Royal families and Krishna consciousness share an ancient, essential relationship rooted in Vedic dharma and divine governance.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Speech to Mahārāja and Mahārāṇī — December 11, 1970, Indore 701211LE-INDORE [21:49 Minutes] Speech_701211LE-INDORE Haṁsadūta: [introducing recording] The following speech was delivered by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda at the Lal Bhag Palace before Their Highnesses Mahārāja Tukoji Rao Holkar and Mahārāṇī Sarmistha Bhai Holkar, on December 11th, 1970, at 5 p.m., in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. [break] Prabhupāda: ...jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te.
Your Highness, Her Highness, and Ladies and Gentlemen, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has a very intimate relationship with the kṣatriya family. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Long, long years ago, He was speaking in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra that about many, many thousands of millions of years ago He spoke the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān, the predominating deity of the sun globe. And from Vivasvān the sūrya-vaṁśa kṣatriyas are coming. From Vivasvān, Vaivasvata Manu, because Manu is the son of Vivasvān the sun-god.
And from Manu, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku descended, and he is the original king in the Raghu-vaṁśa dynasty, wherein Lord Rāmacandra took His birth. Similarly, in the Candra-vaṁśa Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared. So from historical reference we see that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears on this earth, in this universe, He takes pleasure to appear in some kṣatriya family. And both Rāmacandra and Bhagavān Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in kṣatriya families, and they acted as kṣatriya. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg. 4.7] Kṣatriya king has got two functions.
One function is to give protection and happiness to the good citizens, and another function is to kill the demons or the disturbing elements in the society. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original form of Viṣṇu... Viṣṇu has got four hands. In two hands He has got the symbol of conchshell and lotus flower, and the other two hands He carries club and the cakra, sudarśana-cakra.
So He wanted that a kṣatriya king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira should rule over the world. That is the practically basic idea of the whole Mahābhārata and Bhagavad-gītā. So we are very much concerned to preach the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. We cannot interpret on the words of God.
Because religion means the words of God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. The principles of religion cannot be made by any human being, as much as law cannot be made by the citizens. Law is made by the government.
That law is accepted. That is obligatory. Similarly, religion means the words of God. Man-made religion has no value. The Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra [SB 1.1.2]: "Such cheating process, or pseudo religion process, is completely eradicated from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Religion means obedience to the Supreme Lord.