As the brāhmaṇas and vipras had a right to be subsidized by the state, the state executive head had the right to collect taxes and fines from the citizens. After the Battle of Kurukṣetra the state treasury was exhausted, and therefore there was no surplus fund except the fund from tax collection and fines. Such funds were sufficient only for the state budget, and having no excess fund, the King was anxious to get more wealth in some other way in order to perform the horse sacrifice. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira wanted to perform this sacrifice under the instruction of Bhīṣmadeva.
SB 1.12.33Fines
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Prabhupāda: Yes. Suppose you have done something wrong. So the court fines you, "Oh, you have done this wrong." Just like one man knocked some of our student, and he died, and then he was fined twenty thousand dollars, like that. So everyone knows that "If I knock somebody or kill somebody, there is motor accident, there will be so much trouble." And when there is trouble, actually, they go and give some fine. But the accident is going on. Nobody is careful. So that is the position. Unless one is careful to his sense that "Why should I drive so fiercely or without any care that others may be injured, my car will be injured? Why shall I created this trouble? Let me drive the car very conscientiously..." So that is required. Simply atonement, or giving fine for some misdeed, that is not sufficient. One should be awakened to his knowledge about his responsibility.
So this gṛhamedhī... There are two words: gṛhamedhī and gṛhastha. I have explained many times. Gṛhamedhī has no philosophy. He is like cats and dog. Every animal has also family, wife, children. So those who have no responsibility in life, no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are called gṛhamedhīs, and those who live with family, wife and children, but have got this sense of responsibility, that "I am meant for developing my dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness," they are called gṛhasthas.Prabhupāda: People still, in India, those who are rich men, they have got their family temple Deities. One temple is there in Kanpur. The family members, they are very rich. The rule is that if the family members do not come in the temple to offer obeisances to the Deity, they'll be fined. The mother, the head of the family... Mother is still living. She has imposed this law, that "Any of my children or grandchildren, if he or she does not visit the temple, then according to this rule, this fine should be realized from them." So if somebody misses to go in the temple one day, the priest presents the bill: "Sir, you have been fined five rupees." (Laughter) So they pay. Yes. So we should also enforce that rule. Anyone who is not attending maṅgala-ārati should be fined. (laughter) And the fine should be that he must sell one Kṛṣṇa book. (laughter) Is that all right?
Devotees: Jaya!Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Pradyumna: They took first volume. They don't have all the books here.
Prabhupāda: No. They should be charged, "Why you have said 'ungodly face'? What do you know about God?"
Pradyumna: The courts can take it up also. In Allahabad when they were doing about the Congress Party having the cow, they said this is of the nature... They were discussing what is God in the court to make a decision. Something, what is God, what is religion. We can bring it up in the court. That will make a case celebre. Case celebre, they call it, affaire celebre.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This case must be brought. Challenge them, "What do you know about God?" Explain. And we can prove God consciousness from every page of our books. That will be very interesting case. And we shall continue this unless this man is sufficiently fined.Page Title: | Fines |
Compiler: | Rati, Vraj Kishori |
Created: | 19 of Nov, 2008 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=4, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=6, Con=1, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 12 |