easing the suffering. Therefore, O brothers, leave enmity, hatred and pride and fall in love with each other (Sajjana-toshani, 2.5).

4. Is it possible to preserve the former glory of the Indians, even if they refrain from war?

If, because of old age, Indians withdraw from such matters as war, they are nevertheless happy in this life, acting as mentors of other castes (Sri Chaitanya-shikshamrta, 2.3).

Bhaktivinoda-vani-vaibhava. Chapter 81, Politics

*****

1. What does the word "sabhyata" or "civilization" mean?

The word sabhyata means to be worthy to sit in a sabha, or assembly; this is generally accepted good breeding and light-mindedness (Jiva-dharma, 9). 2.

2. What is the definition of modern civilization?

Modern civilization is the concealment of all potentially evil (Jiva-dharma, 9).

3. How do insidious people protect their civilization?

The prestige of the civilization of treacherous people is protected by useless arguments and reasoning, as well as physical force (Jiva-dharma, 9).

4. Once upon a time, when I saw the symptoms and emotions of devotional service, I myself laughed at them, considering them signs of violent insanity.
What happened to the civilization that I considered first-class and in an attempt to exalt which I lost my precious philosopher's stone? (Kalyana-kalpataru, 2)

5. Isn't the civilization of Kali Yuga one continuous sin?

If by the word "civilization" you mean beautiful clothes, then prostitutes should be considered more civilized than yourself. Wine and animal flesh are by definition unclean, and therefore a civilization growing at the expense of their cult is definitely sinful. The modern image of civilization is the image of the Kali Yuga civilization.

Bhaktivinoda-vani-vaibhava. Chapter 80. Civilization

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  • E-Counselor

    Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

    PAMHO.

    May I very humbly request you to chant 16 rounds of mahamantra daily, attentively to the extent possible? That is only way to calm the mind. These questions will not come to the mind at all. If they still do, then the means to get the answers will also manifest.

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Radha Rasamayi DD

    • Hare Krishna, obeisances to you and the Guruparampara!

      As far as I understand, the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and this forum give the right to ask about what disturbs and does not allow to do sadhana.

      After all, a fairly simple question - if it is said that the invaders of the country must be killed, then Vaishnava leaders and ordinary Vaishnavas must fight. Or was there an exception to the rule in the Kali Yuga and the losing side (India) crowned the foreign aggressors - Muslims and Europeans, recognizing that they were given to the people by karma and they are from God? And then in 1947 India was liberated from the British invaders and the Vaishnavas also did not interfere in this struggle, because in fact little had changed - one secular state was replaced by another, because in both cases the goal of the states was limited only to economic prosperity.

      Yes, ISKCON is not a kshatriya organization, because then we urgently needed to do something with butchers and abortion surgeons. Then the commandment of the shastras, that the country must be protected, was given not for us, but for the Dvapara Yuga. Only sometimes, when there is absolutely no way out and violence affects us personally, as in the 1973 lecture, in the example of violence against the hypothetical daughter of Gandhi, that is, when we are witnesses to the crime, then we intervene by killing the aggressor at the crime scene.

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