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Killing is sinful for the ordinary citizen, but killing by the order of the supreme executive head, the president or the king, that is not criminal

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"killing is sinful for the ordinary citizen, but killing by the order of the supreme executive head, the president or the king, that is not criminal"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

In the last meeting we are discussing about the life of a fallen brahmin, Ajāmila. He was addicted to prostitute. Therefore his high standard of life became degraded.

This morning also we were reading in the Īśopaniṣad that God is apāpa-viddham. 'A' means not, and ‘pāpa’ means sin, and ‘viddham’, infected. The God is never infected by sin, sinful activities. Common sense. Just like a king orders somebody to be killed, "This man should be killed." This killing is sinful for the ordinary citizen, but killing by the order of the supreme executive head, the president or the king, that is not criminal. If you say that "Killing by me is criminal. Why it is not criminal for you, you, the president or the king?" I am giving a crude example.

Similarly, if you go higher and higher, when you come to God . . . first of all, what is the conception of God? Conception of God is "God is great. Nobody is greater than Him, and nobody is equal to Him." That is God. Asama-ūrdhva. The exact Sanskrit word is asama-ūrdhva. Asama means "not equal." Nobody can be equal to God. This is analyzed by great ācāryas. They have analyzed the characteristics of God. They have characterized the characteristic as sixty-four. And out of that sixty-four, we have, we living entities, we have got fifty only. And that is also in very minute quantity. Fifty qualities of God we have got, but that is very . . . in minute quantity.

Take, for example, just like God has got also the tendency to love young girl. Take it for a crude example. Just like God is dancing with young girl. But we have also the same tendency. We also want to be surrounded by young girls and dance; we enjoy. But the thing is that you can enjoy in the company of a few girls. That is minute quantity. But God can dance with unlimited number of girls. That you cannot. These are crude examples.

So these sixty-four qualities, they have analyzed that we living entities, we have got in minute quantities. And amongst the living entities, the highest perfection is to be seen in the life of Brahmā, who is the chief living entity within this universe. So similarly, Lord Śiva has got fifty-five. Lord Nārāyaṇa has got sixty.But Kṛṣṇa has got in full sixty-four—cent percent, hundred percent all the qualities. Therefore either Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā or the living entities, nobody can be equal to Him. This is the conception of God. Asamora-udhva.

And in the Bhagavad-gītā you have seen that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nāsti kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7):

"My dear Dhanañjaya, My dear Arjuna, there is nobody superior to Me." So just like some heating agent. You have got several heating agent. You have got heater in your apartment, oven in your apartment. There are so many different varieties of heater. But the heat of the sun cannot be compared with any other heat. You cannot say that, "Because I have got little heat, I have become sun." (chuckles)

This is ludicrous; it is not possible. So those who are claiming that, "I am God," "Everyone is God," they are simply, what can I say, less-intelligent persons. (laughter) They have no conception what is God. They do not know what is God. This claim that, "I am God," that means he has no idea what is God. Therefore he is falsely claiming.

You may have minute quantity of God's quality, but that does not mean you are God. Just like the same example, you may have a minute quantity of the total heat of the sun, but that does not mean you are sun. So qualitatively we are one—everyone has got some temperature, 98 degrees. But not that a million degree. That is not possible. Why the million? If you rise your temperature to 107 degrees, then finished your life. These are practical.

So because Lord Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, you cannot compare with Kṛṣṇa. He's apāpa-viddham. No contamination can touch Him. But for that reason you cannot say . . . you cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa and you cannot say that, "No contamination can touch me." No. That is not possible. Therefore the whole life, our this human form of life, is a chance to purify so that we may approach. At least, if we get that fifty-five, fifty degrees, fifty parts or fifty fractional portion of God's quality, even in minute quality (quantity), then we can approach God.

Page Title:Killing is sinful for the ordinary citizen, but killing by the order of the supreme executive head, the president or the king, that is not criminal
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-09-28, 04:03:24
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1