Ref: Lesson 7
7. Answer the following questions with reference to verses, analogies,
and statements from Prabhupada’s purports. (Bhagavad-gita 2.21, 27)
a. When is violence justified?
b. Why did Krishna, who is all loving, incite Arjuna to war?
c. Is terrorism in the name of religion appropriate or inappropriate?
Nobody likes violence. However, violence has been used for certain
cause since history. Such act brings death to loved ones. In this
connection, Krishna speaks about soul elaborately in the second
chapter of Bhagavad-Gita. He says [BG 2.17] “That which pervades the
entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to
destroy that imperishable soul.” Therefore, we understand that the
eternal soul is actually not subject to death when the body dies and
death for the body is inevitable.
a) Violence is justified only if it is for the supreme justice
keeping law and order in human society. Therefore, it has to be
according to the will of the Lord, and the person carrying out
violence should be in knowledge. An example is given of a judge
who awards capital punishment to a person committing murder.
Srila Prabhupada draws reference from Manu-saàhitä in purport of
BG 2.21 that it is advantageous for the murderer to be killed
because all the reactions for his sin would be forgiven at once
in his next birth. Also the judge would not incur any sinful
reactions as he is in knowledge. An analogy is mentioned of a
surgical operation which is meant to cure the patient, but not to
kill him. Violence cannot hamper the immortality of the soul.
b) Arjuna was grief-stricken to see all his cousins, grandfather and
teacher standing before him to fight. Even though he argued of
compassion, sinful reactions, enjoyment and destruction of
dynasty, he did not consider the ultimate benefit of war
dovetailed with the will of the Lord.
Krishna, therefore, instructed Arjuna to fight telling him that
there is no death for the indestructible soul. This would make
him
knowledgeable
in
the
real
term.
Knowing
this
and
understanding the will of the Lord, he will not incur sinful
reaction.
Secondly, Krishna reminded Arjuna of his prescribed duty – to
fight in the battlefield of Kurukñetra, being a kñatriya. There
was no real reason for him to withdraw from the battlefield.
c) Terrorism technically invites mass murder of humans, irrespective
of whether real justice is achieved. Also, nowadays, groups that
perform terrorism have no information about the indestructible
soul and their actions are completely on the bodily platform.
Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport BG 2.27 that “one has to
take birth according to one's activities of life. And after
finishing one term of activities, one has to die to take birth
for the next. In this way one is going through one cycle of birth
and death after another without liberation.” However, Srila
Prabhupada clarifies that such cycle of repeated birth and death
is disrupted on the occasion of unnecessary murder, slaughter and
war. Therefore, such interruptive actions are against the supreme
law, which only permits violence for the purpose of good
administration and upholding religious principles. Hence, immoral
and illegal terrorism in the name of religion is not appropriate.