Does Krishna condone violence in the Bhagavad Gita ?

Indian man: Swamiji, most of our Hindus accept Lord Krsna as our Supreme Being, as God. Yet in the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna won’t fight his brothers, but Lord Krsna encouraged this, to fight his own brothers, to kill his own brothers, to shed blood. Isn’t this condoning violence? Yet Hinduism doesn’t condone violence. Can you explain why Lord Krsna encourages Arjuna to fight his own blood?
Prabhupada: If you can question the high-court judge why he is ordering somebody to be hanged, then what will be the answer? The high-court judge orders somebody to be hanged and somebody to take decree for one lakh of rupees. Is there injustice? It is the law. The Supreme Lord has to execute the law. So there is no mistake. As there is no mistake in the judgment of the high court, similarly, what to speak of Krsna, the Supreme Lord. There is a necessity. The government, in order to keep law and order, there is violence also. The police sometimes commit violence, the military force. So in order to keep the whole thing in balance, sometimes violence is required, and that is not to our whims but at the decision of the Supreme Lord.

(Bhagavad-gita 7.1 — October 9, 1975, Durban)

Share:

Follow us

Padmanayana Krsna Dasa

Recent Posts

The Garlic Debate: Are Prabhupada’s presentations of evidences from Shastras valid?

An email exchange between Krishna Kirti Das and Hridayananda dasa Goswami, 5-7 September 2026, on…

4 days ago

Dignitaries Celebrating Janmashtami at ISKCON Temples (4th Sep 2026)

Chief Ministers and senior political leaders from across India took part in Sri Krishna Janmashtami…

4 days ago

Journey to the Pacific Rim: Bali Mardan Prabhu’s Remembrances of Srila Prabhupada

Journey to the Pacific Rim, by Bali Mardan Das, one of Srila Prabhupada’s early disciples,…

4 days ago

What is Madhu-sevita Prabhu’s Janmashtami Message About?

The ISKCON India Scholars Board responds to GBC Chairman Madhu-sevita Das’s 2026 Janmashtami warning about…

1 week ago

Nepal: Sadhguru Cheating Exposed

In this short video, Bhakti Vikasa Swami responds to Sadhguru’s teachings in the context of…

2 weeks ago

Qualified Female Diksa Gurus Do Not Contend

I have been reluctant to enter into this controversy for a long time. But after…

3 weeks ago