Brahminical civilization

Expressions researched:
"brahminical civilization"

SB Canto 4

Without protection of the brāhmaṇas and the cows, there can be no human civilization and no question of happy, peaceful life. Asuras, therefore, are always interested in killing the brāhmaṇas and cows. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, cows are being killed all over the world, and as soon as there is a movement to establish brahminical civilization, people in general rebel.

SB 10.4.41, Translation and Purport: The brāhmaṇas, the cows, Vedic knowledge, austerity, truthfulness, control of the mind and senses, faith, mercy, tolerance and sacrifice are the different parts of the body of Lord Viṣṇu, and they are the paraphernalia for a godly civilization.

When we offer our obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, we say:

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

When Kṛṣṇa comes to establish real perfection in the social order, He personally gives protection to the cows and the brāhmaṇas (go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca). This is His first interest because without protection of the brāhmaṇas and the cows, there can be no human civilization and no question of happy, peaceful life. Asuras, therefore, are always interested in killing the brāhmaṇas and cows. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, cows are being killed all over the world, and as soon as there is a movement to establish brahminical civilization, people in general rebel. Thus they regard the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement as a form of "brainwashing." How can such envious persons be happy in their godless civilization? The Supreme Personality of Godhead punishes them by keeping them in darkness, birth after birth, and pushing them lower and lower into wretched conditions of hellish life. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has started a brahminical civilization, but especially when it is introduced in the Western countries, the asuras try to impede it in many ways. Nonetheless, we must push forward this movement tolerantly for the benefit of human society.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Therefore the first-class civilization is that which associates with the modes of goodness. That is, means, brahminical civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972: Now... In another place it is also clearly stated: yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.25]. So kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya [Bg. 13.22]. Therefore the first-class civilization is that which associates with the modes of goodness. That is, means, brahminical civilization. Truthful, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjava..., jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. This is first-class civilization. People must be truthful, they must be equipoised, not disturbed, not being disturbed by different situations. They must learn how to control the senses. They must learn how to control the mind. Śamo damas ti... They must be tolerant, titikṣā. Ārjava: they must be very simple, no duplicity. Ārjava. Jñānam: they must know everything in full knowledge. Vijñānam: apply the knowledge in practical life. Āstikyam: they must believe in the Vedic injunctions. Āstikya. That is called āstikya. The atheist and, and theist. The theist believes in the Vedic injunction. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. That is theist. Not that "I believe in God." They must believe in the injunction of the Vedas; what is said in the Vedas, one must believe. That is called theist. As we have given several times the example: the Vedas says that cow dung is pure. One who believes in that, he is theist. And one who does not believe in the words of the Vedas, they want to change, they want to misinterpret, interpolate, they are atheists. Bhagavad-gītā, anyone misinterpreting, giving wrong interpretation, or according to his concocted inter..., they are atheists. Theist, he'll believe all the words of Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as Arjuna believed: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava [Bg. 10.14]. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are speaking, without any malinterpretation, without any change of words, I believe in it." This is theist understanding. Not like the so-called rascal scholars: "It is not like this. It is not like that. I think it is like this." These are all rascaldom.

You know, we offer Kṛṣṇa obeisances, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: "Kṛṣṇa, You are the leader of brahminical civilization." The purest civilization.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969: So if we human beings, if we forget even ordinary mercy, compassion and gratefulness, then what is that human life? And then from national point of view... National means one who is born in this land. The cow is also born in this land. So why the man should be given protection, not the cow? But according to Vedic civilization you see. You have read in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, I explained. Oh, one man was going to kill one cow. Immediately Mahārāja Parīkṣit took his sword, "Oh, you are trying to kill cow in my kingdom? I shall immediately kill you." The special protection, brāhmaṇas and cow. You know, we offer Kṛṣṇa obeisances, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: "Kṛṣṇa, You are the leader of brahminical civilization." The purest civilization. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. "You are the well-wisher of cows and the brāhmaṇas." Why special stress is given to the words go and brāhmaṇa, cows and brāhmaṇas? Then he said, jagad-dhitāya. "After being, first being well-wisher to the cows and brāhmaṇas, then You are well-wisher of this general world." Jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ. This is the prayer, namo brahmaṇya-devāya.