Without first-class men trained in Krishna Consciousness, society becomes dead; reincarnation proves the soul changes bodies eternally.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lecture — May 19, 1975, Melbourne 750519SB-MELBOURNE [49:15 Minutes] SB-750519SB-MELBOURNE Prabhupāda: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Hmm.
This is a conversation between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years ago he was the emperor of the whole world. Formerly, up to five thousand years ago, the whole world was being controlled and ruled over by kings whose capital was Hastināpura, New Delhi. There was only one flag, only one ruler, one scripture, Vedic scripture, and the Āryans. Ārya, they were the civilized persons.
You Europeans, Americans, you are also Āryans, Indo-European stock. Mahārāja Yayāti, grandson of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he gave to his two sons the portion of eastern Europe, Greek and Roman. That is the history, Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means great India.
So there was no different religion. One religion: Vedic religion. Vedic religion means to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Supreme Person Absolute Truth. This is Vedic religion.
Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, it is said there in the Fifteenth Chapter, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. Vedic knowledge means to understand God. This is Vedic religion. Later on, with the progress of Kali-yuga... Kali-yuga means the dark age, or the sinful age, or the age for argument, unnecessary talks and fight.
This is called Kali-yuga. That is going on. Since the last five thousand years, the Kali-yuga has begun, and the beginning of Kali-yuga was cow-slaughtering. When Mahārāja Parīkṣit was touring all over the world, he saw one black man was attempting to kill one cow.
And Mahārāja Parīkṣit saw this and immediately... The cow was trembling for being slaughtered. And Mahārāja Parīkṣit saw, "Who is this man, trying to kill a cow in my kingdom?" So immediately he took his sword. That is kṣatriya.