2011-03-05Srimad Bhagavatam 09.15.11-15 - A Religious Government Facilitates Practice Of Krishna Consciousness (download mp3)
by Govinda Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.net
SB 9.15.11
prasaditah satyavatya
maivam bhur iti bhargavah
atha tarhi bhavet pautro
jamadagnis tato 'bhavat
Translation:
Satyavati, however, pacified Rcika Muni with peaceful words and requested that her son not be like a fierce ksatriya. Rcika Muni replied, "Then your grandson will be of a ksatriya spirit." Thus Jamadagni was born as the son of Satyavati.
Purport:
The great sage Rcika was very angry, but somehow or other Satyavati pacified him, and at her request he changed his mind. It is indicated here that the son of Jamadagni would be born as Parasurama.
SB 9.15.12-13
sa cabhut sumahat-punya
kausiki loka-pavani
renoh sutam renukam vai
jamadagnir uvaha yam
tasyam vai bhargava-rseh
suta vasumad-adayah
yaviyañ jajña etesam
rama ity abhivisrutah
Satyavati later became the sacred river Kausiki to purify the entire world, and her son, Jamadagni, married Renuka, the daughter of Renu. By the semen of Jamadagni, many sons, headed by Vasuman, were born from the womb of Renuka. The youngest of them was named Rama, or Parasurama.
SB 9.15.14
yam ahur vasudevamsam
haihayanam kulantakam
trih-sapta-krtvo ya imam
cakre nihksatriyam mahim
Translation:
Learned scholars accept this Parasurama as the celebrated incarnation of Vasudeva who annihilated the dynasty of Kartavirya. Parasurama killed all the ksatriyas on earth twenty-one times.
SB 9.15.15
drptam ksatram bhuvo bharam
abrahmanyam aninasat
rajas-tamo-vrtam ahan
phalguny api krte 'mhasi
Translation:
When the royal dynasty, being excessively proud because of the material modes of passion and ignorance, became irreligious and ceased to care for the laws enacted by the brahmanas, Parasurama killed them. Although their offense was not very severe, he killed them to lessen the burden of the world.
Purport:
The ksatriyas, or the ruling class, must govern the world in accordance with the rules and regulations enacted by great brahmanas and saintly persons. As soon as the ruling class becomes irresponsible in regard to the religious principles, it becomes a burden on the earth. As stated here, rajas-tamo-vrtam, bharam abrahmanyam: when the ruling class is influenced by the lower modes of nature, namely ignorance and passion, it becomes a burden to the world and must then be annihilated by superior power. We actually see from modern history that monarchies have been abolished by various revolutions, but unfortunately the monarchies have been abolished to establish the supremacy of third-class and fourth-class men. Although monarchies overpowered by the modes of passion and ignorance have been abolished in the world, the inhabitants of the world are still unhappy, for although the qualities of the former monarchs were degraded by taints of ignorance, these monarchs have been replaced by men of the mercantile and worker classes whose qualities are even more degraded. When the government is actually guided by brahmanas, or God conscious men, then there can be real happiness for the people. Therefore in previous times, when the ruling class was degraded to the modes of passion and ignorance, the brahmanas, headed by such a ksatriya-spirited brahmana as Parasurama, killed them twenty-one consecutive times.
In Kali-yuga, as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.13), dasyu-prayesu rajasu: the ruling class (rajanya) will be no better than plunderers (dasyus) because the third-class and fourth-class men will monopolize the affairs of the government. Ignoring the religious principles and brahminical rules and regulations, they will certainly try to plunder the riches of the citizens without consideration. As stated elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.1.40):
asamskrtah kriya-hina
rajasa tamasavrtah
prajas te bhaksayisyanti
mleccha rajanya-rupinah
Being unpurified, neglecting to discharge human duties properly, and being influenced by the modes of passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas), unclean people (mlecchas), posing as members of the government (rajanya-rupinah), will swallow the citizens (prajas te bhaksayisyanti). And in still another place, Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.7-8) says:
evam prajabhir dustabhir
akirne kiti-mandale
brahma-vit-ksatra-sudranam
yo bali bhavita nrpah
praja hi lubdhai rajanyair
nirghrnair dasyu-dharmabhih
acchinna-dara-dravina
yasyanti giri-kananam
Human society is naturally grouped into four divisions, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]). But if this system is neglected and the qualities and divisions of society are not considered, the result will be brahma-vit-ksatra-sudranam yo bali bhavita nrpah: the so-called caste system of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra will be meaningless. As a result, whoever somehow or other becomes powerful will be the king or president, and thus the prajas, or citizens, will be so harassed that they will give up hearth and home and will go to the forest (yasyanti giri-kananam) to escape harassment by government officials who have no mercy and are addicted to the ways of plunderers. Therefore the prajas, or the people in general, must take to the Krsna consciousness movement, the Hare Krsna movement, which is the sound incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kali-kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara: Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has now appeared as an incarnation by His holy name. Therefore, when the prajas become Krsna conscious, they can then expect a good government and good society, a perfect life, and liberation from the bondage of material existence.
