Prabhupada 0248 - Krsna had 16,108 wives, and almost in each time He had to fight, to gain the wife



Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973

Pradyumna: Translation, "Nor do we know which is better-conquering them or being conquered by them. The sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whom if we killed we should not care to live, are now standing before us on this battlefield."

Prabhupāda: So these two groups of cousin-brothers... Mahārāja Pāṇḍu had five sons and Dhṛtarāṣṭra had one hundred sons. So it is family, the same family, and it was understanding between them that when others beyond the family would come to attack them, they would join, 105 brothers, and fight. But when there was fight amongst themselves—one side, hundred brothers; one side, five brothers. Because a kṣatriya family, it is to be understood they must go on fighting. Even in their marriage there would be fighting. Without fighting, no marriage takes place in kṣatriya family. Kṛṣṇa had 16,108 wives, and almost in each time He had to fight, to gain the wife. It was a sporting. For kṣatriya to fight, it was a sporting. So he is perplexed whether this kind of fighting he should encourage or not.

There is a proverb in Bengal, khābo ki khābo nā yadi khāo tu pauṣe. "When you are perplexed, 'Whether I shall eat or not eat,' better not eat." Sometimes we come to this point, "I am not very hungry, whether I shall eat or not eat?" The best course is not eat, not that you eat. But if you eat, then you can eat in the month of December, Pauṣa. Why? It is... In Bengal... Bengal is tropical climate, but when it is winter season, it is advised that "If you eat it is not so harmful because it will be digested." The night is very long, or the cold season, the digestive power, is nice. So when we are confused, "to do or not to do," jābo ki jābo nā yadi jāo tu śauce: "When you think, 'Whether I shall go or not?' better don't go. But when it is a question of answering the call of nature, you must go." Jābo ki jābo nā yadi jāu tu śauce, khābo ki khābo nā yadi khāo tu pauṣe. These are very common sense. Similarly, Arjuna is now perplexed, "Whether I shall fight or not fight?" That is also everywhere. When there is declaration of war between the modern politicians, they consider... Just like in the last Second World War, when Hitler was preparing for war... Everyone knew that Hitler was going to retaliate because in the first war they became defeated. So Hitler was again preparing. One, my God-brother, German, he came in 1933 in India. So at that time he informed that "There must be war. Hitler is preparing heavy preparations. War must be there." So at that time, I think, in your country the Prime Minister was Mr. Chamberlain. And he went to see Hitler to stop the war. But he would not. So similarly, in this fight, to the last point, Kṛṣṇa tried to avoid the war. He proposed to Duryodhana that "They are kṣatriyas, your cousin-brothers. You have usurped their kingdom. Never mind, you have taken some way or other. But they are kṣatriyas. They must have some means of livelihood. So give them, five brothers, five villages. Out of the whole world empire, you give them five villages." So he... "No, I am not going to part with even an inch of land without fight." Therefore, under such condition, the fight must be there.