If we do not follow the right person, mahajana — mahajano yena gatah sa panthah — then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession [disciplic succession].

Where Gandhi's Good Intentions Failed: a wrong interpretation of religious principles

Gandhi & Jinnah

Whatever Krishna wants is good

PRABHUPADA: Why Krishna was taking part in the battlefield? He had nothing to gain out of it personally, but why He was taking part in the battlefield? Just for the right cause. So He wanted to establish that for right cause there must be fighting. You cannot abolish violence from the world. This is the instruction of Krishna in Bhagavad-gita. If required, violence will be taken. And Krishna induced Arjuna to be violent. Arjuna wanted to be nonviolent, but He wanted that "You should. You must fight. This fight is arranged by Me." So these examples.

These are the examples. Nothing is bad...But nothing is good if it is not purposeful. That is the whole purpose of teaching Bhagavad-gita. Nothing is good; nothing is bad. Everything is good, everything is bad, in this material world, but we have to see. Just like the common phrase goes, "The end justifies the means. The end justifies the means." So that is Krishna teaching here that He has nothing to gain. He is full in Himself. But just to set examples in the world He was taking part in the fighting because He wanted to establish it that fighting for good cause should not be avoided. That was His mission.

Then further He says,

yadi hy aham na varteyam
jatu karmany atandritah
mama vartmanuvartante
manushyah partha sarvashah [Bg. 3.23]

Manushyah. Now just see. Here it is said. Manushyah means all men. All men. So Krishna is not for a particular society or particular religious community or particular country or particular time. No. Krishna is the leader of all men for all the time in all the countries in all the worlds and all the universes. So He is not a sectarian Personality of Godhead. We should know. Manushyah. Manushyah, it is plural number: "All men." All men. So He said, "If I do not set example by My practical work, then because I am the leader of all men, all living entities, they will be wrongly directed." Wrongly directed.

Religion is not left to your interpretation

Now, actually we see also. At least in India we have got this experience. Now, this Bhagavad-gita... We must always remember that it is being taught on the actual battlefield. Now, a great personality like Mahatma Gandhi, he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gita nonviolence. He was... He was in favor of the doctrine of nonviolence. Now, you have seen Mahatma Gandhi's picture that he is always standing with Bhagavad-gita like this. So Bhagavad-gita was his life and soul practically. And in the morning he was having Bhagavad-gita class; in the evening he was having Bhagavad-gita class. So that was his life and soul. But unfortunately he interpreted Bhagavad-gita in his own way. Although he took Bhagavad-gita as his life and soul, so, but he interpreted it in his own way. That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gita. Therefore such a great man and such a good man... He was not only a great man; he was very good man in the worldly estimation. His character, his behavior, his dealing — everything was good. He was ideal personality. But just see. He was killed by violence. He could not stop violence.

RUPANUGA: He was killed by violence?

PRABHUPADA: Yes. He was killed by violence. And his idea... He wanted to make Hindu-Muslim unity in India. The British government fabricated the Hindu-Muslim riots, and lastly, at last also, their purpose was fulfilled by partition of India, Pakistan and India. Now, Mahatma Gandhi worked throughout his whole life just to make a unification of the Hindus and Muslims. Unfortunately, at last, he had to see that the Hindus and Muslims of India were divided into Pakistan and India. And his nonviolence also failed.

So, because if we do not follow the right person, mahajana — mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 17.186] — then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession [disciplic succession]. Now, we have to follow the principle which Krishna sets. Krishna is not advocating nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible because Krishna Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad acharati shreshthah [Bg. 3.21].

Follow the authorized representatives of God

So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam. Mahajana. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam you will find that it has been advised that religious principles should be followed by taking the life examples of great personalities. Religious principles... It has been described in the Bhagavata that tarko 'pratishthah: If you want to establish religious truth, you cannot establish it by your logic and argument. It is not possible because I may be a very perfect religious man, but I may not be a very good arguer; another strong man who can argue very strongly, who knows logic very nicely, he can defeat me. He can make my all conclusion null and void. So therefore, simply by argument or logical conclusion one cannot reach to the truth, to the religious truth. It is not possible. Tarko 'pratishthah shrutayo vibhinnah. Shrutayah means revealed scriptures. Revealed scriptures. Just like in the world there are many revealed scriptures. There are Vedas, Puranas, the Bible, the Koran, and there are so many religious scriptures also. And if you go on reading them, although the aim is one, still, you will find some discrepancy from one to another. Shrutayo vibhinnah. Vibhinnah means they are diverse. They are diverse. Shrutayo vibhinna nasav rishir yasya matam na bhinnam. And so far philosophers are concerned, one philosopher tries to defeat another philosopher. That is the philosophical way. So nasav rishir yasya matam na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam. Therefore this truth of religion is very confidential. Nihitam guhayam. Guhayam means it is very confidential.

Now, how to know it? Now, mahajano yena gatah sa panthah: [Cc. Madhya 17.186] "You just try to find out great men, great men of religious life, and you just try to follow." Now, you may have in your own ideal some great men. No. They are also checked. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam twelve different personalities have been described that "These persons are great men." So we have to follow their principle and, or their representative, in the principle in their disciplic succession. Then we can fulfill.

The same thing is here also described. Yad yad acharati shresthas lokas tad anuvartate [Bg. 3.21]. And Sri Krishna Himself... Undoubtedly Sri Krishna is the greatest personality in those days and still now also. Still, in all, not only in India, in all parts of the world, Sri Krishna is accepted as the greatest leader of philosophical presentation of this Bhagavad-gita. Every nation, every country reads it very minutely. So undoubtedly He is a great leader. Now, if we follow Krishna, not only we are chanting

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

but we have to follow the principles laid down in the Bhagavad-gita. That will make our life successful. Practically we have to apply this, have to apply the principle. Otherwise the whole attempt will be failure.