Kings and training

Expressions researched:
"administrator" |"administrators" |"king" |"ksatriyas" |"maharaja" |"ksatriya" |"kings" |"king training" |"train" |"trained" |"training"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 2.31, Purport: The kṣatriyas are specially trained for challenging and killing because religious violence is sometimes a necessary factor. Therefore, kṣatriyas are never meant for accepting directly the order of sannyāsa, or renunciation. Nonviolence in politics may be a diplomacy, but it is never a factor or principle.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.9.26, Purport: The monarchs were all chivalrous personalities, and therefore monarchy should be maintained provided the monarch is regularly trained in the occupational duties of a king. In fighting, the king or the president should never return home without being hurt by the enemy.

SB 1.9.27, Purport: Rāja-dharma is a great science, unlike modern diplomacy for political supremacy. The kings were trained systematically to become munificent and not merely be tax collectors. They were trained to perform different sacrifices only for the prosperity of the subjects.

SB 1.9.49, Purport: Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is the ideal monarch, and monarchy under a trained king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is by far the most superior form of government, superior to modern republics or governments of the people, by the people.

SB 1.10.3, Purport: There are so many stories of imperfect kings or executive heads. Therefore, the executive head must be a trained person like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he must have the full autocratic power to rule over the world.

SB 1.10.5, Purport: There is no control by the trained agent of the Lord. We must look into the defects of modern civilization by comparison here, and should follow in the footsteps of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to cleanse man and wipe out anachronisms.

SB 1.10.6, Purport: At the time of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, there were no different nations, although there were different subordinate states. The whole world was united, and the supreme head, being a trained king like Yudhiṣṭhira, kept all the inhabitants free from anxiety, diseases and excessive heat and cold.

SB 1.12.18, Purport: Under strict guidance of the great souls and spiritual injunctions, such great saintly kings were trained up, and as a result the kingdom was full of saintly persons and was a happy land of spiritual life.

SB 1.15.38, Purport: The total land on the earth bordered by the seas was under the subjugation of the King of Hastināpura. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira trained his grandson, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who was equally qualified, in state administration in terms of the king's obligation to the citizens.

SB 1.15.38, Purport: Because everyone was happy in all respects, there was no resentment, although there were sometimes battles between the state kings for political reasons and supremacy. Everyone was trained to attain the highest goal of life, and therefore the people were also enlightened enough not to quarrel over trivialities.

SB 1.15.39, Purport: The system of four orders of life and four castes in terms of quality and work, known as varṇāśrama-dharma, is the beginning of real human life, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, as the protector of this system of human activities, timely retired from active life as a sannyāsī, handing over the charge of the administration to a trained prince, Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

SB 1.15.44, Purport: The training and education was so imparted, and thus a respectable person like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira had to leave all family connection for self-realization and going back to Godhead. No king or respectable gentleman would continue family life till the end, because that was considered suicidal and against the interest of the perfection of human life.

SB 1.15.45, Purport: The younger brothers of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira were already obedient followers of the great Emperor, and they had sufficiently been trained to know the ultimate goal of life. They therefore decidedly followed their eldest brother in rendering devotional service to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

SB 1.16.4, Purport: The age of Kali means mismanagement and quarrel. And the root cause of all mismanagement and quarrel is that worthless men with the modes of lower-class men, who have no higher ambition in life, come to the helm of the state management. Such men at the post of a king are sure to first hurt the cow and the brahminical culture, thereby pushing all society towards hell. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, trained as he was, got the scent of this root cause of all quarrel in the world. Thus he wanted to stop it in the very beginning.

SB 1.16.22, Purport: The kṣatriyas are meant for administration, as the brāhmaṇas are meant for knowledge and guidance. The word kṣatra-bandhu refers to the so-called administrators or persons promoted to the post of the administrator without proper training by culture and tradition. Nowadays they are promoted to such exalted posts by the votes of the people who are themselves fallen in the rules and regulations of life.

SB 1.17.27, Purport: The kñatriya, or the man who is qualified to protect the sufferers, is meant to rule the state. Untrained lower-class men, or men without ambition to protect the sufferers, cannot be placed on the seat of an administrator. Unfortunately, in the age of Kali the lower-class men, without training, occupy the post of a ruler by strength of popular votes, and instead of protecting the sufferers, such men create a situation quite intolerable for everyone.

SB 1.18.41, Purport: In the Vedic way of life, the king is trained to become a rājarṣi, or a great saint, although he is ruling as king. It is the king only by whose good government the citizens can live peacefully and without any fear. The rājarṣis would manage their kingdoms so nicely and piously that their subjects would respect them as if they were the Lord.

SB 1.18.43, Purport: The king is said to be the representative of the Absolute Personality of Godhead because he is trained to acquire the qualities of God to protect the living beings. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was planned by the Lord to establish the real representative of the Lord, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. An ideal king thoroughly trained by culture and devotional service with the martial spirit makes a perfect king. Such a personal monarchy is far better than the so-called democracy of no training and responsibility.

SB 1.18.43, Purport: One trained monarch is far better than hundreds of useless ministerial rogues, and it is hinted herein that by abolition of a monarchical regime like that of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the mass of people become open to many attacks of the age of Kali. They are never happy in an overly advertised form of democracy.

SB 1.19.14, Translation: Mahārāja Parīkṣit, although born in a family of great devotees, the Pāṇḍavas, and although securely trained in transcendental attachment for the association of the Lord, still found the allurement of mundane family life so strong that he had to be detached by a plan of the Lord.

SB 1.19.13, Purport: The fortunate King said: Indeed, we are the most grateful of all the kings who are trained to get favors from the great souls. Generally you [sages] consider royalty as refuse to be rejected and left in a distant place.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.30, Purport: Five thousand years ago, when the social status of human society was in perfect Vedic order, the yoga process mentioned herein was a common affair for everyone because everyone, and especially the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya, was trained in the transcendental art under the care of the spiritual master far away from home, in the status of brahmacarya. Modern man, however, is incompetent to understand it perfectly.

SB 2.4.2, Purport: Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and householders like him can turn everything to light by dovetailing so-called material assets in the service of the Lord, but one who is not trained or is unable to turn everything to the service of the Lord (nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe) must give up all material connections before he can be fit to hear and chant the glories of the Lord,

SB Canto 3

SB 3.2.2, Purport: The pāñcarātrikī formula for training persons in devotional service is temple worship, whereby the neophytes get the opportunity to learn devotional service to the Lord. Mahārāja Parīkṣit also used to play with Kṛṣṇa dolls in his childhood.

SB 3.13.12, Purport: Every king, therefore, must know that his responsibility in administration is not merely to exact taxes from the citizens but to see personally that the citizens under him are being trained in Viṣṇu worship. Everyone must be educated in Viṣṇu worship and engaged in the devotional service of Hṛṣīkeśa, the owner of the senses.

SB 3.13.12, Purport: The conditioned souls are meant not to satisfy their material senses but to satisfy the senses of Hṛṣīkeśa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the purpose of the complete administrative system. One who knows this secret, as disclosed here in the version of Brahmā, is the perfect administrative head. One who does not know this is a show-bottle administrator. By training the citizens in the devotional service of the Lord, the head of a state can be free in his responsibility, otherwise he will fail in the onerous duty entrusted to him and thus be punishable by the supreme authority. There is no other alternative in the discharge of administrative duty.

SB 3.21.55, Purport: Just as, in the modern age, there is a necessity for engineers, medical practitioners and electricians, and they are properly trained in different scientific institutions, similarly, in former times, the higher social orders, namely the intelligent class (the brāhmaṇas), the ruling class (the kṣatriyas) and the mercantile class (the vaiśyas), were properly trained. Bhagavad-gītā describes the duties of the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. When there is no such training, one simply claims that because he is born in a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya family, he is therefore a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya, even though he performs the duties of a śūdra.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.8.36, Purport: It was the duty of the spiritual master or teacher to observe the psychological movement of a particular boy and thus train him in a particular occupational duty. Dhruva Mahārāja, having already been trained in the kṣatriya spirit, would not accept the brahminical philosophy. In America we have practical experience of this incompatibility of the brahminical and kṣatriya temperaments. The American boys, who have simply been trained as śūdras, are not at all fit to fight in battle. Therefore, when they are called to join the military, they refuse because they do not have kṣatriya spirit. This is a cause of great dissatisfaction in society.

SB 4.9.65, Purport: Formerly this earth was ruled by one saintly king only. Kings were trained to become saintly; therefore they had no other concern than the welfare of the citizens. These saintly kings were properly trained, and as mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā also, the science of God, or the yoga system of devotional service known as Bhagavad-gītā, was spoken to the saintly king of the sun planet, and gradually it descended through the kṣatriya kings who were generated from the sun and the moon.

SB 4.12.43, Purport: Dhruva Mahārāja is described herein as kṣatra-bandhuḥ, which indicates that he was not fully trained as a kṣatriya because he was only five years old; he was not a mature kṣatriya. A kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa has to take training. A boy born in the family of a brāhmaṇa is not immediately a brāhmaṇa; he has to take up the training and the purificatory process.

SB 4.20.4, Purport: In this verse the word vṛddha-sevayā is very significant. Vṛddha means "old." Sevayā means "by service." Perfect knowledge is acquired from the ācāryas, or liberated souls. No one can be perfect in knowledge without being trained by the paramparā system. Pṛthu Mahārāja was completely trained in that line; therefore he did not deserve to be considered an ordinary man. An ordinary man, who has only a conception of bodily existence, is always bewildered by the modes of material nature.

SB 4.25.1, Purport: When King Barhiṣat was considering retiring from the royal duties, he sent his sons to perform austerities in order to become perfect kings for the welfare of the citizens. At the same time, King Barhiṣat was being instructed by the great sage Nārada about the material world and the living entity who wants to enjoy it. It is therefore very clear how the kings and princes were trained to take charge of a kingdom. Welfare activities for the benefit of the citizens were aimed at understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 4.29.81, Purport: The varṇāśrama-dharma is essential in a good government. One class of men (the brāhmaṇas) must be intelligent and brahminically qualified, another class must be trained in administrative work (kṣatriya), another in mercantile business (vaiśya) and another simply in labor (śūdra). These four classes of men are already there according to nature, but it is the government's duty to see that all four of these classes follow the principles of their varṇas methodically. This is called abhirakṣaṇa, or protection.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.1.1, Purport: A brahmacārī must execute austerities and refrain from sex indulgence. Therefore if one is completely trained in the principles of brahmacarya, he generally does not enter household life. He is then called a naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī, which indicates total celibacy. King Parīkṣit was thus astonished that the great King Priyavrata, although trained in the principles of naiṣṭhika-brahmacarya, entered household life.

SB 5.1.24, Purport: Since Mahārāja Priyavrata was fully trained in transcendental knowledge, he could have returned home and conducted the business of government as a brahmacārī. Instead, however, when he returned to household life, he accepted a wife also.

SB 5.1.37, Purport: Such renunciation as Mahārāja Priyavrata's is possible only by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally when people are powerful or when they have a beautiful wife, a beautiful home and material popularity, they become more and more entangled. Priyavrata Mahārāja, however, having been completely trained by the great sage Nārada, revived his Kṛṣṇa consciousness in spite of all impediments.

SB 5.10.15, Purport: Through the disciplic succession the royal order was on the same platform as great saintly persons (rāja-ṛṣis). Formerly they could understand the philosophy of life and knew how to train the citizens to come to the same standard. In other words, they knew how to deliver the citizens from the entanglement of birth and death.

SB 5.19.19, Translation: If one's position is ascertained by a bona fide spiritual master and one is properly trained to engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu according to the four social divisions [brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra] and the four spiritual divisions [brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa], one's life becomes perfect.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.1.9, Purport: Parīkṣit Mahārāja's observations indicate that even five thousand years ago it was the practice of criminals to atone for their crimes but then commit the same crimes again, as if forced to do so. Therefore, owing to his practical experience, Parīkṣit Mahārāja saw that the process of repeatedly sinning and atoning is pointless. Regardless of how many times he is punished, one who is attached to sense enjoyment will commit sinful acts again and again until he is trained to refrain from enjoying his senses.

SB 6.2.3, Purport: The duty of the government, therefore, is to take charge of training all the citizens in such a way that by a gradual process they will be elevated to the spiritual platform and will realize the self and his relationship with God. This principle was followed by kings like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Lord Rāmacandra, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa and Prahlāda Mahārāja.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.5.51, Purport: Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted Prahlāda Mahārāja to be trained as a diplomatic king in ruling the kingdom, the country or the world, but not to be advised about renunciation or the renounced order of life.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.1.7, Purport: Svāyambhuva Manu, for example, was the emperor of the world, yet he had no desire for sense gratification. This is the meaning of monarchy. The king of the country or the emperor of the empire must be so trained that by nature he renounces sense gratification. It is not that because one becomes king he should unnecessarily spend money for sense gratification.

SB 8.19.21, Purport: To teach this highest culture, varṇāśrama-dharma is recommended. The aim of the varṇāśrama divisions—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa—is to train one to control the senses and be content with the bare necessities.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.4.21, Purport: Citizens under the guidance of a Kṛṣṇa conscious king will become devotees, and then there will be no need to enact new laws every day to reform the way of life in the state. If the citizens are trained to become devotees, they will automatically become peaceful and honest, and if they are guided by a devoted king advised by devotees, the state will not be in the material world but in the spiritual world. All the states of the world should therefore follow the ideal of the rule or administration of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, as described here.

SB 9.4.24, Purport: A devotee is always situated in the spiritual world. Therefore he does not desire anything. He is known as akāma, or desireless, because he has nothing to desire except to render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a most exalted devotee of the Lord, he trained his subjects in such a way that the citizens in his state were not interested in anything material, including even the happiness of the heavenly planets.

SB 9.11.26, Purport: The King, being magnanimous and perfect in His duty, performed many sacrifices and treated the citizens as His sons, and the citizens, being trained in the varṇāśrama system, were obedient and perfectly ordered. The entire monarchy was so opulent and peaceful that the government was even able to sprinkle the street with perfumed water, what to speak of other management.

SB 9.13.12, Purport: A kṣatriya is one who saves the citizens from being injured. In the so-called people's government there is no trained kṣatriya king; as soon as someone strong accumulates votes, he becomes the minister or president, without training from the learned brāhmaṇas expert in the śāstras. Indeed, we see that in some countries the government changes from party to party, and therefore the men in charge of the government are more eager to protect their position than to see that the citizens are happy.

SB 9.13.12, Purport: There are many instances of excellent government under a monarch. Gradually the democratic government is becoming unfit for the needs of the people, and therefore some parties are trying to elect a dictator. A dictatorship is the same as a monarchy, but without a trained leader. Actually people will be happy when a trained leader, whether a monarch or a dictator, takes control of the government and rules the people according to the standard regulations of the authorized scriptures.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.1.41, Purport: "Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail." (Bg. 8.6) Therefore one must train the mind in the system of bhakti-yoga, as did Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, who kept himself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 24.94, Purport: One needs to be trained to become a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, just as one is trained to become an engineer, doctor or lawyer. Those who are properly trained can be considered human beings; if one is not trained socially and spiritually—that is, if one is uneducated and unregulated—his life is on the animal platform.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Light of the Bhagavata

Light of the Bhagavata, text 44, Purport: In this age of Kali the people want their own government, because the kings have become corrupt. Formerly it was not like that. The sons of kings were trained under the guidance of a good brāhmaṇa-ācārya just as the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas were put under the instruction of the qualified brāhmaṇa professor Śrī Droṇācārya. Princes were rigidly trained in politics, economics, the military arts, ethics and morality, the sciences, and, above all, devotional service to the Lord. Only after such good training were the princes allowed to be enthroned. When such a prince became king, then too he was guided by the advice of good brāhmaṇas. Even in the Middle Ages, Mahārāja Candragupta was guided by the learned brāhmaṇa Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.

Light of the Bhagavata, text 44, Purport: In a monarchy, one man sufficiently trained was competent enough to conduct alone the business of the state. But in a democracy no one is trained like a prince; instead, politicians are voted to responsible posts of administration by diplomatic arrangements. In place of one king or supreme executive officer, in a democracy there are so many quasi-kings: the president, the ministers, the deputy ministers, the secretaries, the assistant secretaries, the private secretaries, and the undersecretaries. There are a number of parties—political, social, and communal—and there are party whips, party whims, and so on. But no one is well enough trained to look after the factual interests of the governed. In a so-called democratic government, corruption is even more rampant than in an autocracy or monarchy.

Light of the Bhagavata, text 44, Purport: Men who want to flourish in the guise of servants of the people do not want a good king at the head of the state. They are like the kumuda flowers, which do not take pleasure in the sunrise. The word ku means "bad," and mud means "pleasure." Persons who want to exploit the administrative power for their own self-interest do not like the presence of a good king. Although professing democracy, they want to be kings themselves. Thus they compete for votes by bad propaganda and take pleasure in having politics but no king. Thieves and dacoits also take no pleasure in the presence of a good king, but it is in the interest of the people to have a well-trained king as the head of the state.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973: So monarchy or dictatorship is welcome. Now the Communists, they want dictatorship. That is welcome, provided that particular dictator is trained like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Not that simply by votes of some rascal population one becomes dictatorship, another rascal comes. Another big rascal comes.

Lecture on BG 1.10 -- London, July 12, 1973: So when Kṛṣṇa appeared, there were many kings. Although they were under the ruling of the Pāṇḍavas, still, Hastināpura, still they were fighting. That is natural. If one has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then his strength and opulence would be misused. And if one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he would use his strength and opulence very properly. So these kings were meant for giving protection to the citizens, to train them to the Vedic conception of life. But they were not doing that. Therefore they were demons.

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973: So dṛṣṭvā imaṁ svajanam. Arjuna is a great warrior, fighter, and for a kṣatriya to kill one is not very difficult task. The kṣatriyas are trained up. Hunting. Hunting is allowed for the kṣatriyas. Just like medical practitioners, they are trained up how to practice surgical operation on dead body. It is not possible to, of course, for a gentleman, to push knife in someone's body. It is naturally very difficult thing. Rogues and thieves, they can stab. So as the doctors, medical men, surgeons are trained up to operate their knife on the dead body to see where are the nerves, similarly, kṣatriyas are also allowed for being trained how to kill. Kṣatriya means... Kṣat. Kṣat means injury. And tra means trāyate, saves. A kṣatriya has to save the citizens from being injured by others. He is called kṣatriya. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows brahma, the supreme. So brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. These divisions are there according to quality. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. By guṇa. Guṇa means quality. And karma means actual operation of the guṇa.

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973: So Arjuna was a kṣatriya, trained up by Droṇācārya how to kill. This is the... Nonviolence is not the business of the kṣatriya. That is cowardice. They are taught how to become violent. Otherwise, they cannot rule over. Formerly the judgement was given by the king, immediately finished. Not go to the court and wait for the judgement for ten years. In the meantime everything is finished. Not like that. Anything, there was regularly, the king used to sit in his assembly, and all the criminals, culprits, they were judged by the king himself. Sometimes the king had to kill personally with the sword. Even in European countries, the royal orders were trained up. Nowadays it is constitutional, democratic government. The king has no power. But this is not good for the people. The democracy is a farce. At least, I do not like it. Because so many rascals, simply by getting votes, go to the government, and what do they know how to rule over? Therefore, at the present moment, all over the world there is no good government. There is no good government. The America was considered to have very good government. Now we can see the behavior of Mr. Nixon. It is not possible.

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973: Formerly the kṣatriyas, they were trained up how to govern. They were trained up by military men, just like Droṇācārya trained Arjuna, Duryodhana. All the royal princes were trained up how to kill. Not only killing, also, according to śāstra, how to rule over. The king's business is to see that everyone in the country, they are properly employed and engaged in his own business. That is king's business. There was no question of unemployment. This is government's first business. Because if a person is unemployed, then the devil's workshop. Devil's, work... If he hasn't got to do anything... That is being done now. Rich man's son, he hasn't got to do anything, so his brain is devil's workshop. They are manufacturing so many "isms." But everyone should be engaged. This is government's first business to see. A brāhmaṇa is engaged as a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya is engaged as kṣatriya.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973: Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose. We don't very much like this so-called democracy. What is the value of this democracy? All fools and rascals. They vote another fool and rascal, and he becomes prime minister, or this or that. Just like... In so many cases. That is not good for the people. We are not for this so-called democracy because they are not trained. If the king is trained... That was the system of monarchy.

Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973: It doesn't matter whether you are a śūdra or you are a brāhmaṇa, but if you act for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa according to the prescription of your position, then your life is perfect. That is wanted. The whole human civilization should be based on this principle. There must be division. The division is already there. They should be coordinated, systematized. Not that everyone is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means the intelligent man. So we should pick up the intelligent men. They should be trained as brāhmaṇa. Those who are martial, having fighting spirit, they should be selected as kṣatriya. Those who are for increasing money, mercantile mentality, they should be also collected. Similarly, śūdras. And they should be trained, everyone, to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975: So this is the beginning of civilization, not that all śūdras as it is now in this age. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kali-yuga, there is no training how to qualify a section of person to become first-class brāhmaṇa. That training is not there, neither kṣatriya, neither pure vaiśya class.

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972: So the kingdom was so nice. We have got description from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, many. The monarchy was so nice that because they were trained up, rājarṣi... They were not ordinary kings. They were as good as great sages and great saintly person.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972: Everyone is trying to become supreme than the other. So there must be violence. So expecting that there will be violence, the kñatriya class required. Just like in the state, expecting that there will be violence, therefore the police department is maintained, the military department is maintained. So you cannot avoid violence from this material world. It is useless proposal. Our Mahatma Gandhi tried to stop violence. He started the nonviolence movement, but factually he had to die by violence. So kñatriya, they are trained up violent to become violent to stop violence. That is required.

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973: So similarly, kṣatriyas' duty is also to see whether brāhmaṇas are doing their duty. So kṣatriyas were not needed to see the brāhmaṇas, they were so advanced brāhmaṇas that they were beyond examination of the kṣatriyas. But another duty of the kṣatriya is that people are being educated spiritually. That is kṣatriya's duty. Or the king of a kingdom is looking over the citizens, that they are properly being trained up.

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973: Here in Europe also the two wars was arranged by the German people, they were envious of the English people. So these wars are not right wars, righteous wars. No. They are play of the diplomats, politicians—they engage. When they cannot manage things very nicely, they engage people into war. That's all. Divert the attention. But war is not meant for that. War is meant for that, when people are not properly being trained up by the king of the state, the other king can attack him.

Lecture on BG 2.36-37 -- London, September 4, 1973: Similarly kñatriya. They should be trained up in politics, in fighting, not to flee away from fighting. These are the training of the kñatriyas.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968: At the present moment, by democracy if somebody can some way or other acquire some votes he becomes the chief man, but formerly the practice was that a qualified man who is trained, a king, he was on the seat.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974: So all the kings, all the government head men, they understood Bhagavad-gītā. That is needed. This science, Bhagavad-gītā, must be learned by the leaders. The society is managed by the leaders, by the kings, by the brāhmaṇas. That is Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, they give guidance according to the śāstra, and the king is trained up in such a way that he takes instruction from the saintly persons and brāhmaṇas and rules over the kingdom. Therefore it was so perfect.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974: So it is the duty of the government, the government officers, the head of the government—they should learn Bhagavad-gītā. Here it is said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. The rājas, the kings, the government, they understood. Therefore the kingdom was so peaceful, without any cares for the citizens. The citizens were also trained up very nicely, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Everyone is employed. It is the duty of the government to see that everyone is engaged. Otherwise, idle brain will manufacture devil's brain.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974: People are.... Because the Vedic culture is lost, the system of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, is no longer existing, neither there is training. One politician, minister in Calcutta, he came to see me, I was talking. "Why there is chaotic condition?" And the simple reason is there is no this cātur-varṇya system is lost. Practically without any brahminical culture, kṣatriya culture, people remain śūdras, the fourth-class man. Or fifth-class men.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974: Therefore it is very essential to understand this verse. Cātur-varṇyam, train a class of men. Everyone required. There is intelligent class of men, but there brain is being misused, and intelligent man is being taught technology, how to manufacture machine. This is śūdra's business. This is śūdra's business. Misuse, brain misuse. There must be university where brain is properly utilized. Here is a child or here is a boy. He has good intelligence. Train him as brāhmaṇa. Less than that, train him as kṣatriya, train him as vaiśya.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968: Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, yudhyasva mām anusmara: [Bg. 8.7] "As a fighter, you have to fight. You cannot go away from fighting. It is not your duty." Nowadays... I have got experience, practical experience, that the drafting board of your country, calling some boy that "You join military," but he is not willing. Why? Because he is not trained as a kṣatriya. He is trained as a śūdra. Therefore the caste system is very scientific. A section of people should be trained as brāhmaṇas. Those who are intelligent enough in the society, they should be picked up for being trained in higher philosophical science. Those who are less intelligent than the brāhmaṇas, they should be given military training. We require everything—not that everyone is military man. This is nonsense. How everyone can be military man? Because they are sending śūdras to Vietnam they are unnaturally being killed. So any country who is very proud of scientific advancement, if he does not know how to organize society, he is a fool. He's a fool.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968: So these rascals, they have no knowledge how to train as brāhmaṇa, how to train as kṣatriya, how to train as vaiśya. Just like, of course, in other field of action, in the śūdras and vaiśyas, there is nice training in your country. If anyone wants to become a businessman, oh, there is training, colleges and schools, technological. That's nice, very nice. But why everyone should be dragged for technology? This is foolishness.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973: Let them study Bhagavad-gītā, how to make United Nations. That will be perfect. Not these short-sighted men, with politics and diplomacy in the heart, they can bring all the nations united. That is not possible. Let them discuss Bhagavad-gītā. Let them discuss how perfect society can be established. Then there will be peace. And vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. And paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. And those who are not intelligent, to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or a vaiśya. The fourth class men, let them work these three other classes, let them work. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam. In this way the human society should be divided into four divisions, they should cooperate, and they should be trained up. Not a single man should remain unemployed. He must be engaged in some employment as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a śūdra or as a vaiśya. Otherwise, idle brain will be devil's workshop. Therefore, in spite of so much educational propaganda in the Western countries, the young men are coming to become hippies. Because there is no proper training. Here is the hint, Bhagavad-gītā gives you. You train the students in that way, then there will be perfect society.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974: In the Kali-yuga almost every person is a śūdra. Therefore there is so much chaos. The government is managed by the śūdras or less than śūdras, mleccha. Mleccha-rājendra-rūpiṇaḥ. Mlecchas have taken the post of government. It is meant for the kṣatriyas, means qualified kṣatriya, very brave, very powerful, very charitable, not going away when there is fight. That is kṣatriya's position. Brāhmaṇa means satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. So people should be trained up as brāhmaṇa, as kṣatriya, as vaiśya.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974: Political meeting was not necessary because there was no democracy. It was monarchy. The kings, they were so trained up that there was no necessity of democracy. Actually, the modern government, democracy... We are experiencing, especially the great democratic country, America. So the democracy, the president elected by popular vote, is now being condemned.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972: Everyone should see perfection of his particular duties. And that is recommended that hari-toṣaṇam. This the example is Arjuna Mahārāja. Arjuna is a kṣatriya. His duty is to fight, to give protection to the poor and to annihilate the disturbing element. That is kṣatriya's duty. So Arjuna was trained in that way—he was a soldier—but by his soldier's business, occupational duty, he satisfied Kṛṣṇa. He fought for Kṛṣṇa, not for his personal sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972: If your upper portion of the body, the head and hands, you can protect, you can fight. But if the upper portion is cut off, your head is cut off, your hands are cut off, then no more fighting. You fall down. Is it not? So they do not know this science. They're killing the upper portion, the brāhmaṇa class, the kṣatriya class. Formerly, the kṣatriya class, they were being trained. Just like I am now writing notes on Bhāgavatam of the four princes. They were to be given in charge of the kingdom. Before giving charge, they were sent for austerity. And they met Lord Śiva, and Lord Śiva gave them instruction, and for ten thousand of years within water standing, they underwent austerity. Then they came back and took charge of the kingdom. This is kṣatriya.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972: The present civilization is suffering because there is no such thing as varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There is no selection that there must be the most intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa, the real kṣatriya who can give protection to the people, kṣatriya. That is real kṣatriya. And vaiśya who can actually give protection to the cows and produce agriculture, agricultural products and trade. And śūdras, ordinary laborer class. There must be divisions. They must be trained up. I have repeatedly said in America that there is draft board. They call, conscription, they call any young man to the military department, but most of the boys, young men, they try to avoid this, this military. Most of them. One of the causes of the hippie movement is due to the government's draft board. They want to avoid it. So I have repeatedly said: "Why do they avoid?" In India still we have got some martial races, the Gerkhas, the Sikhs. They will be very glad to accept military training. Still. Because there is kṣatriya spirit. But in other countries they have been made all śūdras. How they can take up kṣatriya spirit? That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972: So according to this varṇāśrama, there must be training. Some classes of men must be trained as nice brāhmaṇas. Some people must be trained as nice kṣatriyas. Some people must be trained as nice vaiśyas. And śūdra does not require any... Everyone is śūdra. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. By birth, everyone is śūdra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. By training, one becomes vaiśya, one becomes kṣatriya, one becomes brāhmaṇa. Where is that training? All śūdras. And how can you expect good government, śūdra government? All the śūdras are taking vote by hook and crook. And they are occupying government post.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975: So if we want to become free from anartha then we must follow the Vedic way of civilization. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāg... [Bg. 4.13]. According... The other day I was suggesting the governor that "Open varṇāśrama college." As we are training a medical practitioner and an engineer or any particular type of line, similarly, there must be training school and college where a person or a boy may be educated as a brāhmaṇa or as a kṣatriya. It is very simple thing.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976: First discipline is truthfulness. A brāhmaṇa will never speak lies. That is the first qualification. So who is going to take training in that way? Nobody is interested. This is Kali-yuga. We are trying to train people "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." Still, there are some failures. And if we teach in our institution, "Please do not speak lies," people will laugh: "What is this nonsense? Nowadays is it possible to remain in this society without speaking lies?" This is the position. This is called Kali-yuga. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a kṣatriya, neither as a vaiśya. They are all śūdras. Therefore it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. There is no training. It is very very difficult to train them to become purified by training. These statuses of life were different status of training so that ultimately one can become brāhmaṇa, and when he's fully trained up as a brāhmaṇa then he transcends the brāhmaṇa's position, and he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976: Brāhmaṇas, they are to be trained up how to become truthful, how to become controller of the senses, how to become simple, how to become tolerant. In this way. Kṣatriya—how to become strong, stout, brave, no going away when there is challenge, not to go away from fighting, to possess land, to rule over, īśvara-bhāvaś ca, and charity. These are the kṣatriya qualifications. The charity was given by the kṣatriyas.

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976: That is kṣatriya's duty. Kṣatriya's duty is to give protection from injury for the safety of the citizen. The citizen must feel safety, that "We have got such a nice king. There is no fear of anything." It is said in the Bhāgavatam there was no anxiety. The citizens should feel so much safe, that "We have such a nice king that we have no danger at all. Not being injured, not our property being stolen or injustice given." That is the real government—when the citizens will feel completely safe. That requires kṣatriya. Not these cāmāra, bhangis, and śūdras voted and become the president and minister. That will not be successful. That is not possible. There must be trained-up kṣatriyas, then there will be good government. Trained.

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976: There must be trained-up kñatriyas, then there will be good government. Trained. They should be trained means they should be advised by the brāhmaṇas. Therefore four divisions required. The brāhmaṇas have no interest or they have no time. Even a brāhmaṇa is made king... It is not his business. He may do it for some time, temporarily. Just like Viśvāmitra also did. But it is not his business. The brāhmaṇa should give advice to the ministers or the legislators. They should be all qualified brāhmaṇas, not paid man. Paid man has nothing to do...

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Los Angeles, May 6, 1973: So that is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to dovetail everything in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Make Kṛṣṇa center, and all your activities will be spiritual. That is distinction. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. As soon as anything is done for Kṛṣṇa, the bhakti... So the beginning you cannot do so, that anything you can dovetail. No. In the beginning you have to learn first of all how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You are, we are in the training period. We are in the training period. We should not imitate: "Oh, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was ordered to speak lies, so let us go on speaking all lies." No, not that. You cannot do so. First of all, be trained up. For being trained up, you have to follow the regulative principles, the orders of spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973: So for fighting, kṣatriya. In India, because still there are some kṣatriyas, there is no such draft board. The kṣatriya class, they would come forward to be recruited by the military department. They will not go away. They will be very glad to accept military service, because in their blood the kṣatriya spirit is there. In India there is no scarcity to find out a fighter. But when people are trained as śūdra, how he can fight? Therefore it is very scientific. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. The society must be divided. There is division already, natural. We have to simply pick out, that "This boy is brāhmaṇa, this boy is kṣatriya, this boy is vaiśya, and this boy is śūdra." So they should be given separate employment. Then there will be peace. If a person is employed according to his natural tendency, he becomes successful, he becomes successful. But if you give some employment, just like to put a cart before a horse, like that, no, that will not be successful.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973: You can say that "There is no need of kṣatriya; let there be all śūdras." No, then there will be social scandal. Everything must be there. The brāhmaṇa must be there, the kṣatriya must be there, the vaiśyas must be there and the śūdras must be there, and the state should look that these things are observed scientifically and they are being educated in that way. That is king's business. He must see that the kṣatriyas, those who are kṣatriya spirited, they are being trained up as kṣatriya. The brāhmaṇas are being trained up as brāhmaṇa. Everything is required. Just like in your body, all the four divisions... Just like head, that is brāhmaṇa; the arms, that is kṣatriya; the belly, that is vaiśya; and the legs, they are śūdra.

Lecture on SB 1.8.50 -- Los Angeles, May 12, 1973: So at the present moment the society is chaos because there is no proper training for the particular class of man. A brāhmaṇa should be trained up, a kṣatriya should be trained up, a vaiśya should be trained up, a śūdra should be trained up, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13], according to quality. Why Vedic culture has failed in India, it is simply remaining in name? Because everyone claims to become brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, by birth only, no qualification. The brāhmaṇa has no qualification of a brāhmaṇa, and because he is born of a brāhmaṇa father or brāhmaṇa family he is claiming, "I am brāhmaṇa." This is not śāstra's sanction.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3-4 -- Tehran, March 13, 1975: There are so many stories of imperfect kings or executive heads. Therefore, the executive head must be a trained person like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he must have the full autocratic power to rule over the world. The conception of a world state can take shape only under the regime of a perfect king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. The world was happy in those days because there were kings like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to rule over the world." Let this king follow Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and show an example of how monarchy can make a perfect state. There is instruction in the śāstras, and if he follows, he can do that. He has got the power.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973: In the human society, to make everything very regulated, the prescription is dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. Dharma means to be situated in one's position. That is called dharma. Dharma is not a kind of faith. Faith is sometimes blind. That is not dharma. Just like we say, varṇāśrama-dharma. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg. 4.13]. Varṇa. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsī. This combination of eight makes dharma, constitutional position. Everyone is animal. So if one is not trained up in these eight principles of human society, so that is not dharma; it is sentiment. But that does not stand very long. It will vanquish. But if dharma is accepted on the principles of this varṇāśrama-dharma, that is... For material purpose. That is not for spiritual purpose. Although there is hint of spiritual life, still, they are prākṛta.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973: That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga, all the people will be rascals, śūdras. Simply by manipulation, if one gets vote, he captures the governmental power. Śūdra. He's a śūdra. He is not a kṣatriya like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, trained up kṣatriya. He is a rascal, third-class man, fourth-class man. He gets the vote and we give vote. So how we can be happy? How we can be carefree or anxiety-free or disease-free? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973: So in kṣatriya marriage it was not so easy. The boy had to show how much powerful he is. Then the girl would be offered. Not only that; there will be killing. The opposite party may be killed. When there is fight, there is killing. And by killing, the blood is smeared over here. That is the red sign. That is the red sign, now used with vermillion. Not by killing. Yes, it has become... It is made easier. (laughter) Formerly the red sign was not so easy. There must be blood. That is kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means the fighting race, fighting caste, king, royal. They must be very chivalrous fighting, not timid. A kṣatriya cannot be timid. Brāhmaṇas kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdra, they are trained differently. Brāhmaṇa—for understanding Vedic knowledge and guide the other three subdivisions, namely kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, not śūdras. Śūdras were not supposed to understand Vedic knowledge. Especially brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas.

Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973: Similarly, another class, second class, they should be trained up as kṣatriya, very powerful, never goes away from the challenge of fighting. Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. Not that the fighting is going on, and the so-called president is sitting in his parlor and smoking cigarette. No. Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam: "Oh, everyone is fighting there? I must go in the front." He will fight. Otherwise how people will be encouraged? The chief man is in the background, and poor men, they are fighting? No. Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. That is kṣatriya.

Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973: So how this knowledge can be gotten unless one is trained by dvija-varya-śikṣayā, first-class learned brāhmaṇas? One has to learn from him, not from the rascals, fools, cats and dogs, No. That is not learning. Dvija-varya-śikṣayā. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, his first qualification is... Not only Parīkṣit Mahārāja, but all the kings during the monarchy. Monarchy does not mean because he is the son of king, therefore he should be king. No. He should be fully trained up by the dvija-varya, by the best class of brāhmaṇas. That is monarchy. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja... Tataḥ... Tataḥ means "thereafter." After his fathers—means pañca-pāṇḍava, his father and uncles—retired and left kingdom, entrusting everything to the grandchild... Because their sons all died in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, only he was saved because he was a posthumous child. After the death of his father in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he was in the womb of his mother. He took birth. And these grandfathers took care of him. This is Parīkṣit Mahārāja's life. He did not see his father from birth. So these grandfathers... So grandfathers, they retired and entrusted the whole kingdom, was entrusted to the grand-child, Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So he was trained up by the first-class brāhmaṇas. Tataḥ parīkṣid dvija-varya-śikṣayā mahīṁ mahā-bhāgavataḥ śaśāsa ha.

Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973: Mahīm. Mahīm means this earthly planet. Up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years ago, the whole world was being ruled over by one king, one emperor. There were no so many nations or no so many presidents or... No. Simply one king. Mahīm, this world. Mahīm means the earthly planet. This is the history. From Mahā-bhāgavata, er, Mahābhārata we understand that, that the whole world was under one flag, these Pāṇḍavas. Now United Nations means three thousand flags, three thousand nations. So that is not democracy, or that is not good ruling. The best ruling is monarchy, and monarch means he must be a perfectly trained-up person by the best brāhmaṇas. That is perfect government. Not that this democracy, some rascals and fools they are voting another rascal and fool, and by hook and crook he comes to the post. He does not like to give it up, and makes things very miserable. This kind of government... Now your Senate is proposing, "Let us pray to God how we can get good government." They are coming down to again. But why not train? Now you are going to pray to God, "Please give us good government." Why don't you elect a person mahā-bhāgavata?

Lecture on SB 1.16.2 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1973: So in those days, as in the first verse we learn, dvija-varya-śikṣayā. The... Actually, the brāhmaṇas, they were controlling the state, but not directly, not sitting on the throne, but giving the kings good advice according to śāstra, that "You rule over like this. This is the process." And the kings would abide by... Although the monarchy was there, but they were not irresponsible. First of all, the king was trained and educated perfectly. Therefore it is called dvija-varya-śikṣayā. Yesterday I explained, dvija, the twice-born brāhmaṇa. And again it is added with another word, varya. Varya means the first class, not third class. First-class man, dvija-varya-śikṣayā, they used to teach. They used to advise. And if the king was worthless, sometimes they would kill the king. And next son, his son would take possession.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974: So it is the duty of the king, it is the duty of the government, it is the duty of the father, it is the duty of the guru, it is the duty of the husband to see that his subordinate is being trained up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life, so that there will be no more death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. People do not know that he is being carried away. One is being carried away by the clutches of māyā in the cycle of birth and death. They do not know it, neither they want any solution. Although everyone does not want to die, but no scientist, no philosopher can give you any information that death can be checked.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974: So in the Kali-yuga the śūdras... Śūdra means the last. Less than śūdra, the caṇḍāla, they are taking the part of kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa or vaiśya. That is the effect of this Kali-yuga. Therefore it is very lamentable. One must be trained up. This very word kṣatra-bandhu means even though one is in the royal family, but he cannot administer. Just like in England, now the royal monarchy is finished all over the world... Even there is monarchy in some countries... Just like in England there is monarchy. The queen is there. But the queen is also uneducated. She does not know how to rule. It is an official post only. The parliamentary sanction, simply she signs, that's all. She has no power to rule over. So power or no power, in Kali-yuga, the administration will be done by less qualified, no qualification. Kim kṣatra-bandhūn kalinā upasṛṣṭān. The system will be disturbed on account of this Kali-yuga. Kalinā upasṛṣṭān rāṣṭrāṇi. Rāṣṭrāṇi means states. Tair avaropitāni, put into disorder.

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972: Just like we are showing the example, how to worship Deity in the temple. In the same way, if one can... The idea is, as here, our devotees are engaged in the worship of the Deity, similarly, a householder, when all the family members are trained up how to worship the Deity, then they can establish. Not that make a farce. Cleanliness, and the rules and regulation, that must be... That is the duty of every... Actually, the higher castes in India still, everyone—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—they must have Deity worship at home. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate [Bg. 6.41].

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972: A female wants male, a male wants female. This is the attraction. This is the basic principle of binding the conditioned soul in this miserable life of repeated birth and death. This attraction. Therefore Vedic civilization is based on how to get out of this attraction. The varṇāśrama-dharma... There is attraction, you cannot avoid it. To best, to make the best use of a bad bargain. Therefore, from the very beginning, a child is trained how to become brahmacārī. Brahmacārī. No sex life. Up to twenty-five years. Throughout the whole life, but at least for twenty-five years. That is called brahmacārī-āśrama. But if one is still persistent for sex life after being trained for twenty-five years, he is allowed to marry. That is called gṛhastha-āśrama. And because he has been trained up to be detached from sex life, so, for some time he enjoys, then he gives it up. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Jahau. Virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau. There was training; therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja could give up.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972: So Parīkṣit Mahārāja could give up the attachment within a few days. Not abruptly, but he was prepared. His training was there. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe.

Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973: When there is fight, those who are meant for military purposes, they fight. Not the civilians go and fight. No. Similarly, in the society, there must be divisions. Not that everyone should be called, "Come on, you go to fight." Where is his training? That was not the system. First of all, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg. 4.13]. These children, according to strict Vedic principle, by practical psychology, they should be tested, "What is the tendency of this boy?" There can be four kinds of tendencies: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Some child is to become a brāhmaṇa, some child is to be become a kṣatriya, some child is to become a vaiśya, and the rest, śūdras. They do not... Śūdras does not require any training. Śūdra means no training. Ordinary worker class. Otherwise other three, especially two, namely the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas, they require very magnificent training. Because they will administer the whole affairs of the society.

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974: Formerly, the kings, they were rāja, at the same time great saintly persons, ṛṣi. They were not ordinary this king, Nawab Shah, engaged in drinking and dancing. No. They were all ṛṣis, all ṛṣis. Up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit they were trained up in such a way. Although it was monarchy, one man's control, but that man is not ordinary man. They were called nara-deva. Nara-deva means Bhagavān in the form of a human being. A king was worshiped therefore, because they were rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Bhagavān says, Kṛṣṇa says. Unless the kings, the government head, does not know what is the purpose of this life, what is the purpose of this material world, then how he can rule nicely? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976: Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He did not know how to achieve the favor of Supreme Personality of Godhead, but on account of his eagerness... He wanted to see God. Because he was kṣatriya... His mother said that "God can only help you, my dear son. If you want to become king on the throne of your father, better position, then only God can help you. I cannot help you. It is not..." So he was determined, "I must see God." So he went to the forest but he did not know how to approach God. A boy of five years old only, he has got the determination. So Kṛṣṇa saw that "This boy is very determined." Therefore He sent His representative, Nārada: "Go and train him. He is very eager."

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976: So in the Kali-yuga, this age, there is no such king. There is no such government. Therefore people are becoming polluted. It is the duty of the guru, the duty of the parents, duty of the government to train people in such a way that they may become pious, sinless. But they do not believe, even in the next life, that "If we act impiously, then we have to suffer next life." They avoid to believe that there is next life. But there is next life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970: Just like a father. If he does not take care of his son to be a man of character, he becomes a debauchee. That is natural. So according to Vedic principles, the kings were very much highly trained to see how the people are advancing in the spiritual knowledge. Just like one king... You will find in The Nectar of Devotion. There was law that... He said that, (chuckles) "If I do not find any one of my citizens with tilaka, then I shall punish him." So everyone, out of that fear, they used to have this tilaka. And they were looking all Vaiṣṇavas. (laughs) Although they had no very much faith in Viṣṇu, but out of fear of the state orders, they were having tilaka. So sometimes authority orders are accepted in that, out of fear.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968: Kṛṣṇa does not say that you change your occupation. Just like Arjuna. He is a kṣatriya. His business is to fight. The division of human society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, is very scientific. A kṣatriya is meant for fighting. A brāhmaṇa is meant for intelligent work. A vaiśya is meant for business. A śūdra is meant for labor. But because there is no such division, people are not trained from the very beginning. Therefore a śūdra is called by the draftboard, "Come on," to fight. Now, how he can fight? He is not a kṣatriya. So they are flying away. They're taking visa for another country and going away. How he can fight? He is not kṣatriya. So Kṛṣṇa said Arjuna that, "You are kṣatriya." He did not say... Kṛṣṇa wanted, Arjuna wanted to become a false brāhmaṇa. He said, "Oh, I shall become nonviolent, and even though I don't get my kingdom I shall beg like a brāhmaṇa and shall live away. Kṛṣṇa, don't ask me to fight." This is false brahmanism. "Oh," Kṛṣṇa said, "you are kṣatriya. You must fight." It cannot imitate a brāhmaṇa's business.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Hong Kong, April 18, 1972: Vaiṣṇava philosophy means the Vaiṣṇava is ready to do anything for God's sake. That is Vaiṣṇava. It is approved by God, Kṛṣṇa, then they are ready to do anything. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement everything, our daily routine work will be stopped. No. I am very glad to see that these small children are being trained here in such a far distant place from India. I thank our Bhūrijana Prabhu for this work. But this is the aim for training them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, brahmacārī. If one becomes very solid in Kṛṣṇa consciousness then his further progress of life. Just like I was quoting the instance of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee from the very birth, but he was a great king, he was a great ruler. Dhruva Mahārāja, he was also a devotee from the very beginning of his life, but he was a great ruler, a great king. So do not misunderstand that by accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness everything will be stopped. No. Nothing will be stopped. Simply one has to change the consciousness. That's all. Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna was a fighter in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. He remained a fighter after hearing Bhagavad-gītā. He did not change his position as a fighter, as a kṣatriya. But in the beginning he was thinking non-Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was thinking of his personal interest, personal sense gratification. But at the end he decided to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference, materialism and spiritualism. If you want to satisfy your senses that is materialism, and if you want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses, that is spiritual.

Lecture on SB 7.6.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976: So our business is how to become yogi, bhakta-yogi. That is the mission of life. Unfortunately, we are not given the opportunity. It is the duty of the guardians, family, natural guardian, father and mother, and political guardian, the government, the teacher, the guru; it is the duty to give facility, facility for achievement of the highest goal of life. Unfortunately, it is always... But at the present moment, on account of Kali-yuga, they do not know what is the aim of life, how the dependents should be trained up. It is the duty of the king to train up the citizens. This is... Everything is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the first business is how to lead men to the highest perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968: So to come to this platform of confidence or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is training. That training is called viddhi-mārga, regulative principles, following the regulative principles. So this whole varṇāśrama system, Vedic system, the different caste—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, a brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa—they are very scientifically designed to elevate one gradually to the standard of "no fear," "fearfulnessless," no more fear, confident.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968: By birth, everyone is born a śūdra, the lower class. And saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. And if that man, the boy, or the child, is reformed by education gradually, then he is, saṁskārad bhaved dvijaḥ, his second birth is there. So amongst the higher class, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, especially amongst the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriya, the boys were trained very nicely. Very nicely. So by reformation, when the boy is, I mean to say, mature, at the age of twelve years or thirteen years, he goes automatically to a spiritual master. He automatically goes to a spiritual master for becoming initiated.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975: So formerly the kings were trained up in such a way that one man is sufficient to govern the whole universe, whole..., at least one planet. That was the system. The king was so pious. There are many statement, I mean to say, statements about these king. Why they were pious? Because they were also governed. The kings were governed by first-class brāhmaṇas, sages. The brāhmaṇas should not take part in the management of the government, but they would advise the kṣatriya kings that "You rule over the citizens like this." If the king would not do that, the brāhmaṇas had so much power—there are many instances—they will dethrone the king or kill him. But they will not occupy the power themselves. His son will be given the chance. This was the system.

Festival Lectures

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:: A kṣatriya may speak lies. That is allowed, because he has to be diplomat, politician. But a brāhmaṇa, oh, he's not allowed to speak lie. This is the system, caste system or varṇāśrama system. Everyone was trained.

Festival Lectures, Hawaii, March 27, 1969: The next, the administrator, administrative class, kṣatriyas. They are trained how to kill. The kṣatriyas were allowed to hunt in the forest to learn the art of killing because that was necessity for the kṣatriyas. Kṣatriya, if he... If the king, if he finds somebody is doing wrong, he can immediately chop off his head if he likes. The king was so powerful. And it is not that if there was some war, it is not that the president or the king shall sit down comfortably at home and ordinary soldiers will go and lay down their life. No. Formerly, the king or the head of the state, he should first of all go there in the fight. You see in the picture, the chief men of the fighting in the Kurukṣetra, both sides, they were arrayed, this side, that side, with their chariot. Not that the head man, the chief man, or the commander is taking shelter back side, protecting himself, and poor soldiers are (chuckles) thrown into the fighting. No. These were kṣatriya spirit. And it is necessary that a class of men should be trained up in that way, kṣatriya, fighting men. In India, because this training was there since a very long time, so there is no difficulty in recruiting soldiers there. There is a class of men, they are very much forward in fighting still. They are called... Just like the Gurkhas, the Nepalese. You have heard the name of Nepal. Still a small state, independent state. They are not within India. Between China and India. The whole Nepal population, they are kṣatriyas. Oh, they are very good fighters. Similarly, the Sikhs, the Jātas. There are classes. So they're always forward for fighting. And you'll be surprised that the British Empire was voluntarily liquidated because they lost India. The Britishers, they understood that because we are now losing India, there is no more possibility to keep our eastern empire. Therefore they liquidated. Why? Actually, the whole British Empire were being administered or managed by Indian soldiers, these Sikhs and Gurkhas. They extended their empire. After taking their position with India, they extended British Empire in the Middle East and Far East simply by these Sikhs and Gurkha soldiers. They got supremacy on the Burma and everywhere. So there is necessity of a class of fighting men. You are finding in your country difficulty in recruiting because the recruiting process is wrong. You are recruiting from persons... You are training persons just like śūdras, and you want them to fight. How they can fight? It is not possible. So as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa karma vibhāgaśaḥ... [Bg. 4.13]. Lord Kṛṣṇa said that "The four classes or orders of the society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, is planned by Me according to work and quality." So this kṣatriya quality men is also required, the brāhmaṇa quality of men is also required, the mercantile community, they are also required, and the laborer class, they are also required. Of course, laborer class, they do not require any training. Laborer class means one who cannot do anything, neither become brāhmaṇa, nor become kṣatriya, nor become vaiśya. That means the last balance of the population, they are called laborer class, śūdra. Śūdra means one who has no training. Śūdra has no saṁskāra. Saṁskāra means training.

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:: Everyone is accepted as śūdra by birth. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Janmanā means by birth. By birth, everyone is born a śūdra, a fourth-class man. It is to be accepted, and actually so. Just like a child, innocent child, what does he know? He has to be trained. Either you train him as a brāhmaṇa or train him as a kṣatriya or train him as a vaiśya. Or otherwise, he is śūdra already, born śūdra. Śūdra has no training. Everyone, the basic principle, basic foreground, everyone, it is accepted śūdra. Now, if you train him as a brāhmaṇa, then he becomes a brāhmaṇa. If you train him as a kṣatriya, then he becomes a kṣatriya. If you train him as a vaiśya... So I think this is, this system is very scientific so that if you want help of a really intelligent man or God realized man, it is ready, the brāhmaṇa class. Just like if you require the help of a lawyer, we have got so many lawyers. If you require the help of medical man... Because there are trained men. Similarly, the society requires to train a certain class of men to become brāhmaṇas. Just like we are training the Kṛṣṇa conscious. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is meant for the brāhmaṇas. They are not meant for fighting because they are not being trained for fighting. They have been trained for becoming brāhmaṇas. Who is brāhmaṇa? Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. The four divisions are described like this. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ, everyone is born śūdra. That is accepted. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Now if you train him, never mind in which family he's born, you have to train him. Just like boys are sent to school for being trained. So everyone is accepted as śūdra, but you now train him. He goes to the guru-gṛha.

Festival Lectures, Hawaii, March 27, 1969: Guru-gṛha means teacher's house. Formerly, for being trained, there was no such big scale school and colleges. Every village... Still, fifty years before in India, in every village there was a small school conducted by the brāhmaṇa, and the village children would be trained up there. So he was sent for training. And there was no school fee. The boys will go there, and on behalf of the teacher or spiritual master, they will go, brahmacārī, door to door, and beg and bring forth alms, rice, dahl, grains, and everything. That was the system. There was no school fee. There was no problem how to send a boy to the school. Saṁskāra. Now he's trained up. The teacher sees the psychology of the boy, in which way he should be trained. Either he should be trained as a vaiśya or he should be trained as a kṣatriya. So everyone was trained like that, but generally, the son of a kṣatriya... Just like Mahārāja Rāmacandra or Arjuna, from the very beginning they were trained as kṣatriya. Naturally, if somebody is the son of a medical man his father trains him to become a medical man in future. That is the natural tendency. If the boy is different altogether that is another question, but naturally, that is the tendency. So a kṣatriya's son was trained as kṣatriya. A brāhmaṇa's son was trained as a brāhmaṇa and a vaiśya's son was trained as a vaiśya, and śūdra had no training. So gradually this became a caste system. Brāhmaṇa's son became brāhmaṇa. Because formerly, the training was there.

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:: So just see how the training was, that a kṣatriya cannot refuse his promise. So Mahārāja Daśaratha, he fulfilled the promise of his youngest wife and asked his son, eldest son Rāmacandra, "My dear boy, You'll have to go to forest for fourteen years. That is the desire of Your youngest mother. And I promised that I shall fulfill her promise, uh, request. So please accept." Rāmacandra said, "Yes father, I am ready." Just see. This is the quality.

Festival Lectures, Hawaii, March 27, 1969: So there are so many historical incidences in the life of Rāmacandra, and we should remember, because if we remember why we are observing today fasting for Rāmacandra... There were many kings like Rāmacandra. Because the kings were trained in that way. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was also as good as Rāmacandra, and Mahārāja Parikṣit was as good. There were many such kings. But we are not concerned because He was a king. He is the King of all kings, parameśvara.

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:: This is Vedic civilization. A section of people, they are engaged in different activities. Not that a man is working as a carpenter and he's called, "Come on. You have to go to Vietnam to fight." This is not very scientific. He has been trained up as a carpenter, and now he's called to fight. That is not perfect division of... The fighting is required, but there must be a class fully trained up for fighting. That is kñatriya.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:: Formerly, there was monarchy. Just like nowadays also, the government is authority. Your President is authority. So in the days of monarchical king, government, the monarch or the king is head of the government. He is authority. But formerly, those authorities, those kings, were ṛṣis, great learned scholars, ṛṣis, great devotees. They were not ordinary men. That system of government was very nice. One person, well talented, well trained as the head of the government, very peacefully he could execute the governmental function. There were many instances, the Vedic civilization, how the kings were perfect. You'll find from Dhruva Mahārāja's instances that Dhruva Mahārāja went to the forest to search out God, and he found out. By severe type of penances and austerities, he found out God within six months. How? He was a five-years-old body, child. According to the direction of his spiritual master, Nārada, he went alone in the forest, although a king's son, very delicate body.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel::

Prabhupāda:Any state who is neglecting this duty, he immediately becomes unqualified to hold the state office, either he may be president or the king. Because if it is admitted, the king... We say that the king's name is naradeva, God in human form, and king is offered that respect. There are... King is respected, why? Because he is to be considered God's representative. So therefore, as God's representative... Just like we are working as God's representative. We present ourselves as God's representative, Kṛṣṇa's representative, then what is our duty? What is our business? What we are doing? We are trying to lead others to God consciousness. That is the proof that I am God's representative. I am not teaching them anything else. I am teaching everything, that is duty, but this is my prime duty. Similarly, if the state or the state executive head, the president or the king is taken, accepted as God's representative, his first and foremost duty is to train the citizens to become God conscious. If he's lacking in that duty, he's not fit to become executive head, king of the...

Philosophy Discussions, Hegel:

Prabhupāda:That is now, democracy, constitutional king. He is simply show-bottle. But if the king has got complete power and if he is trained, he is God conscious king, rājarṣi... Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ, the Bhagavad-gītā, the Fourth Chapter it is said, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. The saintly king understood it. Not ordinary man. Therefore a king, monarch is supposed to be saintly. He must understand the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā and he should introduce educational system so that people may understand Bhagavad-gītā, or the science of God. That is the first duty of the state, of the king. And in another place the Bhāgavata says that one should not become father, one should not become the head of the state, one should not become guru, if he cannot save persons from the imminent danger of death. So we are, we are now in entanglement, repeated birth and death, it is the state duty to stop the citizens' repeated birth and death.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel::

Śyāmasundara: He says it is the purpose of the state and king to apply the moral law.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the duty of the king, that is the king but the modern democracy state, they're simply concerned with the tax. That's all. But in the śāstra it is said that if you keep the citizens blind in the matter of morality and immorality and levy tax only, you will be satisfied with tax, then you will also go to ruin and they also go to ruin.

Śyāmasundara: Ruin.

Prabhupāda: Yes, ruination. Yes. Because he is taking all the sins. Tax means it is sinfully earned, and he's taking the money.

Śyāmasundara: So he gets it worse than anyone.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he'll be the worst sufferer, in this life and next life. These things I have discussed in Mahārāja Prthu's. You cannot, if you keep the, just like I am accepting disciples so I am taking responsibility of the sinful reactions. So similarly a king levying taxes, that means that he will take the share, the sinful or pious life of the citizens. Therefore if he keeps the citizens pious life, then he will be profited and citizens will be profited. Otherwise he will go to hell and the citizens will go to hell. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā. One blind man leading another blind man. So this is nice philosophy, that this is not the right philosophy, that the state head, the president or the king or whatever his name is, he is the representative of God. Therefore his duty is to train the citizens to become God conscious, pious, without any sinful life. But these big, big state head, just like in our country, Dr. Radhakrishnan is supposed to be a very great philosopher, and what he was doing? He was sanctioning to keep slaughterhouse. So he is philosopher and he had no sense that "I am the state head. I am sanctioning slaughterhouse. And I am passing as a philosopher." And now he is suffering, you have seen?

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 21 March, 1968: And as minister of the association, I can give certificate that all my students are ecclesiastical. They are neither fighting men, nor mercantile people, so they cannot be called for fighting for unnecessary waste of time and valuable energy. In this connection, the caste system of the Hindus, in which Ksatriyas are trained up for fighting from the very beginning, in martial spirit. They are fighting with young men recruited from the sudra class, enforced to fighting; so there is a gulf of difference. Anyway, Krishna will save Advaita. You just take help of the psychiatrist.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Syamasundara -- Bombay 1 April, 1974: I understand that some philosophers in Russia are thinking of autocracy with good sense. I am also advocating this philosophy. I have explained many times, the Vedic system of autocracy or monarchy in good training of God consciousness can save the world though less political thieves have failed with Marxism but if in England people can come to Krsna Consciousness monarchy is superficially maintained, and if the next Krsna Consciousness autocrat it will be a great revolution in the political field. Such noble king is not an autocrat but is guided by Brahmins how to rule and see everyone employed in their respective duties as Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra and no one unemployed. There is no question of unwanted upheaval in society.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Tirupati 28 April, 1974: The GBC must be vigilant by following the regulative principles and teach by ideal character the presidents of the centers, and the presidents by their ideal character must teach the others then automatically all members of the whole institution will be ideal to the human society. Then we can dictate to administrators or sometimes take hold of the administration. In the absence of competent leaders we may take the post. But we must be very careful in the flow of the political movement we may not forget our ideal life. For example, Parasaram was a Brahmin but when he found the ksatriyas were mismanaging he killed them twenty one times and some of them fled to European countries. This is the history. So far we are concerned we shall keep ourselves in ideal brahminical position and if need be if no ksatriya or Vaisya is here we can take up their work as emergency. Our business is to create ideal ksatriyas and vaisyas but beyond that our real business is to keep ourselves as ideal Brahmins. If we are not ideal we cannot create others as ideal. Training is required for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes of social constitution. Persons who are not fit for being advanced by training are sudras or less than that. At the present moment in the world state, there are sudras and less than that. There are no ideal brahmanas or ksatriyas. But these four divisions are imperative. So our business is to keep fit as brahmanas and to train others to be ideal ksatriyas and vaisyas for advancing the whole society. As Krsna says in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:

Letter to Amarendra -- Paris 10 June, 1974: I can understand that you want to run for political office, but we can not spend money even if we have money. If you have money of your own and you want to spend it for running for office you can do that. But for running we not only have to draw on the society's money but also on our men. This is not desirable. By competing with the politicians we may drop from our spiritual ideal. Our actual business is to become brahminical. We want to train some ksatriyas but that we can do in our own communities. Where is the money for this political work, that is my main question. And also, so much attention paid in this area is a diversion from our spiritual life.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Prabhakar -- Honolulu 31 May, 1975: As desired by you, I can immediately take up the task of opening a center there and to open a varna-asrama college there affiliated by the university. In this college we shall train up pure brahmanas, (qualified brahmanas), Ksatriyas and Vaisyas. That is the injunction of Bhagavad-gita. And this institution will be open for all without any discrimination. As I am training these European and American boys, most of them coming from Christian and Jewish families, and they are accepting to become a pure brahmana and then a pure sannyasi. This system should be introduced. They must sit for proper examination after being trained. And then why not accept them as real brahmana by quality and work? This procedure is recommended both in the Bhagavad-gita and in the Srimad-bhagavatam. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is said that the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra should be selected by quality and work. Similarly, in the Srimad-bhagavatam, it is said that if quality and work is present in a different varna, that is to say, if the quality of a brahmana is visible in a person born in sudra family, such person on account of quality and work, should be accepted as brahmana. So, if we start a varna-asrama college in terms of Bhagavad-gita instructions and approved by Srimad-bhagavatam, why the university will not give degree to a qualified person as approved brahmana. This is the necessity of the present day. In the days past, when Prthu Maharaja was the emperor, his government was inspecting to see whether a brahmana is acting actually as a brahmana, whether a ksatriya is acting as a ksatriya, and all the different castes were engaged in all their respective duties. At the present moment, even though one is qualified brahmana, he does not get sufficient opportunity to act as brahmana, and therefore he is obliged to accept the occupational duty of someone who is outside the brahminical post. But if we accept the principle of varna and asrama as they are recommended in the sastra, and if we push on the Krishna Consciousness movement, surely everyone will be engaged in his occupation and the question of unemployment will be finished. Therefore, I think if we propagate this movement on the principles of Bhagavad-gita, all the problems of the human society will be solved. I can do all this business if some leading man of India co-operate with me. When I was in Delhi, Nandaji met me and I spoke to him exactly as I am writing now, but he said that immediately, these things cannot be introduced. But, I think it can be introduced immediately without any loss of time, provided you are serious about it.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Bombay 9 November, 1975: The varnasrama college means to train people in varnasrama life. In human society a section of people must act as strict brahmanas. Similarly, another section must act as strict ksatriyas, still another as strict vaisyas, and the rest will be considered as sudras and less than sudras or the candalas. This is a materialistic division, but spiritually anyone can be elevated to the transcendental position simply by devotional service. This is the sum and substance of the Vedic education. If you and Siddha Svarupa Maharaja can organize such an institution following yourself the rules and regulations then it will be very glorious thing and I shall be very happy. But in any case both of you do not forget to come to Mayapur during Caitanya Mahaprabhu's birth ceremony. Let us act co-operatively, maybe sometimes separately, but the central point and aim should be one—Krsna.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Guest (4): Do you think that the present democratic system will be able to impart a spiritual education?

Prabhupāda: No.

Guest (4): Then what system do you advocate?

Prabhupāda: Of course, so far Vedic culture is concerned, they advocated monarchy because the one man's training, a good king guided by the brahminical culture, although it was autocratic sometimes, but because the king was very cultured there was no possibility of doing any harm to the citizens. But democracy means simply they are given the post by votes, and they may be all rascals. Then what they can think of good to the citizens?

Guest (4): Mahārāja, don't you think that monarchy (unclear)

Prabhupāda: No, that is also not possible. And therefore we are training people to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. And when the Kṛṣṇa conscious people will elect Kṛṣṇa conscious leaders there will be peace and prosperity. And now, because the minority is Kṛṣṇa conscious, they cannot elect Kṛṣṇa conscious leaders and therefore havoc is being played.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Varnāśrama-dharma... That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. Qualified. Therefore we want qualified brāhmaṇas, qualified kṣatriyas. At the present moment, without being qualified, they are passing on as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. That is not varṇāśrama. Without being qualified they are all śūdras, all caṇḍālas. But when they are properly trained and qualified, then it is varṇāśrama, real varṇāśrama.

Guest (4): Where are they to be trained, then? How are they...

Prabhupāda: That we are proposing. When we open a center we shall train anyone. It doesn't matter whether he is born in a śūdra family or brāhmaṇa family. Just like they are born in a different family other than brāhmaṇa but they are now brāhmaṇa because after being trained up.

Guest (4): (Hindi) ...regard, you said that monarchy and democracy, both are systems which cannot help this cause. Then...

Prabhupāda: No, why cannot help? If... Monarchy means the king was properly trained up. Similarly, in the democracy, if people are properly trained up, then they will vote for nice men and there will be nice government. Now, because the people are not trained, they are practically asses. The votes of the asses, what has the meaning? If the majority are asses, then one ass will be elected. That's all. So when the executive head is an ass what benefit he can do to the people?

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Revatīnandana: The symbol of the Democrat party in America is the ass.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere. As soon as you...

Revatīnandana: Their symbol is an ass. They have a symbol.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Because they are asses.

Revatīnandana: The Republican party is elephant and the Democratic party is ass, a donkey.

Prabhupāda: What is the value of vote by asses? According to Vedic civilization, there was democracy but that democracy is selected committee. Just like in England there was Privy Council. So selected body of learned brāhmaṇas and sages, they were guiding the king, and the king himself was properly educated how to rule over, under religious principles. He was trained from the beginning of his life as prince. As the future heir of the throne, he was trained, and at the same time, he was guided by a council of learned sages and brāhmaṇas. They were looking over the activities of the king. As soon as there was some mistake they will see. And there are instances; whenever there was a bad king they were dethroned. Not for political purpose. He was dethroned but his son was on the... Just like Lord Rāmacandra did. Rāmacandra killed Rāvaṇa but He never occupied the kingdom. His brother Vibhīṣaṇa proved to be faithful. He was enthroned. From the same family. And that was the system. Even a king was wrong, he would be dethroned but from his family, either his son or brother, or somebody would occupy there. Not that "Because I have conquered you, therefore I shall sit down." No. There are many instances. And therefore India was ruling all over the world. The emperor was in India, and the kings of different states, their family was. So there was no rebellion. And in every state a king was trained in the same process, guided by committee of learned brāhmaṇa and sages. How perfect this monarchy is.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 15, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: No, there will be fight. That is the prediction of great politician. There will be war between these Communist and anti-Communist. There are two parties now. The anti-Communist will be defeated. The Communists will come out victorious.

Śyāmasundara: We don't want to fight. None of our boys want to fight.

Prabhupāda: They also do not want fight but they are forced. They do not want to fight. Because they're... Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga everyone is śūdra. What he'll fight? Fighting is not the business of a śūdra. It is meant for the kṣatriya. And nobody is being trained as kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa. Everyone is being trained as śūdra or utmost vaiśya, how to make money. That's all. One class of men is being trained how to serve and get some money, another class is being trained how to make money by exploitation. That is capitalist and communist. The communists are the śūdras. They are protesting that "You are exploiting us and getting money. It must stop." That is Communism. Is it not? And the vaiśyas, they are trying to exploit others. Some way or other bring money. So there are these capitalists and śūdra and vaiśya. There is no kṣatriya, there is no brāhmaṇa. Therefore the whole social structure is lost. So we are trying to create some brāhmaṇas

Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh , -- November 25, 1971, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Just like in our society there are devotees from many religious sects, many countries, but they are nobody in that concept of life. They are purely thinking, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is bhakti. This is spiritual platform. So far the material platform is concerned, there is already division. An intelligent class of men, the administrator class. Just like not all everyone is interested taking part in administration. Just like we, at least myself, if you invite me to come to the administration, I will not be interested. We are interested in different thing. So similarly, naturally there is a division. The intelligent class of men, they like to study philosophy, they like to understand what is the ultimate goal of life, so many things. So intelligent class of men should be engaged in that business. They should not be dragged in other platform. And those who are inclined to take part in politics, administration, that class also should be trained how to rule over the country, how to make satisfied the citizens. They should be trained up, as in business people are trained up. Now the fault is without being trained, simply by votes one becomes prime minister or (indistinct). He has no training how to administer, but simply by vote, he occupies a big post. And that is his qualification. But he does not know how to rule over, how to make the people satisfied. Therefore, chaos. Daily everywhere, government is changing. Daily, weekly, this government, that government, that government. Why? Because they are not trained up how to administer. Therefore, that is required. Tejaḥ. First these administrators must be tejasī, īśvara bhava(?). (Sanskrit) Now there will be fight, and the administers will sit down on the nice couch and the common man will fight. Formerly kṣatriya came first of all. Like Arjuna, he is in the front. The other side, Duryodhana is in the front. So the fighter in that, "Oh, my master is there." But there is no kṣatriya. The administration is under the śūdra side. How they can manage? So they must be trained. As in business, we give training. Similarly, those who are going to take up the responsibility of administration, they should be trained. And who will train them? The brāhmaṇas, the śāstra, sādhu-śāstra-guru. And those who are common men, they will simply work under their direction. This division is already there, simply the training is not there. Therefore, there is chaos.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 4.13.48 to SB 4.14.11 -- January 18, 1972, Jaipur:

Prabhupāda: Just like recently there was fight between two political parties, and represented by two big men, Viśvanātha Dās and Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahatattva. Both of them learned men, lawyers, but they are fighting like cats and dogs. So formerly therefore, there was no such thing as democracy. A king, there must be one king responsible. But he was guided by the ministers and learned brāhmaṇas, sages. There was a body to guide him, to train him. Therefore, the monarchical government was perfect. Now here is a story of Vena Maharaja. His father was very (indistinct) it is usual, very nice king. But his son, this Vena, born of a bad mother, he was not good. He was killing unnecessarily animal, even men, because he was prince. So he would play with his friends and if there is any fault on the part of his friends, he will at once kill. And because he was prince, son of the king, nobody could take any steps. So the king was very much perturbed within his mind how to train this boy to become future king. But he was not successful. He was not successful. Therefore, being too much depressed and disgusted, he left home. He left home, let the things take place as it is.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: When the destiny of the people are to be controlled, there must be very, very intelligent man. That is Vedic civilization. There is standard aims and objects on which the people should be trained up. That is varṇāśrama-dharma. Viṣṇur ārādhanam. Worshiping Viṣṇu. This is the ultimate aim. So the whole society is divided into brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa—departmental—and they are trained up. But the aim is viṣṇur ārādhanam. But they have no idea at the present moment. Viṣṇur ārādhanam, he has no knowledge. But the civilization begins on this point. Human being means he's meant for viṣṇur ārādhanam. Otherwise what is the difference between dogs and human beings?

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: No, democracy we don't approve.

Lord Brockway: We don't...?

Śyāmasundara: Approve.

Lord Brockway: Hm?

Śyāmasundara: Approve.

Lord Brockway: Of what?

Śyāmasundara: Democracy we don't approve.

Lord Brockway: Oh, I approve of it very, very strongly. Very strongly. It must be... It must be the basis of all, of all good.

Prabhupāda: No, basis... Now, suppose if a people in general, they are not advanced, by their votes, somebody is elected, he may not be also advanced. That is the defect of democracy. Mass of people, they are not advanced. So simply by their vote, if somebody is elected, then they will have to repent. Just like Nixon. He's elected, but these people are again decrying him, that "No, you are not good." So why do you, did you elect him? You elect, and again you reject. That is the defect of democracy. that people are not advanced. They can commit mistake, elect somebody wrong. And then they will lament. This is the defect. But monarchy, as it was approved by the Vedic culture, the monarchy, if the king is first-class, God conscious... A king should be like that. That is the ideal king. They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā: rājarṣi. The king should be just like saintly person, although he's king. Rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. And just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was rājarṣi. All the kings in those days, they were trained up in such a way that they were saintly persons, although they were the king. Not debauch. So one person, if he's authorized... Just like the communists, they are thinking of dictatorship. This is also another kind of dictatorship. But if the dictator, or the king, is a perfect man, then his dictatorship or royal power is quite... But that, that is not possible at the present moment. But at the present moment, the democracy is also not perfect. Because the mass of people, they have no perfect knowledge. By sentiment. So it may be they're electing a wrong person. That is the defect of democracy.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...it will be constituted, that. Their business will be to exploit the poor citizens. And they will be embarrassed and harassed so much: by one side, no sufficient rain, and therefore scarcity of food, and the other side, taxation by the government. In this way, the people will be so much harassed that they'll give up their home and go to the forest. Very piti... Unless they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they'll not be saved. The varṇāśrama college has to be established immediately. Everywhere, wherever we have got our center, a varṇāśrama college should be established to train four divisions: one class, brāhmaṇa; one class, kṣatriya; one class, vaiśya; and one class, śūdra. But everyone will be elevated to the spiritual platform by the spiritual activities which we have prescribed. There is no inconvenience, even for the śūdras. Ref. VedaBase Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vṛndāvana

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Bhagavān: The whole idea is that at the end of everyone's life, everyone is required to leave home, perform devotional activities, but not necessarily take sannyāsa.

Prabhupāda: Devotional activities, either he leaves from home or not leaves, that doesn't matter. It must continue from the very beginning. For the management of affairs, we require to divide. Because there are different classes of brain, so those who have very intellectual brain, they should become brāhmaṇas. Those who are fit for management and protection, they should be trained as kṣatriya. And those who are fit for producing food, taking care of the cows, they should be trained as vaiśya. And the balance, they're all śūdras. This is the division. You... Everywhere you'll find this division, natural. One class of men, very intelligent. One class of men, very strong, good brain for management, administration. (aside) Jaya. One class of men, fit for tilling the ground, field, and produce food, take care of the cows. And the balance, śūdra. That's all. So in our society, this division should be there.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Hṛdayānanda: Say, for example, someone was a, a kṣatriya by inclination, or a...?

Prabhupāda: No, inclination can be changed also. If one has got little ad... But we should take little advantage of the inclination. Not that... That is to be decided by the... Inclination or no inclination, we can... That will be done. That is not very difficult. This is a most important item. Because people have been spoiled all over the world by being misguided by the so-called leaders. Therefore varṇāśrama college is required. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Hṛdayānanda: But Prabhupāda, I'm still not quite clear. In other words, we'd teach, for example, like Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Eh?

Hṛdayānanda: How much would be expected of the students as far as...? Would they live with us and follow the four principles? Like that? Or just come for classes or...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Come to classes you won't get. Because nobody has got any taste for such thing. A boarding school or boarding college would...

Hṛdayānanda: Boarding school.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hṛdayānanda: And there should... Should there be any material subject matters taught like in gurukula?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like material subject matter, kṣatriya, or the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya, as they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, what are the symptoms of brāhmaṇa, what is the symptoms of kṣatriya. The kṣatriyas should be taught how to fight also. There will be military training. There will be training how to kill.

Hṛdayānanda: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And vaiśyas should be trained how to give protection to the cows, how to till the field and grow food. Practical.

Nitāi: Not business also?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Nitāi: The vaiśyas?

Prabhupāda: Business, this rascal business, no.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Governor -- April 20, 1975, Vrndavana:

Governor: No, all people... One or two could be taken out of many.

Prabhupāda: No, that I asked him. Actually the idea is in the society as it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. The guṇas are there. Just like naturally one is taking education just to become a politician, one is taking education how to become a high character saintly person. That natural inclination is already there, but that is not being properly harnessed. Therefore a regular educational institution should be there where proper training of brāhmaṇa, proper training of kṣatriya, vaiśya, must be given. These four divisions must remain there. And the, so far the brahminical culture, that must be there. Otherwise you cannot say that you become moralist. Where is the example of moralist? A section of person must be there, fully moralist. That ideal section is now lacking. Therefore, what I have written, that?

Brahmānanda: "As there are different sections of educational institutions, there must be one institution how to train up perfect brāhmaṇas with ideal characters as above mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. If there is a section of people of ideal character, say 5 percent, the other 95 percent, by seeing their example, will follow. In other words, a section of the society must be of ideal character. That is essential."

Prabhupāda: So therefore this varṇāśrama college is very essential.

Conversation with Governor -- April 20, 1975, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: I think the governor was asking about the varṇāśrama college.

Prabhupāda: Ah. Varnāśrama college, that training factual brāhmaṇa. And the government should be, as I explained to you, that if one is proclaiming himself as a brāhmaṇa, he must act as a brāhmaṇa. If one is proclaiming as a kṣatriya, he must act as a kṣatriya. Otherwise, there will be no restriction, and a śūdra will claim to be brāhmaṇa. That will create a disturbing situation. In Pṛthu Mahārāja's time it was strictly prohibited that... That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ. So if one is claiming to be brāhmaṇa he must be brāhmaṇa. That is another way of reforming the society. And nowadays everyone is a śūdra, and somebody is claiming, "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am this," "I am that." Formerly the brāhmaṇas (were) strictly following. They would not accept... In the śāstras it is said that the brāhmaṇa in bad time may become a kṣatriya. Just like Dronācārya. He was brāhmaṇa, but he became a kṣatriya for certain reason, and acting like kṣatriya, although he was respected as brāhmaṇa, but he was acting as a kṣatriya. So it is advised that brāhmaṇa may take the profession of a kṣatriya and up to the vaiśya. But if he takes the profession of a śūdra, then he is fallen. Then he is fallen. So this cultural institution should now be introduced. And the other countries, they are still respectful to the Indian culture. That's a fact. I have studied. So if we keep ourself in our, what he has mentioned, samsriti?

Morning Walk -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Otherwise the society was divided into four classes—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. The brāhmaṇas were first-class men, ideal. But in the society there is no ideal men. One should have some example, living example, to see "Oh, here is an ideal man." So the ideal man is described here in our Bhagavad-gītā. What is the ideal? Any man can be trained up. Not cent percent, but even one percent man becomes ideal, the ninety-nine percent will see and follow. But there is no ideal man. That is the defect. So just like we are training them as ideal man, by character, by religion, by behavior, by education. That is the purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And you can see practically what was their previous life and what they are now. So government should establish an institution to create ideal men. We can help. We can help.

Morning Walk -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So as you are training lawyer, as you are training medical man, you can train some men like that. It is possible. If you train from the childhood, it is possible. It doesn't matter from which family he is coming, but it will require, trained up. Just like you have been trained up as lawyer, it doesn't matter from which family you have... It may be lawyer's family or engineer's family. It doesn't matter. But training. So at the present moment, to make the society perfect, a class of men should be trained as it is described here. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And if the first-class men are there, people will consult them, people will follow them, the whole society will be nice.

Guest 2: What about soldiers?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest 2: Soldiers?

Prabhupāda: Soldiers, they should be also trained up. They are being trained up. Kṣatriyas. Just read the kṣatriya...

Amogha:

śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtir dākṣyaṁ

yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam

dānam īśvara-bhāvaś ca

kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam

[Bg. 18.43]

Translation: "Heroism power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and..."

Prabhupāda: Courage in battle.

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Determination, and yuddhe ca apalāyanam. Now when there is war, these politician will remain in their room safely. They will not go to the war. And why these people are voted for political post? Formerly the king would first of all stand. To the other side also, the king is there and this side also. The fight is going on. If the king is killed, then the victory is there. Yuddhe ca apalāyanam. The formula is there. So these classes of man should be on the administration, not anyone coward, nonsense, and by hook and crook they get some vote and take the political leader... How you will find peace? The fourth class is required. Just like in your body you have got brain, brain is required. Then hand. Whenever there is some attack, consciously, unconsciously, I forward my hand. So the division is already there. If you come to attack me with a knife, I don't push my head. I push my hand. So when there is attack, the brāhmaṇas are not expected to go forward; the kṣatriyas. So this is training. Everything is perfectly there. People are not accepting. You don't require conference. You simply accept the standard knowledge. Then everything is there. I am speaking to you because you are leader of the society. So if we take Bhagavad-gītā seriously and train people from all over the world —not that Bhagavad-gītā is meant for the Hindu or for the Indians—for everyone, then there will be all right.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Therefore if the leaders become nice, Kṛṣṇa conscious, then everything will be all right. [break] These rogues, by force, by device, they all occupy the government post. Formerly, Vedic, the king was trained up very nicely by the brāhmaṇas, guided by the brāhmaṇas, and they would do nicely. [break] ...now thousands of kings. The president, the secretary, the minister, this senator, everyone is king. Because everyone is in the business of exploitation. That's all. Formerly there was one king. Now, in the name of democracy, there are thousands of kings. And the poor citizens, they have to satisfy all of them.

Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda:Similarly, kṣatriyas are meant for sometimes killing. Just like Arjuna, he's a kṣatriya. So Kṛṣṇa is criticizing him that "You are a kṣatriya. You have learned how to kill, and now you are hesitating? What is the nonsense?" So kṣatriyas are taught. So they have to rule over. So if required, the demons and the culprit, should immediately cut off his head, duty of the government. So all of a sudden you cannot do that. Just like in your country a young man, he has never learned how to kill and he is drawn in the draft board, "Come on. Go and kill." What he will do? He will hesitate. This is not perfect system. If you want a kṣatriya, you must train them. You must train a class of men as brāhmaṇas. You must train a class of men as kṣatriya and a class of men as agriculturist and cow protection, and balance are workers. That is cātur-varṇyam: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. But the kṣatriya or the president or the secretary, they are sitting very comfortably at our home and some poor young men—"Come on. Go and fight." What is this? What they will fight? They will die there, that's all. If he does not know how to fight, that energy is lacking, what he will do there?

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Yuddhe cāpalāyanam. A kṣatriya should be so trained up, when there is fight, he must come out, forward. Not that he will sit down in his secluded place and poor man will fight. No. He should come forward as leader, "Come on." That is kṣatriya quality, yuddhe cāpalāyanam. Formerly there was fight, but the leaders, they would come face to face first of all. And if the leader, one of the leader is killed-yuddha means one party must be vanquished, fight—then the war is finished. The main person, chief person is now killed, so there is no more war. So yuddhe cāpalāyanam. Those who are taking part in administration, in politics, they must be of this quality, very chivalrous, brave. They have to learn all these quality.

Morning Walk -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Harikeśa: How in the beginning... Let's say you have a king...

Prabhupāda: Beginning Kṛṣṇa.

Harikeśa: No, no. Let's say you have a king, and he is deciding this person is worthy of...

Prabhupāda: No, no, beginning, Kṛṣṇa. Why don't you read Bhagavad-gītā? You do not know?

Harikeśa: No, no. Yes.

Prabhupāda: What is the social arrangement? What is that?

Harikeśa: That Kṛṣṇa created the four orders.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So you make that four orders, and then society will be in order. But you are not taking Kṛṣṇa's advice. You are manufacturing your hellish ideas.

Harikeśa: No, I was just wondering how one would be able to see who was acting in a certain way unless they were first engaged in something. They have to be doing some activity...

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Harikeśa: ...so you can see what kind of quality they have.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Take "everyone is rascal," then train them. That is wanted. Take everyone as rascal. There is no question that "Here is intelligent man, here is rascal, here is the..." No. First of all take them all rascals, and then train them. That is wanted. That is wanted now. At the present moment the whole world is full of rascals. Now, if they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, select amongst them. Just like I am training. You are brāhmaṇa by training. So one who is prepared to be trained as brāhmaṇa, classify him in the brāhmaṇa. One is trained up as kṣatriya, classify him. In this way, cātur-varṇyaṁ māyā sṛṣ...

Harikeśa: And that kṣatriya would engage everyone basically as śūdra and then pick from them.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Harikeśa: He would initially pick...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. You pick up... You take the whole mass of people as śūdra. Then...

Harikeśa: Pick out.

Prabhupāda: Pick out. And rest, who is neither brāhmaṇa nor kṣatriya nor vaiśya, then he is śūdra. That's all, very easy thing. If he cannot be trained up as engineer, then he remains as a common man. There is no force. This is the way of organizing society. There is no force. Śūdra is also required.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Prabhupada Inspects New BTG -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: "You require brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. Just as when you want to construct a building you require engineers. You don't want sweepers. Isn't that so? What will the sweeper do? No. There must be engineers. So if you follow the division of varṇāśrama, only kṣatriyas are allowed to govern. And for the legislative assembly, the senators, only qualified brāhmaṇas. Now the butcher is in the legislative assembly. What does he know about making laws? He is a butcher. But by winning votes he becomes a senator. At the present moment, by the principle of vox populi, a butcher goes to the legislature. So everything depends on training. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society we are actually doing that. But in the case of politics they forget it. There cannot be just one class. That is foolishness. Because we have to engage different classes of men in different activities. If we do not know the art then we will fail, because unless there is a division of work there will be havoc. We have discussed all the responsibilities of the king in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The different classes in society should cooperate exactly as the different parts of the body do. Although each part is meant for a different purpose, they all work for one cause, to maintain the body properly."

Garden Discussion on BG Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: They were happy. Otherwise they could not fight. They are not Vietnam soldiers, when they are attacked they are going away. They are not like that. They are determined that "I'll either lay down life or gain victory." That is their... They were not afraid of fighting. Do you think they were afraid of fighting? That is real kṣatriya. Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. That is real kṣatriya training.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: One must be qualified. And how one is qualified? That is also described. Satya śamo damo titikṣva ārjava jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. So there must be education. It is not that to abolish the caste system which is contaminated by false conception, or birth right conception. This wrong caste system should be abolished and training centers should be opened how to train a person to become brāhmaṇa or to become kṣatriya. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. So you cannot avoid it, but because you have misconceived the caste system, that should be abolished, and the system recommended by Kṛṣṇa, that should be taken.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually it is the way. That, I have already described it. It is not a sectarianism like Muslimism, Christianism or "Thisism..." Hinduism also now one of them. Actually, it is a way of life, varṇāśrama-dharma, how to become elevated to the spiritual platform. So that begins by the varṇāśrama-dharma, to select persons according to his capacity to different varṇas. Some of them selected, trained as brāhmaṇas. Some of them trained as kṣatriya, some of them as vaiśya, some of them as, remain... Those who cannot take any training, they are śūdras. So in the ways (indistinct) there must be social division not by birth, but by education. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. That we have lost. The so-called Hinduism they have lost. And because they did not follow real varṇāśrama-dharma, therefore India, so many renegades, Muslim became... Once they become Muslim, there was no reformation. But according to Vedic principle, even one is fallen, he can be raised to the highest standard.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Hinduism has been defined as a way of life. In...

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is the way of life, that by reformatory process recommended in the śāstras one should be elevated to the position of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyas, and śūdra. Śudra means one who cannot take any reformation. But one who can take up the reformation, he can be situated as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a vaiśya. This is not by birth, but by education, by training. That is recommended for the all human society. Not for the Hindus or... Otherwise, why Kṛṣṇa says pāpa-yoni? Pāpa-yoni. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās. They are also taken as pāpa-yoni. And what to speak of the śūdras and caṇḍālas? They must be pāpa-yoni. Only the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, they are taken as highly elevated. But nowadays, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this age you cannot distinguish who is brāhmaṇa, who is kṣatriya, who is a vaiśya, who is a śūdra. It is accepted that everyone is a śūdra because there is no reformation.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda:This is Vedic civilization. Eight divisions, varṇa and āśrama. And if you simply produce śūdras, working class, then you cannot have any happiness. That is not possible. And nowadays democratic, if you send some śūdras to act as kṣatriyas, they cannot do it. You have got practical experience. In Vietnam, what happened?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The American soldiers, they were simply taking intoxication, hunting after prostitutes and running from the enemy.

Prabhupāda: And when they were attacked, they were running away. Because they are śūdras. How they can fight? They are not trained up as kṣatriyas. Huh? Anyone who is unemployed, let him become a soldier, but he cannot fight. That is not possible. Neither this class of men can have good brain to give direction to the society. The democracy means anyone can go to the government, and because he's not kṣatriya, his only business is how to get money so long he's on the post. Just like you did not like your President, Mr. Nixon. So that is the risk. If you keep the society in chaotic condition, any department, intellectual, administration, production, they'll be all topsy turvey, and there cannot be any peace in the world. So this Vedic scheme, varṇāśrama, is a very important scheme. If possible it should be introduced and taken up very seriously. That is one of the items of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to reestablish the institution of varṇa and āśrama. Not by birth, but by qualification. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. Guṇa-karma, by quality. In India, the varṇāśrama is there, but it is not organized because the government does not take care. The government is imitating Western way of life, "There is no need of brāhmaṇa, there is no need of kṣatriya, simply śūdras." Everywhere this is the position, the śūdra population, kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ. In this age everyone is a śūdra. So it doesn't matter, everyone is born śūdra, but he should be trained up. Just like in our practical life we see that everyone is not born a scientist or engineer or lawyer. Everyone is born innocent, child, then he's trained up by the guardians. Similarly, there should be a training how to become brāhmaṇa, how to become kṣatriya, how to become vaiśya. And the government should see that everyone, as he is trained up, he is working according to his quality and occupational duty. Then there will be complete peace and harmony. That human society is perfect.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: She asked, "Is it more favorable for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness if there is some material problems, social problems? If there is a lack of God consciousness, then people become frustrated. Is that a more favorable situation for Kṛṣṇa consciousness to take root?"

Prabhupāda: Yes, if we arrange social, political and everything favorable for spiritual understanding, then it becomes easier.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda is saying the opposite than what you hypothesized. In other words, if everything is arranged socially, politically, everything, in a God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious manner, then it is easier to accept the principles of God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Just like... These are all discussed in the Bhagavad-gītā, what kind of social arrangement should be. That... It is called varṇāśrama-dharma. A brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha—these are different groups, and if they are favorably trained up then spiritual understanding becomes very easy.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Because we have no, that cātur-varṇa system. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. You have given up Kṛṣṇa's instruction, now you have to suffer. You do not train brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So anyone who is in power, he is good. That is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means anyone gets vote, he's in power. They can misuse the power. There is no kṣatriya.

Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Ah, vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So where is rājarṣi? That is the difficulty. Where is that brāhmaṇa, where is that kṣatriya, where is that system? Now anyone can capture the political power by hook and crook, that is another thing. But it is meant for the rājarṣi, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Where is their training? The politician, where he is trained up as ṛṣi? There is no such service.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So birth is not the final thing. If one is born in a brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family, he has got the facility to become quickly a brāhmaṇa; but if he has no quality, if he does not practice, then he is not to be accepted as brāhmaṇa. You may be a son of a high-court judge, but unless you have got the quality of high-court judge, it is not that because you are born of high-court judge you become a high-court judge. That is not, that is not the quality. The quality is... So therefore I say that there must be educational institution for training brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya especially. And vaiśyas, they do not require any academical area. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.44]. They can learn simply by associating with another vaiśya. But brāhmaṇa, especially require education, Vedic literature. Paṭhana-pāṭhana-yajana-yājana-dāna-pratigrahaḥ. Kṣatriya also requires education. Others, they may not require education. Practical training. These things should be introduced. Then human society will be perfect. Not by birth, but by quality, by education, by training. But that is possible.

Morning Walk Excerpt -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda:It is the duty of the government men to see that people may not misrepresent. That is the Vedic injunction. Pṛthu Mahārāja was to see that a brāhmaṇa is doing, acting like brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya is doing like kṣatriya. So it is government's duty to see that Bālajī's money, Kṛṣṇa's money, is to the farthing spent for His mission. That is your duty. That is government's duty, that nothing is misused, nothing is misrepresented. But we know how to execute the mission of Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can know because direction is there. It is not a secret thing. It is open secret. But you have to act upon it. That requires training. And so far my experience goes, the whole world will take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unfortunately, I am struggling single-handed. And they are criticizing me in the Parliament. You have seen the recent article Blitz against me? What is that heading? "Ungodly face." I am doing ungodly? But they are advertising like that. Trying to make me unpopular. The Māyāvādīs, they say that Bhaktivedanta Swami is ruining Hinduism. They are saying like that. (Hindi) So I am being criticized in Parliament, I am criticized by the so-called jagad-gurus who have never seen what is jagat. And so on, so on.

Room Conversation -- September 17, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda:Where this class of literature is now. Yathā sūtyām, in the maternity home or maternity room, Sūtyām. Abhijāta-kovidāḥ. The astrologers who can estimate the newly born child's destiny. Whatever they predicted, according to them, yathā hi sūtyām abhijāta-kovidāḥ samādiśan. They said that "This child will be like this"—exactly he became. Parīkṣid dvija-varya-śikṣayā, and being trained up by first-class brāhmaṇas, and the child came perfectly the king. Where is that king?

Hari-śauri: There're no kings.

Prabhupāda: Where is that President? They're all drunkards, woman-hunters, meat-eaters. Exactly according to prediction, he became a young man and he was entrusted the kingdom, "Now you rule."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: In Vedic culture, kings like Parīkṣit Mahārāja were trained when they were very young.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: So it seems...

Prabhupāda: They were trained by the first-class brāhmaṇas, saintly persons. They abided by their order. There was committee, advisory committee. Even at the time of his death, he's asking advice from the saintly..., "What is my duty?" That is king. He's not doing anything whimsically. And the first-class man should be first-class. Then second-class man, executive, kṣatriyas, they will force: "You must do it!" And then the third class, they should produce and carry out the order of the second class, king. And fourth class, they cannot do anything. Let them serve everyone, that's all, śūdras. They have no intelligence. But everyone is important, cooperatively. This is society. You require also legs; you require also heads. Simply heads will not help you. Head will give instruction, "Leg, please walk in this way." That's all, legs will move. He carries me. "Hands, give me protection." Immediately, "Yes!" A bad somebody(?) "Come on." Yes. Coming. "Belly, you produce food, sufficient, so that the legs, hands and brain, everyone will be provided with sufficient..." This way. This is society. All third-class, fourth-class men, simply going to the factory, and they are making laws. This is... What is called? Chaos. Chaotic society, no brain.

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:'

Satsvarūpa: But at least if there is extreme exploitation by a king or dictator it can't be changed. But the people...

Prabhupāda: There cannot be exploitation if things are made in order. Just like kṣatriya should be trained up as kṣatriya. Then he is king. Not that a bhangi by vote becomes a king. This is education.

śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtir dākṣyaṁ

yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam

dānam īśvara-bhāvaś ca

kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam

[Bg. 18.43]

He must be very powerful, very strong, strongly built. You have seen the picture, Rāmacandra? Sturdy body. You see. Lakṣmaṇa. Because kṣatriya. They should be trained up as kṣatriya. Therefore the varṇāśrama college is required to train people who is able to become a brāhmaṇa, who is able to become a kṣatriya, who is able to become... In this way division must be. And according to the quality and work there must be division for cooperation. There is a big scheme. They have lost. They do not know. All bhangis, camara, śūdras, they are simply given vote. That's all. Where is the training?

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now so many charges are coming against her. (pause) Hm? She and her son are the destiny of India? A woman and a debauch? They can do whatever they like. It's a farce condition. That so-called democracy is nonsense demoncracy. And by this demoncracy, it can be done. A demon may be, if he can simply secure votes. What is the position? Without any training Formerly the destiny was by rājarṣi. Royal power, but ṛṣi, saintly person. See the character of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Parīkṣit, Ambarīṣa.

Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa condemned it, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam: "You are trying to become nonviolent." And Gandhi became more than Kṛṣṇa, nonviolent. What is this nonsense? Kṛṣṇa chastised Arjuna, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam, anārya-juṣṭam: "These things are spoken by the anāryas, not by the Aryans."

Mr. Dwivedi: No, He advised, quite right, hato vā prāpsyasi svargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm, tasmāt...

Prabhupāda: No, no, in politics, when you deal in politics there is no question... Kṣatriya therefore. These things should be trained up. Some of them should be trained up as brāhmaṇa. Some of them should be trained up as kṣatriya, some of them as vaiśya. They are required. So these things we want to organize. We can give you instruction. We can give you help. Now you have to do it, the leading... But it will be done. If you follow our instruction, it will be done. So the buildings are there. There is no...

Gurukula Inspection -- June 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Their comforts first. They have done very nice. (Hindi conversation) ...university, but producing hippies. (Hindi) Library in your... It is all nonsense. Who is going to read the books, big, big library? It is simply waste of time. Train them how to become self-controlled, how to become God conscious, how to become humble, obedient. This is required. And so-called education and last result is to become a hippie, what is the use? Simply waste of time. Education is meant for the first-class men. A kṛṣana does not require education. He should see how to plow, and he'll learn. This mistri does not require any... He should work with other mistri, and he'll learn. Architecture, this, that, so many... Why? Why waste your time? This nice building has been constructed by these laborers. They have got training by seeing, by practice. They did not require university education. Of course, guide is there. Of course... So these big, big universities, allowing everyone to come and join school, college—simply wasting time and unemployment. Unemployment. This is not required. Only brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, those who are being trained up as brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya, they should be given book education. Otherwise practical. You see how the things are being done. Bas. A weaver, he sees "Kat, kat, kat." He's got it. Does it require M.A., Ph.D.? Simply waste of time. And that is going on. I don't want that, for "Kat, kat, kat," M.A., Ph D. (Bengali) "To kill a mosquito, bring a gun." (laughter) Nonsense education. I don't like that education. All right.

Room Conversation about Mayapura Attack Talk with Vrindavan De -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Regarding that land, if they want to give it, they'll give it. It's not that somebody's going to come, like Mr. Arora, and by his coming suddenly they're going to give us the land. It's a big political matter. It's not friendship. We just have to become very much prepared now for such occurrences. Those gurukula boys, as they grow up, they should be trained to protect Māyāpura.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say kṣatriya. Some of our men should be trained as kṣatriya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is required.

Prabhupāda: Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg. 4.13]. There must be division—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—not that all one class. That is all wrong.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some people are inclined in that way. Guṇa-karma.