Суд над Бхагавад-гитой / Attempt to ban Bhagavad-gita

Krishna doesn't advocate terror
Arun K Gupta | Dec 28, 2011, 12.00AM IST
The Bhagavad Gita, a record of the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield at Kurukshetra, deals with five key elements, namely the soul, karma, time, nature and the super soul. No matter what any court of law in any country may conclude, the 'Bhagavad Gita As It Is' by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada does not by any means promote terrorism or extremism. Let's examine whether the Gita, that timeless transcendental work, has any content that is likely to instill any kind of hat-red and violence. In other words, is Krishna teaching terrorism or extremism to Arjuna?

What does Krishna say to Arjuna in most of the verses? Krishna is asking Arjuna to do his duty as an individual and as a king. As an individual, Krishna is asking Arjuna to be equipoised in happiness and sadness and remain a renunciate, without attachment to worldly sense gratification: "Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of acti-vities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme. Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work." (3.19-20)

As a king, what is Arjuna's duty? The king has to be a generous leader whose duty is to protect his citizens with heroism, courage, power, determination and resourcefulness (18.43). Vedic scriptures say that the king, for protection of his citizens, may resort to violence in suitable cases for law and order and he should rule according to dharma.

Thus the Gita's message is not of terrorism or extremism but of peace and of war, if necessary, to keep the peace. Don't we laud the soldier or security officer who commits violence against a terrorist or extremist to protect us and maintain peace? Swami Prabhu-pada's commentary on the Gita therefore does not preach or extol extremism. It imparts the message of Krishna as it is.

All responsible citizens must seek to live a peaceful God-centred life and to ensure that a certain section of society (security forces or, in former times, kshatriyas) can take arms. The Gita's message of victory of good over evil is eternal - a victory over inner as well as external evils. Krishna does not hide behind hills and forests to subvert and sabotage. He tells us to wage a righteous war against our own evils.

Different people react differently to the message of the Gita. According to their nature, the good, the innocent, the knowledgeable and the saintly find peace and joy in reading the Gita. The corrupt and the extremist might find the message threatening and disconcerting. The beauty of the Gita is that even extremists, the corrupt and the insecure, become peaceful and happy by assi- milating and applying its message. As one student of Prabhupada summarised, "his books made hippies into happies".

It has resulted in millions turning vegetarian, refraining from illicit sex, addiction and gambling. Even those who feel threatened by the time-tested wisdom of the Gita would do well to study it with humility, diligent intent and with the right association of those training in the traditions of the Gita to take a guided, valid, appropriate and practical view of Krishna's message without taking extreme positions.

The writer is president of the Iskcon temple in Idaho, the US. You can follow him on our website, www.speakingtree.in
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