SB 1.17.10-11 (1965)

SB (1965) Seventeenth Chapter - Punishment And Reward of Kali

SB 1.17.9 (1965) - SB 1.17.12 (1965)

Compare Versions: SB 1965 with SB 1972-77

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXTS No.'s 10 & 11

Yasya rastre prajah sarvas trasyante saddhi asadhubhih Tasya mattasya nasyanti kirtir ayur bhago gatih.

Esha ranjno paro dharmo hi artanamarti nigrahah Ata enam badhisyami bhutadruha asattamam.

ENGLISH SYNONYMS

Yasya—one whose, Rastre—in the state, Prajah—born living beings, Sarvas—one and all, Trasyanti—are terrified, Saddhi—oh the chaste, Asadhubhih—by the miscreants, Tasya—his, Mattasya—of the illusioned, Nasyanti—vanishes, Kirtir—fame, Ayur—duration of life, Gatih—next good life, Esha—these are, Rajno—of the kings; Paro—superior, Dharmo—occupation, Hi—certainly, Artanam—of the sufferers, Arti—sufferings, Nigraha—subduement, Atah—therefore, Enam—this man, Badhisyami—I shall kill, Bhutadruha—revolter against other living beings, Asattamah—the most wretched.

TRANSLATION

Oh the chaste, the king, in whose state all kinds of born living beings are made to be terrified by the miscreants, such illusioned king's good name, duration of life, next good life all do vanish away. It is the prime duty of the king certainly to subdue first the sufferings of the sufferers and as such I must kill this man who is the most wretched because he is revolter against other living beings.

PURPORT

When there is some disturbance by the wild animals in a village or town the Government policeforce or others do take action to kill such wild animals. Similary it is the duty of the Government to kill at once bad social elements such as the thieves, dacoits, murderers ete. The same punishment is also due to the animal killers because the animals of the state are also the Praja. Praja means one who has taken birth in that state and they are both the men and the animals. Any born living being who does take birth in some particular state, has the primary right to live under the protection of the king. The jungle animals also are subject of the king and they have right to live also and what to speak of the domestic animals like the cow and the bulls.

Any living being, if he terrifies other living being, is the most wretched subject of the king and it requires that the king shall at once kill such disturbing element. As the wild animal is killed when it creates disturbances and terrifies the village and towns people, similarly any man who unnecessarily kills or terrifies the jungle animals or other animals must be punished at once. By the law of the Supreme Lord all living beings in whatsoever shape it may be, are the sons of the Lord and no one has any right to kill another animal unless it is so ordered by the codes of natural law. The tiger can kill a lower animal for his subsistence but a man cannot kill an animal for his subsistence. That is the law of God Who has created the law that a living being subsists by eating another living being. As such the vegetarians are also living by eating other living being. Therefore, the law is that one should live only by eating specific living beings as they are ordained by the law of God. The 'Ishopanishad' directs that one can live on the direction of the Lord and not at one's sweet will independantly. A man can subsist on varieties of grains, fruits and milk ordained by God and there is no need of animal food save and except in particular cases.

The illusioned king or the executive head, even sometimes advertised as great philosopher and learned scholar, allow to run on slaughter houses in the state without any information that torturing the poor animals under the nose of a state executive head means clearing the way to hell for such foolish king or executive head. The executive head always must be alert in the matter of safety of the Prajas both man and animal and enquire whether a particular living being is not harassed at any place by another living being. The harassing living being must at once be caught hold of and punished to death as examplified by Maharaj Parikshit.

The people's Government or Government by the people does not mean harassing the innocent animals by the sweet will of such foolish men of the Government. They must know the codes of God as they are mentioned in the revealed scriptures. Maharaj Parikshit quotes here in the codes of God that such irresponsible kings or heads of the state executive must risk his good name, duration of life, power and strength and ultimately his progressive march towards a better life or salvation after death. Such foolish men even do not believe in the existence of next life.

While commenting on this particular verse we have in our presence the statement of a great modern politician who has recently died and left his will which discloses about his poor fund of knowledge in the matter of the codes of God as mentioned by Maharaj Parikshit. The politician was so ignorant about the codes of God that he writes in his will as follows:-

"I do not believe in any such ceremonies and to submit to them, even as a matter of form would be hypocrisy and an attempt to delude ourselves and others" .... " I have no religious sentiment in the matter"

Contrasting these statements of a great politician in the modern age with that of Maharaj Parikhit we find a vast difference of the general situation. Maharaj Pariskhit was pious to the point with reference to the context of scriptural codes while the modern politician goes by his personal belief and sentiments. Any great man of the material world is after all a conditioned soul. He is bound up by his hand and feet by the ropes of material nature and still the foolish conditioned soul thinks of himself as free to act by his whimsical sentiments. The conclusion is that the people in the time of Maharaj Parikshit were happy and the animals were given proper protection, because the executive head was not whimsical with poor fund of knowledge in the matter God's law. The foolish faithless creatures try to avoid the existence of the Lord for profaning themselves as secular more freely at the cost of valuable human life. The human life is specially meant for knowing the Science of God but the foolish creatures specially in this age of Kali instead of knowing God scientifically they make propaganda against religious belief as well as the existence of God even though they are always bound by the laws of God by the symptoms of birth, death, old age and diseases.

(Compare SB 1.17.10-11 Current Edition)

SB 1.17.9 (1965) - SB 1.17.12 (1965)