The Whole World Was In Krsna Consciousness

[Gavin Swinden]

(We think, from Vedic evidences, the whole world was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There was one God: Kṛṣṇa; one scripture: Bhagavad-gītā; one consciousness: Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and one work: service of the Lord)

 

"In the modern age, any religion you can take into consideration, they are not older than 2,600 years. But so far this Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago. We should consider what were the religion of the world 2,600 years ago, because modern history cannot place before you any chronological list of religious evolution within 2,600 years.

 

There was human society before 2,600 years. And what was their religion? We think, from Vedic evidences, the whole world was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There was one God: Kṛṣṇa; one scripture: Bhagavad-gītā; one consciousness: Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and one work: service of the Lord. From Mahābhārata, the great history of India, we can understand that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was ruled by one flag, this Vedic culture.

 

Gradually it deteriorated, as we have practical experience. Twenty years ago there was no Pakistan, but now Pakistan is existing. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. This Bhārata-varṣa name was after the king Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa."

 

(His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Lecture, March 31, 1971, Bombay)