So Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired from Sūta Gosvāmī . . . Śukadeva Gosvāmī, how the people in general, rotting in hellish life, could be saved. This is the desire of a Vaiṣṇava. Others, they do not care whether one is suffering or enjoying. But a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he always thinks of the fallen condition of general people. Just like in Christian philosophy they believe that Lord Jesus Christ suffered to be crucified by assimilating all the sinful activities of the people. Yes. A devotee of Lord thinks like that.
Similar devotee was Vāsudeva Datta, Lord Caitanya's . . . he requested the Lord that, "You have come. Kindly deliver all these people now present on this earth, and take them to Vaikuṇṭha. And if You think that they are so sinful that they cannot be delivered, then please transfer all their sins unto me. I shall suffer. You take them." This is Vaiṣṇava, "So for all their sins I shall suffer. You take them."
This philosophy is also expressed in Bible, Lord Jesus Christ, that he agreed to suffer himself for the sins of the all people. But that does not mean that Jesus Christ or Vāsudeva Datta should make a contract for ourself, and we shall go on committing sins. This is most heinous proposal. A Vaiṣṇava and a devotee suffers for the whole humanity, human race.
But that does not mean that human race or the particular follower should take advantage of this facility and go on committing sins. That is not a good proposal. They should take rather seriously that, "Lord Jesus Christ or Vāsudeva Datta who has suffered for us so much, we shall stop committing sins now." That is sane proposal. Otherwise, if I think, "Well, there is Vāsudeva Datta and Lord Jesus Christ. He will suffer for us and let us go on merry-making. That's all . . ." A most heinous life.
Anyway, everyone is responsible for his sinful activities. That's a fact. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that tasmāt, "Therefore," puraiva āśu iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau, "so long you are in this body, in order to get yourself free from all the reaction of sinful activities, you should atone." Yateta mṛtyor avipadyata . . . avipadyatātmanā, doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit (SB 6.1.8). According to the sinful activity, one should accept the prescription and program of atonement exactly like a . . . a physician prescribes different type of medicines according to the gravity of the disease.
The other day I was explaining, just like the state law is that if you commit a murder, if you kill your fellow man, then you have to atone that sinful activity by being killed, by offering your life. That's a fact. Everyone knows it. You cannot escape. If you have killed one man . . . of course, not man; if you kill even an ant, you are responsible for that, what to speak of man.
Because that distinction is imperfect, because this is man-made law. Man-made law, they're taking consideration of the man being killed. Another, the killer, must be killed. Why not an animal? The animal also a living entity. The man is also living entity. So if you have law that if a man kills one man he must be killed, why not if a man kills an animal he should be killed also? What is the reason?
This is man-made law, defective. But there cannot be defect in God-made laws. God-made laws, if you kill an animal, you are equally punishable as you kill a man. That is God's law. There is no excuse that he . . . when you kill a man you are punishable, but when you kill an animal you are not punishable.
This is concoction. This is not perfect law. Perfect law . . . therefore Lord Jesus Christ prescribes in the Ten Commandments, "Thou shall not kill." That is perfect. Not that you shall discriminate that, "I shall not kill man, but I shall kill animals." This is cheating one's self. The God laws will not excuse.