Суд над Бхагавад-гитой / Attempt to ban Bhagavad-gita

It is outrageous that the Bhagavad-gita may be falsely branded as exteamist literature in Russia. It is a superlative treatise of morality and duty based on the four universal principles of spirituality: austerity, truthfulness, cleanliness and mercy. The central point of the Bhagavad-gita is the refusal of Arjuna to perform his duty to protect these four universal principles established by Lord Krishna for the stability of society. His refusal is based on selfish motives of personal happiness at the expense of maintaining these principles. As a leader of Vedic society, he had the duty of protecting the population from errant administrators whose self-serving actions violated the core values of ethical leadership. Thus, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, patiently instructed Arjuna to rise above his own petty, selfish motives and act responsibly to protect society from degradation.

As a mother and father accept their duty to protect their children from degrading influences, the Bhagavad-gita teaches that leaders of society must also protect the population and consider them like his own family regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, etc. Thus, Lord Krishna begins his instruction beyexplaining the difference between the circumstantial material body and the eternal soul of every individual. This objective understanding of the spiritual nature of a human being raises the consciousness of a person above prejudice and race-based hatreds.

After hearing the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna changed his very basis of decision making from acting for personal, selfish motives to acting as a matter of duty according to his status as a leader of society. Lord Krishna says, “Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one’s physical body without work.”
(Bhagavad-gita chapter 3 verse 8). The work ethic instructed by Lord Krishna to Arjuna
has inspired countless persons throughout the ages to act responsibly even in the face of the most distressing conditions. Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna, “He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.” Bg 12.15) Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in his commentary on this verse,  "A few of a devotee's qualifications are further being described. No one is put into difficulty, anxiety, fearfulness or dissatisfaction by such a devotee. Since a devotee is kind to everyone, he does not act in such a way as to put others into anxiety. At the same time, if others try to put a devotee into anxiety, he is not disturbed. It is by the grace of the Lord that he is so practiced that he is not disturbed by any outward disturbance. Actually because a devotee is always engrossed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engaged in devotional service, such material circumstances cannot move him. Generally a materialistic person becomes very happy when there is something for his sense gratification and his body, but when he sees that others have something for their sense gratification and he hasn't, he is sorry and envious. When he is expecting some retaliation from an enemy, he is in a state of fear, and when he cannot successfully execute something he becomes dejected. A devotee who is always transcendental to all these disturbances is very dear to Kṛṣṇa."

To malign such an important book meant for the edification of the leaders of society and the general populace is an egregious mistake that is obviously not based on any objective criteria. I hope that the prosecutors of Tomsk and the academics they rely on revise their biased opinions about the Bhagavad-gita with commentary Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.