Intolerance

Worst verses: SB 4.4.17

Table of contents

1. Vedas
2. Bhagavad Gita
3. Puranas
   1. Bhagavata Purana or Srimad Bhagavatam

Comments

Vedas

Bhagavad Gita

BG 4.7-8

Translations:

Besant: Whenever there is decay of righteousness, O Bhârata, and there is exaltation of unrighteousness, then I Myself come forth; For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age.

Comment: This frames divine intervention as including the destruction of “evil-doers,” making religious disagreement easy to cast as something to be destroyed.

BG 4.31

Translations:

Besant: The eaters of the life-giving remains of sacrifice go to the changeless Eternal. This world is not for the non-sacrificer, much less the other, O best of the Kurus.

Comment: This excludes non-sacrificers from both this world and the next, treating ritual participation as a condition for belonging.

BG 4.40

Translations:

Besant: But the ignorant, faithless, doubting self goeth to destruction; nor this world, nor that beyond, nor happiness, is there for the doubting self.

Comment: This condemns doubt itself as destructive and happiness-denying, which is a classic intolerant move against questioning.

Bg. 7.15

न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढा: प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमा: ।
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिता: ॥ १५ ॥

Translations:

Besant: The evil-doing, the deluded, the vilest men, they come not to Me, they whose wisdom is destroyed by illusion, who have embraced the nature of demons.

As It Is: Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.

Bg. 7.25

नाहं प्रकाश: सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृत: ।
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ॥ २५ ॥

Translations:

Besant: Nor am I of all discovered, enveloped in My creation-illusion. This deluded world knoweth Me not, the unborn, the imperishable.

As It Is: I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible.

Bg. 9.12

मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतस: ।
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिता: ॥ १२ ॥

Translations:

Besant: Empty of hope, empty of deeds, empty of wisdom, senseless, partaking of the deceitful, brutal and demoniacal nature.

As It Is: Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.

Puranas

Bhagavata Purana or Srimad Bhagavatam

SB 4.4.17

कर्णौ पिधाय निरयाद्यदकल्प ईशे
धर्मावितर्यसृणिभिर्नृभिरस्यमाने ।
छिन्द्यात्प्रसह्य रुशतीमसतीं प्रभुश्चे-
ज्जिह्वामसूनपि ततो विसृजेत्स धर्म: ॥ १७ ॥

Translations:

srimadbhagavatam.org: When one is confronted with people who irresponsibly blaspheme the controller of the religion, one should block one’s ears and walk away, if nothing else can be done. But if one can do something, one should by force cut out the tongue of the vilifying blasphemer and next give up one’s life. That is the way to deal with such matters!

Vedabase: Satī continued: If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of religion, one should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer’s tongue and kill the offender, and after that one should give up his own life.

Comment: Is this really peaceful?

Comments

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