SB 1.8.51 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 51
Strinam mad hatabandhunam droho ya asou iha uttithah Karmabhi grihamedhiair na aham kalpo byapahitam.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Strinam—of the woman, Mad—by me, Hatabandhunam—of the friends who are killed, Droho—enmity, Ya—that, Asou—all those, Iha—here with, Uttitham—has accrued, Karmabhi—by dint of work, Grihamedhiair—by the persons engaged in the matter of material welfare, Na—never, Aham—I, Kalpo—can expect, Byapohitum—undoing the same.
TRANSLATION
I have killed many friends of the women folk and thereof I have caused enmity to the highest peak which is not possible to be undone by such welfare work as are done by the material welfare workers.
PURPORT
The Grihamedhis are those whose only business is to perform welfare work for the sake of material prosperity. Such material prosperity is sometimes hampered by sinful activities and the materialist is sure to commit sins, even unintentionally, in course of discharging material duties. To get relief from such sinful reactions, the Vedas prescribe several kinds of sacrifices to counteract the sinful acts. It is said in the Vedas that by performing Aswamedha (Horse sacrifice) Yajna one can get relief from even Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin).
Yudhisthir Maharaj performed this Aswamedha Yajna but he thinks even performing such Yajnas it is not possible to get relief from the great sins committed by him in the matter of killing the friends and relatives of the innocent women folk. In the war either the husband, or the brother or even the father or sons of the women folk go to fight. And when they are killed a fresh enmity is created with them and thus the chain of actions and reactions increase which is not possible to be counteracted even by thousands of Aswamedha Yajnas.
The way of work (Karma) is like that. It creates one action and another reaction simultaneously and thus increases the chain of material activities binding the performer in the material bondage. In the Bhagwat Geeta (B.G. 9/27-28) the remedy is suggested that such actions and reactions of the path of work can be checked up only when such work is done on behalf of the Supreme Lord. The battle of Kurukshetra was actually fought on the Will of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna as it is evident from His version and by His will only Yudhisthir was replaced on the throne of Hasthinapur. Therefore, factually no sin whatsoever touched the Pandavas who were only the order carrier of the Lord. For others who declare war on personal interest, the whole responsibility lies on them.