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Questions about war

Thus a godless civilization becomes the source of all calamities

Thus being advised by the demoniac ministers, Kamsa, who was from the very beginning the greatest rascal, decided to persecute the brahmanas and Vaisnavas, being entrapped by the shackles of all-devouring, eternal time. He ordered the demons to harass all kinds of saintly persons, and then he entered his house. The adherents of Kamsa were all influenced by the modes of passion as well as illusioned by the modes of ignorance, and their only business was to create enmity with saintly persons. Such activities can only reduce the duration of life. The demons accelerated the process and invited their deaths as soon as possible. The result of persecuting saintly persons is not only untimely death. The act is so offensive that the actor also gradually loses his beauty, his fame and his religious principles, and his promotion to higher planets is also checked. Driven by various kinds of mental concoctions, the demons diminish all kinds of welfare. An offense at the lotus feet of the devotees and brahmanas is a greater offense than that committed at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus a godless civilization becomes the source of all calamities. (Krsna Book Chapter 4 "Kamsa Begins His Persecutions"

As many devotees are aware, Srila Prabhupada has many times warned us that the third world war is soon to take place.

The whole world is awaiting that disaster

That is awaiting. The whole world is awaiting that disaster. The America has got atom bomb and Russia has got atom bomb. As soon as there is another war, the whole world will be finished.

(Bhagavad-gita Lec. 13.14 Bombay, October 7, 1973)

So these rascals are going on. So it is very difficult to preach Krsna consciousness. The whole world is overburdened by these rascals and demons. So atom, atom bomb is waiting for them. Yes. It will be finished. All the demons will be finished.

(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lec. 1.8.34 Los Angeles, April 26, 1973)

You are maintaining so many slaughterhouses, and when it will be mature, there will be war, the wholesale murder. Finished. One atom bomb--finished. You'll have to suffer. Don't think that "Innocent animals, they cannot protest. Let us kill and eat." No. You'll be also punished. Wait for accumulation of your sinful activities, and there will be war, and the America will drop the atom bomb, and Russia will be finished. Both will be finished. Go on now enjoying. It takes time. Just like even if you infect some disease, it takes time. Not that immediately you infect, and immediately the disease is there. No. It takes a week's time or so.

(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lec. 6.1.32 Honolulu, May 31, 1976)

Paramahamsa: The theory nowadays is that by the proliferation of atomic weapons, that Russia has so many weapons, China has so many weapons, the United States has so much...
Prabhupada: Everyone now. India has also.
Paramahamsa: They're all afraid of using them.
Prabhupada: They must use it. That is nature's arrangement.
Paramahamsa: Yeah, right. History.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is nature's arrangement (chuckles) that you all die. That is nature's arrangement.
Tamala Krsna: When someone gets some power he wants to try it out. Just like there was that demon. Lord Siva gave him power: whoever head he touched, the head would fall off.
Prabhupada: Just like in your country there are so many cars so that a poor man like me has car always, not an inch move on leg. So because there is so many. There are so many cars. So there are so many weapons now. That must be used. That is a natural sequence. They must use it.
Bahulasva: That is why they have wars, just so they can use up the weapons.
Prabhupada: Oh yes.
Paramahamsa: The only difficulty is that if one person uses the atomic weapon, that means entire, it would be entire waste of mankind. So everyone's afraid of using the ultimate.
Prabhupada: Well, anyway, they must be used. There is no doubt about it. Therefore we can say there will be war. It is no astrology. It is natural conclusion.
Tamala Krsna: Common sense.
Paramahamsa: That'd mean total destruction.
Prabhupada: Well, total or partial, that we shall see. But they must be used.

(S.P.Morning Walk July 18, 1975, San Francisco)

The modern civilization has got everything, but without God consciousness, any moment it will be finished. And there are symptoms... Any moment. At the present moment, this godless civilization, as soon as there is declaration of war, the America is prepared to drop atom bomb, Russia is... The first nation who will drop the atom bomb, he will be victorious. Nobody will be victorious, because both of them are ready to drop. The America will be finished and Russia will be finished. That is the position. So you may make advancement of civilization, scientific improvement, economic development, but if it is godless, at any moment it will be finished. At any moment.

(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lec. 1.15.21 Los Angeles, December 1, 1973)

You have created this situation. You must be killed. You may be American or Englishman or German or this or that. You may be very proud of your nationality. But you must be killed." This is the position. Isvarasya vicestitam. "You have killed so many animals. Now wholesale killing, one bomb. One atom bomb. Be killed." So these rascals they do not know how things are going on. Isvarasya vicestitam. "Tit for tat." There must be.

(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lec. 1.15.24 Los Angeles, December 3, 1973)

Prabhupada: This dhumaketu is described in Dasavatara-stotra, dhumaketum iva kim api karalam. Dhumaketum iva. Dhumaketum iva kim api karalam. As soon as there is comet, there will be some disaster. Very great disaster. In our childhood we saw the comet, not this like. That was small comet. Still, the first world war was there declared. That we have seen in 1914.

Nara-narayana: Halley's comet.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Nara-narayana: I think they called it Halley's comet. Halley's comet.
Prabhupada: Now the... You can expect at any moment disaster in this material world, but the comet is the sign that there will be some great disaster.

(S.P. Morning Walk January 3, 1974, Los Angeles)

Prabhupada: Yes. All Western adventure to keep people in darkness. And that is going on. Now it will be smashed by the next war. Next war will come very soon.
Tamala Krsna: (Surprised) Oh!
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Next war...?
Prabhupada: Your country, America, is very much eager to kill these Communists. And the Communists are also very eager. So very soon there will be war. And perhaps India will be the greatest sufferer.
Tamala Krsna: Greatest...?
Devotees: Sufferer.
Srutakirti: Sufferer.
Prabhupada: Because America is aiming to start the war from India.
Devotee: Oh!
Prabhupada: Yes. Because India and Russia, they are...
Brahmananda: They are... Friendship.
Prabhupada: No. Side by side. If the war is started from India...
Rupanuga: So India will become...
Prabhupada: And the Russians are ready here already, I have heard, with soldiers and... Not soldiers. I mean to say.
Hamsaduta: Missiles.
Prabhupada: Yes. They are also vigilant.
Visnujana: Will that help our preaching, Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Preaching will be very nice after the war when both of them, especially Russia, will be finished.......
Prabhupada: Yes, they are getting. They are already getting. The Pakistan will start the war with India. And then everything will be...
Devotees: Oh! Whew!
Devotee: Pakistan will start a war... (devotees talking among themselves.)...
Tamala Krsna: Will this war spread to many different countries and continents?
Prabhupada: The actual war will be between America and Russia.

(S.P. Morning Walk Conversation (World War III) April 4, 1975, Mayapur)

Prabhupada: Yes. Next war means atomic war. All these rascals will be killed automatically. I will kill you, you'll kill me. That's all.
Yogesvara: Is that war to occur in the recent future? Or is that a long way off?
Prabhupada: Very recent, very recent future.

(S.P.Morning Walk May 27, 1974, Rome)

How far away is the very recent future?

If we look at the following article Srila Prabhupada wrote in Back To Godhead in 1956 it is clear that the materialistic plans of the present age will meet with the same fate as previous material civilizations.

Being annihilated by nuclear weapons, today's blind materialism will be crushed after a lapse of 50 years [2006]

After a lapse of fifty years

By the grace of the illusory energy of Godhead we are now engaged more and more in the dangerous type of work in this machine-age. The machine-age is the result of dangerous type of work. When we leave aside the culture of spiritualism, we are entangled in the dangerous type of work. Nobody can live for a moment without work and therefore when finer elements are made to stop working, gross materialism occupies the devil's brain. The result is that we have now come to the age of nuclear weapons for the destruction of material civilization. By the law of nature, the nuclear weapons have been produced for crushing the result of blind-materialism.
The peace move of different powers of the world, by the false gesture of suspending the experiments of dangerous weapons--may be very much pleasing to the comparatively weak nations--but these temporary peace-moves will prove useless by the law of material nature. When the dangerous weapons are produced, they must be utilised for annihilation of blind materialism by the plan of the Daivi Maya or the external energy of Godhead. The problem can be solved when they are taught about their spiritual identity.
The soul-killing civilization is progressively taking to the dangerous type of work by invention of huge mechanical means. The illusory energy is creating this atmosphere for blind materialism and on the other hand she is arranging for their destruction also. Such opposite methods are called illusory energy. The human energy is thus misused for breaking the same thing which is produced by the same energy. It is something like blazing the fire and extinguish it by pouring water simultaneously--a sign of insanity or spoiling the valuable human energy meant for spiritual culture. History has been repeated so many times and many many leaders of materialism like Napoleon, Hitler and others now remain in name only without any sign of the material progress planned by them. De-Stalinisation has already begun in Russia. Nobody is enjoying the result of civilization created by atheists like Ravana, Kansa, Aurangzeb, Napoleon or Hitler. Everything is in oblivion and this teaches us the lesson that the materialistic plans of the present age will also meet with the same fate after a lapse of 50 years. Therefore blind materialism does not bring in any permanent relief in the world.

(Srila Prabhupada B.T.G. article, April 20, 1956, "Blind Materialism" )

The first party who will drop the bomb on the other party, he will be victorious, and immediately the war will stop

Now the nuclear war means it will not continue very long. The first party who will drop the bomb on the other party, he will be victorious, and immediately the war will stop. They are simply arranging how to drop the atom bomb first. So one who will be able to drop the bomb first, he will be victorious. It doesn't require long time. Just like in Japan, as soon as the Americans dropped the atom bomb in Hiroshima, immediately they surrendered. This will be the result. Now the question is who will be able to drop the bomb first.

(S.P. Morning Walk June 16, 1975, Honolulu)

Harikesa: The sinless people will survive
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (3): Who is that?
Prabhupada: We
Prabhupada: That will take place. Otherwise, how they will be killed?
Ambarisa: They're calling it a limited nuclear war.
Prabhupada: They are accumulated so much sinful load that must be killed. That is sure. (break) ...the massacre. That will take place.
Harikesa: The sinless people will survive?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (3): Who is that?
Prabhupada: We. (break) There was an artificial famine in India and I particularly inquired from all devotees whether they have got any problem in this famine. They said, "No, we haven't got." I have taken the statistics. In 1942 the artificial famine created by government... So there were big earthquake in Bihar. At that time one of my godbrother, he was government auditor. So I inquired. In that earthquake only his house was saved. I have seen it many times. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. That is the only....

samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam
mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
padam padam yad vipadam na tesam

Padam padam yad vipadam na tesam. It is not meant for them, all these dangerous condition.

(S.P. Morning Walk June 16, 1975, Honolulu)

Whether we are saved or not will depend on Krsna. If we live, that will be fortunate for us because this will give us more precious time to develop our loving relationship with Srila Prabhupada. It will also give us a chance to render very valuable service to His Divine Grace. After the war this civilization of Blind Materialism will come to sense and be humble enough to hear Srila Prabhupada's message.

Dhananjaya: And after the war what will be the result?
Prabhupada: After the war they will come to sense.

(S.P.Morning Walk May 27, 1974, Rome)

Prabhupada: Preaching will be very nice after the war when both of them, especially Russia, will be finished.......

(S.P. Morning Walk Conversation (World War III) April 4, 1975, Mayapur)

For our parts we should just be determined to carry out our mission against all opposition, demons, nuclear war, whatever

You have asked about whether nuclear devastation on this planet would effect the Sankirtana Movement. No, there is nothing that can stop the Sankirtana Movement because it is the will of God Himself, Lord Caitanya, that His Holy Name be heard in every town and village. Neither can the demons devastate this planet independent of the will of Krsna. Nothing happens without His sanction. If Krsna wants to kill someone no one can save Him, and if Krsna wants to save someone no one can kill him. For our parts we should just be determined to carry out our mission against all opposition, demons, nuclear war, whatever. The whole universe is finally subject to certain annihilation by the will of Krsna, but devotional service is eternal and is the only certain way one can save himself from devastation.

(S.P. Letter to: Makhanlal Mayapur 22 June, 1973)

Related predictions of future and what to do

After those many unfulfilled millenial y2k predictions, the next date everyone got fixed on is December 21, 2012, when the long cycle of the Mayan calendar ends. There are disagreements on what it will bring but this self-destructive material civilization has to end in some way, by default. The "powers that be" however are not interested in a direct wholesale destruction (which makes no sense) but in a full-fledged exploitation of all resources. The control of this Western secularized society is on the rise and its signs are summarized here. So if there is a nuclear war, it'd be more of a 'glitch' in their plans.

Here are four predictions/prophecies. The first is the famous Saint Malachy prophecy of last Popes. (In a nutshell, the present Pope Francis should be the last one.) The second, unverified one, is related to the Dalailama (a secondary post):

Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 16:19:58 +0000
From: Bhaktisiddhartha Dasanudas
To: vediculture (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) com

(...) In 1991 I had the good fortune to attend a retreat with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at a remote lake in the Vermont woods. During that retreat, which was only for monks, the Dalai Lama revealed in a private audience that he was the last incarnation of the Dalai Lama.

"I am the last Dalai Lama," he said, "there will be no more Dalai Lama after me." When I asked him why, he replied, "You are a disciple of Bhaktivedanta. You should understand that now there is no more need for me here. Tibetan Buddhism is the past; your instructions are for the future. This is a very wonderful thing." Then he laughed. At least the Dalai Lama has the wisdom to accept the inevitability of the coming changes, and make a graceful exit from the scene in harmony with the times, befitting his exalted spiritual status. (...)

[Note: Intriguing. It could be verified probably only in person. I guess writing to Dalailama's office would yield no result so I didn't bother. Jan]

The third one is from native American elder Grandfather Stalking Wolf.

The third one, the most detailed, is from Alois Irlmayer.

A general rule for the future is the same as for the present: to be Krishna conscious.
Specific hints are to learn about survival. Offshore experts also recommend moving to some thirld world country (Phillipines are highlited for various reasons) and converting a significant amount of one's property into gold coins. The situation can be assessed by consulting qualified Vedic astrologers (prasna). Don't panic!

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