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This one example will stop millions of thieves not to commit stealing. Simply by cutting. Even a hundred years ago this system was prevalent in Kashmir. If a thief is arrested & if he's proved that he has stolen, immediately king will cut off his 2 hands

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"This one example will stop millions of thieves not to commit stealing. Simply by cutting. Even a hundred years ago this system was prevalent in Kashmir. If a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, immediately king will cut off his two hands"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

The śastra-pāṇiḥ means always with sword in the hand for the benefit of the prajas. He should be so strong. "Oh, you are a thief? You have stolen?" Immediately cut his hand, bās. This one example will stop millions of thieves not to commit stealing. Simply by cutting. Even a hundred years ago this system was prevalent in Kashmir. If a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, immediately king will cut off his two hands. Bās, finished.

Everything is there, formula. If we follow the regulative principles, the injunction of the ācāryas or the śāstra, then we get success. Otherwise, we may simply labor unnecessarily, wasting time. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23). That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who does not follow the regulative principle mentioned in the śāstras, śāstra-vidhi—vidhi means regulative principle—yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, and lives whimsically, as he, whatever he likes . . . and that is sanctioned by some rascal svāmī, that, "Oh, yes, you can do whatever you like." Yato mata tato patha. "You can manufacture your way of religious principle." These things are going on. But actually that will not help us. Śāstra-vidhi, śāstra-vidhi, that must be observed. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti. If one violates the regulative principle mentioned in the śāstra, he'll never get success. Na siddhim sa avāpnoti na sukham, neither happiness. Na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim: Then what to speak of going back to home, back to . . .? He'll rot in this material world. So śāstra-vidhim is required.

So here is one śāstra-vidhim from Parāśara-smṛti. Parāśara was the father of Vyāsadeva. He has got his regulative principles. They're also realized souls on Vedic principle. They wrote so many books. In this Parāśara-smṛti it is said, kṣatriyo hi prajā rakṣan śastra . . . śastra-pāṇiḥ pradaṇḍayan. Śastra-pāṇi. The śastra-pāṇiḥ means always with sword in the hand for the benefit of the prajas. He should be so strong. "Oh, you are a thief? You have stolen?" Immediately cut his hand, bās. This one example will stop millions of thieves not to commit stealing. Simply by cutting. Even a hundred years ago this system was prevalent in Kashmir. If a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, immediately king will cut off his two hands. Bās, finished. No court witness. And it will go for ten years to find out whether he has stolen. This is government.

Therefore the injunction is, kṣatriya hi prajā rakṣan śastra-pāṇiḥ pradaṇḍayan. Always must be with stick. Nirjitya para-sainyādi dharmeṇa pālayet. This is dharma. In the Manu-smṛti it is said that if a man, a murderer, one man has killed another man . . . why man? Even animal, he's a murderer. Now murdering is no offense. They are killing daily so many babies within the womb, murderers. That has become a custom. They're killing hundreds and thousands of animals daily in the slaughterhouse. It has become a custom. So now even human being, murder, he's not condemned to death. Is it not?

Haṁsadūta: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is means everyone is sinful. Everyone is sinful. The government is sinful, the people are sinful. Then how you can become happy? It is a fool's paradise, sinful paradise. How you can be happy? Therefore despite all sorts of education, scientific improvement, brainwash and so many things, people are unhappy. Diseased, unhappy, dissatisfaction, confusion, this is going on. Because everything is not properly done. The government is not strict.

So in the Manu-smṛti . . . as I am quoting from Parāśara-smṛti, there are smṛti-śāstras. The Manu-smṛti, it is said that if a man commits murder, then he should be killed. Otherwise, he'll suffer in the next life. So many sufferings. So the king's order to condemn a murderer to death is a mercy, is a mercy for him, because he's saved from future so many troubles. The king should be so strict. Not that by compassion: "No. He's murderer. That's all right. He has killed one man. Why he should be killed?" No. He must be killed. This is the law. Here it is also found, Parāśara-smṛti, it is said that kṣatriya should be always śastra-pāṇi, and must strictly, as soon as there is any discrepancies, he must take.

Formerly, the judgment was given by the king. Every day, king would sit, just like we are sitting. So if there is . . . formerly, there was no criminal, practically. If there was any criminal, if . . . it was very difficult to find out a criminal. Because these four things were forbidden. What is that? No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. So if one follows these four principles, naturally he is sinless automatically. And if the whole population is sinless, then where is the possibility of judging or bringing the criminal?

When Kali was awarded four places . . . he was first of all ordered by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. As soon as he saw that this black man is going to kill one cow, "Oh, who are you in my kingdom? You are trying to kill a cow?" He took his sword, "I shall kill you," immediately. So he fell down: "Sir, I am also your subject, and this is my business, killing. So what can I do? I must have some means of livelihood." Just like this butcher; his means of livelihood is to kill animal. So if the animal slaughterhouse is closed, then there will be so much unemployment. The butcher must have chance of killing. So that is not law, "Oh, butcher must have also employment." No. "Therefore slaughterhouse must be maintained." Not that.

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that, "You cannot live in my kingdom. I cannot provide you with any employment. You must go out." So at that time, Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world, whole planet. So he said: "Sir, where shall I go out? The whole planet is your kingdom. Where shall I go out of your kingdom? Where is that place?" So Parīkṣit Mahārāja considered that. So, "All right, then you can remain in these four places." Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38): "Where illicit sex life, brothel, prostitute's house, you can remain there." Striyaḥ sūnā, slaughterhouse. "Or unnecessarily where animals are killed, you can remain there." Striyaḥ sūnā pānam. "And intoxication.

Where liquor house, you can remain there. And where there is gambling, you can remain there." So he could not find out a place where to remain. That means in those days these things were so much conspicuous by absence that is was difficult for the Kali to find out a place like that. But with the advancement of Kali, now Kali can find out his place anywhere, at any home, any place. These things are going on. This is the position.

Page Title:This one example will stop millions of thieves not to commit stealing. Simply by cutting. Even a hundred years ago this system was prevalent in Kashmir. If a thief is arrested & if he's proved that he has stolen, immediately king will cut off his 2 hands
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-12-08, 07:50:52
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1