View source for A criminal was brought before the king, and if the king thought it wise, he would take his own sword, immediately cut his head. That was the duty of king

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{{compiler|Narottama}}
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[[Category:Criminal]]
[[Category:Brought]]
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[[Category:king]]
[[Category:Thought (as in to think)]]
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[[Category:Duty Of...]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1973]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Bhagavad-gita As It Is]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in Europe, England - London]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG23LondonAugust41973_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="36" link="Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973">
<div class="heading">Parantapa is, this word, very word, is used that "You are a kṣatriya, you are king. Your business is to chastise the mischief mongers. That is your business. You cannot excuse the mischief monger." Formerly the kings were so... The king himself used to judge. A criminal was brought before the king, and if the king thought it wise, he would take his own sword, immediately cut his head. That was the duty of king.
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<mp3player>https://vanipedia.s3.amazonaws.com/clip/730804BG-LONDON_clip05.mp3</mp3player>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">
So ''ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ'' ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]).

So this behavior of Kṛṣṇa, how ordinary men can understand? Because they have got their ordinary senses, therefore they mistake. Why Kṛṣṇa? Even Kṛṣṇa's devotee, Vaiṣṇava. That is also stated: ''vaiṣṇavera kriyā mūdra vijñeha nā bujhaya'' ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 23.39|CC Madhya 23.39]]). Even a Vaiṣṇava ''ācārya'', what he is doing, even the most expert intelligent man cannot understand why he is doing this. Therefore we should not try to imitate the higher authorities, but we have to follow the order, injunction, given by the higher authorities.

It is not possible . . . Kṛṣṇa is exciting Arjuna to fight. That does not mean we can also do that, excite. No. That will be immoral. For Kṛṣṇa it is not immoral. Whatever He is doing . . . God is good. He is all-good. We should accept it. Whatever He is doing, that is all-good. This is one side. And whatever I am doing without authority's order, this is all bad. He does not require any order from anyone else. ''Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ'' (Bs. 5.1). He is the supreme controller. He does not require anyone's instruction. Whatever He does, it is perfect. This is Kṛṣṇa understanding. And not that I have to study Kṛṣṇa in my own way. Kṛṣṇa is not subjected to your examination or your test. He is above all. He is transcendental. Therefore those who have not the transcendental vision, they misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. Here He is directly enticing:

:''klaibyaṁ ma sma gamaḥ pārtha''
:''naitat tvayy upapadyate''
:''kśūdraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ''
:''taktvottiṣṭha parantapa''
:([[Vanisource:BG 2.3 (1972)|BG 2.3]])

''Parantapa'' is, this word, very word, is used that "You are a ''kṣatriya'', you are king. Your business is to chastise the mischief-mongers. That is your business. You cannot excuse the mischief-monger." Formerly, the kings were so . . . the king himself used to judge. A criminal was brought before the king, and if the king thought it wise, he would take his own sword, immediately cut his head. That was the duty of king. Even not many . . . about hundred years ago in Kashmir, the king, as soon as a thief was caught, he would be brought before the king, and if he is proved that he was a thief, he has stolen, immediately the king will cut off his hands personally, chopped off. Even hundred years ago. So all other thieves warned, "This is your punishment."

So there was no thieving. There was no stealing, no burglary in Kashmir. Even somebody lost something on the road, it will lie down. Nobody will touch it. The order was, king's order was, "If something is lying down on the street uncared for, you cannot touch it. The man who has left it, he would come; he will collect. You cannot touch." Even hundred years ago. So this capital punishment is required. Nowadays the capital punishment is excused.

Murderers are not hanged. This is all mistake, all rascaldom. A murderer must be killed. No mercy. Why a human killer? Even an animal killer should be immediately hanged. That is the kingdom. The king should be so strict. So this sympathy is like Arjuna's sympathy. The sympathy . . . now the state is sympathizing with the murderer not to be killed. This is Arjuna's. That is ''hṛdaya-daurbalyam.'' That is not duty. One has to discharge the duty ordered by the superior authority very strictly, without any consideration.

So these are weakness of the heart, this kind of sympathy. But ordinary person will not understand. Therefore to understand Kṛṣṇa, one requires special senses, special senses, not ordinary senses. Special senses means you have to pluck your eyes and you have to put another eyes? No. You have to purify. ''Tat-paratvena nirmalam'' ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]]). Just like if you have got some disease in the eyes, you apply medicine, and when it is clear, you can see clearly everything; similarly, with these blunt senses, we cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

''Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ'' (Brs. 1.2.234). As Śrī Kṛṣṇa's ''nāmādau'', Kṛṣṇa's name, form, quality, etc., is not understood by these blunt senses, so how it is to be done? Now, ''sevonmukhe hi jihvādau''. Again ''jihvādau'': beginning from the tongue, controlling the tongue. Just see. It is something peculiar, that you have to understand Kṛṣṇa by controlling the tongue? This is something wonderful. How is that? I have to control my tongue to understand Kṛṣṇa? But it is, the ''śāstra'' injunction is there: ''sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Jihvā'' means tongue.

So in order to see Kṛṣṇa, in order to understand Kṛṣṇa, the first business is to control your tongue. Therefore we say don't take meat, don't take liquor. Because it is controlling the tongue. The tongue is the most strong enemy as sense, as perverted sense. And these rascals, they say: "No, you can eat whatever you like. It has nothing to do with religion." But Vedic ''śāstra'' says, "You rascal, first of all control your tongue. Then you can understand what is God."