Vaiṣṇava by naturally, by nature, is not violent. But if it requires, if Kṛṣṇa directs that "You must fight," they fight. That is Vaiṣṇava. When Arjuna declined to fight, and then Kṛṣṇa had to instruct him about the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā just to induce him to fight. And at last, Arjuna was asked by Kṛṣṇa, "Now what is your decision? I have told you everything. What do you decide? Whatever you decide, now you do. I have finished My instruction." He said, "Yes, I shall fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava, naṣṭo mohaḥ (BG 18.73). "I was illusioned. Now it is my duty. Because You are ordering and I have heard You very patiently, so it is my duty to fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. This very word is there. "I shall act as You advise." This is the result of studying Bhagavad-gītā. You read Bhagavad-gītā, and when you agree to act by the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then your Bhagavad-gītā reading is success. Otherwise, if you act differently, then you may read Bhagavad-gītā for many thousands of years, there is no benefit.
So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that aśocyān anvaśocan. In the beginning Arjuna was arguing with Kṛṣṇa to support his decision that he would not fight. But he could not convince Kṛṣṇa very nicely. That he understood, that "Although I am speaking so many things, Kṛṣṇa is not changing. He is fixed up." Then he surrendered himself: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are now talking as friends. No, we shall talk now as master and disciple. You. . . I accept You as my master." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). He accepted Him as the master, and he became disciple to understand Bhagavad-gītā. This is the way. If you have got your own opinion, you will never understand Bhagavad-gītā. You have to take lessons from the master. Although the book is there. . . For example, I can give you: Suppose if you want to be a medical man, the books are available in the market. You can purchase and read and become a doctor. Is it possible? Is it possible that simply by reading books, purchasing from the market, I become a medical man? No. That is not possible. You have to learn it from a person who is a medical man. Then you will. You go to the medical college and learn the medical science from the practical medical man, and then you examine. . . put yourself in examination. When you pass. . . This is the way.
So any śāstra, any book, even in the material world, it is not possible to read oneself and understand the real fact. That is not possible. Therefore Vedic injunction is that if you want to learn that spiritual science, tad-vijñāna. . . Tat. Tat-vijñāna means spiritual science. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the instruction. If you want to learn that spiritual science, then you must approach a bona fide guru. Gurum evābhigacchet. There are many śāstric injunction like that. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). And who requires a guru? Guru is not a fashion. It is necessary. How it is necessary? Now, anyone who is inquisitive to understand the spiritual science, for him it is necessary. Jijñāsuḥ sreya uttamam. Even if you want to become an ordinary electrician, still, you require a teacher. And what to speak of spiritual science? So that is necessary. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet.