Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc):

atra çürä maheñväsä
bhémärjuna-samä yudhi
yuyudhäno viräöaç ca
drupadaç ca mahä-rathaù
[Bg. 1.4]

Translation: "Here in this army there are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhéma and Arjuna; there are also great fighters like Yuyudhäna, Viräöa and Drupada."

Prabhupäda: So all these heroes are mentioned not only in this verse, in several other verses also. So people may ask that "By mentioning these great fighter, what spiritual progress we make? Because we are meant for chanting Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra, so by chanting the names of these great fighters, what do we gain?" The question may be raised there. But the thing is that nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe, whenever there is connection with Kåñëa, that also becomes Kåñëa. This is a subtle form of philosophical understanding. Nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe. If there is relationship with Kåñëa... Therefore the sahajiyäs, they do not read Bhagavad-gétä. They say, "We have nothing to do with Bhagavad-gétä." They jump over to the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto, Kåñëa’s räsa-lélä, as if Kåñëa is connected with räsa-lélä and not with this lélä. They make distinction. Kåñëa’s this fighting lélä, pastimes, and the räsa-lélä pastime, they are all the same because Kåñëa is the center. Kåñëa being center, whatever in connection with Kåñëa is there, that becomes also Kåñëa. This is the idea.

anäsaktasya viñayän
yathärham upayuïjataù
nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe
yuktaà vairägyam ucyate

This is the instruction of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé in his Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu.

So just like we, in propagating Kåñëa consciousness, we have to deal with money or persons who are not Kåñëa conscious, outsider. We have to deal with them. But when we go to outsider or when we deal with money, there is relationship with Kåñëa, kåñëa-sambandha. So Rüpa Gosvämé has distinguished the...

präpaïcikatayä buddhyä
hari-sambandhi-vastunaù
mumukñubhiù parityägo
vairägyaà phalgu kathyate

Präpaïcika means material. So präpaïcikatayä buddhyä hari-sambandhi-vastunaù. Everything has got connection with Kåñëa because ultimately everything is Kåñëa’s energy. The material world is also manifestation of Kåñëa’s energy. Bhümir äpo ’nalo väyuù. You’ll find. Material world means these five elements, gross and subtle. Earth, water, air, fire, sky, these are gross. And mind, intelligence, and ego, these are subtle. These elements, material elements, Kåñëa says, bhinnä me prakåtir añöadhä: "These material elements, they are separated, but they are My energy. They are My energy." The same example. Just like cloud. Cloud is created by the sun. It is sun’s energy which creates the cloud. You know. By temperature the sea water is evaporated, forms into gas. That is cloud. So cloud is created by the energy of the sun, but when there is cloud you cannot see the sun. Sun is covered. Similarly, material energy is Kåñëa’s energy. But when you become covered by this material energy, you do not see Kåñëa. This is the position.

So we have to use our intelligence. That is described by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé: präpaïcikatayä buddhyä hari-sambandhi-vastunaù, mumukñubhiù parityägaù. Mumukñu, especially the Mäyävädés, who are after liberation, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, mumukñu, mokña, they, Mäyäväda, they say, "Everything is mäyä." Brahma satyaà jagan mithyä: "This world is false; only Brahman is reality." But we say that why the jagat, the world should be false if it is coming from the reality? We do not agree with them. We do not accept that this world is false. No. We can say, "It is temporary manifestation." But it is not false. Why it is false? We are living in this house. If somebody, some rascal, says, "It is false," why false? We are utilizing this house. We are utilizing this microphone. We are utilizing the dictaphone. Why it is false? There is sambandha. There is relationship with Kåñëa. Anything material, made of earth, water, fire, air, they are Kåñëa’s energies. Therefore there is direct relationship with Kåñëa. And if Kåñëa is reality, why His energy should be false? No. We must know how to utilize it.

So similarly, in this battlefield, Kåñëa is there, and all the living entities... Some of them are soldiers, some of them are commander-in-chiefs, some of them this, that. Or the chariot or the ground—everything Kåñëa’s energy. So if we remember that everything is manifestation of Kåñëa’s energy, there is no question of materialism. It is all spiritual energy. So nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe. So we have to use them for Kåñëa. Here all of of them have gathered. This is another Kåñëa’s energy. Kåñëa appears, pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm [Bg. 4.8]. He wanted to kill all the demons. That is another side of his business. As one side, pariträëäya sädhünäm, to give protection to the devotees, the other side is to vanquish all the demons. Just like if you want to grow paddy on the field, so first of all you have to destroy all the unwanted weeds. Then you grow the seeds; it will come out nicely. So these two things are required. Destruction and construction. Both the things are Kåñëa’s activities or different energies. So you cannot accept one thing, giving up the other side. We have to understand that both sides, they are working as different manifestation of Kåñëa’s energy. Paräsya çaktir vividhaiva çrüyate. In the Vedas it is said that the Absolute has got multi-energies. So one energy is working in one way, another energy is working in another way. Paräsya çaktir vividhaiva çrüyate, svä-bhäviké jïäna-bala-kriyä ca. Just like here also, when we do something, we require varieties of energies to make that thing perfect. So everything, Kåñëa, Kåñëa’s, this material world or spiritual world, everything is working in order, under different energies.

So these, I mean to say, warriors’ name-mentioning, we should not neglect. Kåñëa wanted to gather all the demoniac power in that Battlefield of Kurukñetra and kill them. That was His plan. So there is a plan of Kåñëa. Nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe. We should not be attached to things as there, but we should try to understand that there is relationship with Kåñëa. And as soon as there is relationship with Kåñëa, we shall properly utilize it. That is Kåñëa consciousness. As soon as we understand that there is relationship with Kåñëa, nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe... Everything can be utilized for Kåñëa. Kåñëa is not a stereotyped, stagnant block. Kåñëa is a dynamic force. Therefore everything can be dovetailed in the service of Kåñëa. Simply one should learn the art under proper guidance how to utilize. Then that will be perfect form of Kåñëa consciousness. Read next verse.

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

dhåñöaketuç cekitänaù
käçiräjaç ca véryavän
purujit kuntibhojaç ca
çaibyaç ca nara-puìgavaù

Translation: "There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhåñöaketu, Cekitäna, Käçiräja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Çaibya."

Prabhupäda: Practically in the Battle of Kurukñetra great personalities, warriors, from all parts of the world they came and joined. Some of them joined with this party and others joined with the other party. So far we have studied... just like Çaibya, he belonged to Çibya. So all these personalities, we did not get their full description, it would enhance the pages. But these big personalities, we have got their information. There is a book, The Personalities of Mahäbhärata. Bhagavad-gétä is part of Mahäbhärata. Mahäbhärata means greater India. Mahä means greater, and bhärata means India. So this whole planet was Bhärata-varña. There was only one flag. The whole planet was being ruled by one king. That is the king of this Hastinäpura. The fight is that, that who would be the king, Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira or Duryodhana. But a king... It is not a democratic; it is monarchy. So Kåñëa is deciding, "No, Duryodhana is unfit. Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira is fit." This is Kåñëa’s desire. Therefore this fight is there. Kurukñetra. Kåñëa wanted to wipe out all unwanted demons from the face of the world and enthrone Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira because he is the exact representative of Kåñëa.

So monarchy or dictatorship is welcome. Now the Communists, they want dictatorship. That is welcome, provided that particular dictator is trained like Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira. Not that simply by votes of some rascal population one becomes dictatorship, another rascal comes. Another big rascal comes. Just like in the Communist country the Stalin was their dictator. And in the historical record it is said that he is the greatest criminal in the history of the world. Greatest criminal. He would not tolerate anyone going against him. As soon as he finds that "This man is going against me," immediately call him, "Now here is poison and here is resignation." Or kill him. "You take poison or I shall kill you." This was his policy. In this way he killed so many enemies. He not only killed the Czar family. So his business was killing. Not that kind of dictatorship wanted. Dictatorship wanted that by his direction the citizens will be so happy that even they will not have any anxiety. Adhayo vyadhayaù (?).

We have read the other day in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. There are three kinds of miserable conditions of life, bhütätma-hetav aù. The cause... They are caused by three principles: adhyätmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Daiva-bhütätma-hetavaù. These are all described in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Daiva means controlled by the higher demigods. Just like famine or earthquake. This is not under your control. At any time the earthquake, there may be. There may be famine. There may be pestilence. There may be natural disturbance, flood. This is called daiva, controlled by higher demigods. Just like Indra wanted to overflood Våndävana being angry upon the residents of the... Kåñëa saved, Giridhäré. He became Giridhäré. So these disturbances are there. Adhyätmika, adhibhautika. But the king or the dictator should be so perfect and he will guide the citizens in such a way that they will not feel all these disturbances. That kind of dictatorship wanted. He will direct in such a way that even this natural adhyätmika, adhibhautika... Adhibhautika means "You are envious of me, I am envious of you." So there is always cold war, struggle. This should be stopped. There should not be unnatural heat or unnatural cold, excessive heat. People will feel in all respects happy.

If that condition can be brought in, like Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira or his forefathers, or even his grandson. After Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira, there was no kingdom of Mahäräja Yud..., of the son of Yudhiñöhira or Arjuna. All died in the Battlefield of Kurukñetra. Only one grandson was in the womb of his mother, posthumous child. He was saved only. So up to that point, Mahäräja Parékñit, the whole planet was very nicely governed by dictatorship. So we can bring in such dictatorship, provided that dictator is perfectly Kåñëa conscious. Under his guidance, everything... Because he knows how to conduct kingdom, how to make everyone happy. Nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe. So here is another list of fighters. But the real purpose of this battlefield is to bring all the fighters, big fighters of the world, together. And under Kåñëa’s guidance they would be all killed. Nimitta-mätraà bhava savyasäcin. When Arjuna was declining to fight, Kåñëa ultimately said, "My dear Arjuna, you fight or not fight, it doesn’t matter. These people are not going back home. It is already settled up. You simply become, take the credit that you have fought and killed. It is al... They are already killed. Because that is My plan." Nimitta-mätraà bhava savyasäcin. They are already killed.