There must be trained-up kshatriyas, then there will be good government.
Prabhupada is still not going out for a morning walk. He is not feeling strong and his health problems persist.
* * *
From the Srimad-Bhagavatam this morning, we heard how Krishna advised Arjuna not to be merciful to Asvatthama even though he was the son of an exalted brahmana. Srila Prabhupada has often said that one's birth status is not an indication of one's qualification. Today he offered an explanation of this that I haven't heard before. "Everyone can say, 'I am the son of a brahmana.' That is brahma-bandhu, or a friend of a brahmana. That does not mean he is a brahmana. This is the idea?brahmana is not the body, brahmana is the quality. If the brahmana is body, then when a brahmana is dead, the sons take the dead body to the crematorium place and burn the body. Then if the body is brahmana, then the sons are committing sins by brahma-hatya. No; that is not brahma-hatya-brahmana is the quality. With the departure of the soul, that quality is gone. Now this body is simply a lump of matter, so there is no shame when the body is burnt into ashes.
"So in considering all angles of vision," he said, "this Asvatthama was not a brahmana. Therefore Krishna personally advised him, ma enam partha arhasi tratum: 'Don't excuse him. Kill him, this brahma-bandhu. He has done wrong, now he deserves to be killed.' It is clearly said, so does it mean that Krishna is advising brahma-hatya? No. Krishna cannot do that. He is the teacher, world teacher. How He can advise somebody, especially His friend Arjuna? Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me. Can you advise anything adversely to your friend? To your son? No, I must give very good advice. So Krishna is advising Arjuna, 'Don't excuse this rascal brahma-bandhu. Don't excuse.'"
Prabhupada added that although this was Krishna's strong advice it did not mean that we could take advantage and do anything and everything under the pretext of it being Krishna's advice. "You must be first of all a confidential friend or servant of Krishna, you must receive direct order from Krishna. Then you can do it, otherwise not. Otherwise not. Under the pretext that 'Krishna said,' 'My spiritual master has said,' 'Prabhupada has said,' we manufacture something. Don't do that. Unless you are directly ordered, you cannot do, at least such things as to chastise a brahma-bandhu. This should not be done. Here is direct order."
Another point Prabhupada made was that good government can only come from trained kshatriyas, not from the lower, uncultured class of man. "It is said in the Bhagavatam there was no anxiety. The citizens should feel so much safe, that 'We have such a nice king that we have no danger at all. Not being injured, not our property being stolen or injustice given.' That is the real government?when the citizens will feel completely safe. That requires kshatriya. Not these camara, bhangis, and sudras voted and become the president and minister?that will not be successful. That is not possible. There must be trained-up kshatriyas, then there will be good government. Trained. They should be trained means they should be advised by the brahmanas. Therefore four divisions required."
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 4 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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