Text 5] Prayers by Queen Kunti 379

sadhayitvajata-satroh
svam rajyarm kitavair hrtam
ghatayitvasato rajrah
kaca-sparsaksatayusah

sadhayitva—having executed; ajata-satroh—of one who has no enemy;
svam rajyam—own kingdom; kitavath- by the clever (Duryodhana and
party); hrtam—usurped; ghatayitva—having killed; asatah—the unscrupu-
lous; rajnah—of the queen’s; kaca—bunch of hair; sparsa—roughly
handled; ksata— decreased: d@yusah—by the duration of life.

TRANSLATION

The clever Duryodhana and his party cunningly usurped the kingdom
of Yudhisthira, who had no enemy. By the grace of the Lord, the recovery
was executed, and the unscrupulous kings who joined with Duryodhana
were killed by Him. Others also died, their duration of life being decreased
for their having roughly handled the hair of Queen Draupadi.

PURPORT

In the glorious days, or before the advent of the age of Kali, the
brahmanas, the cows, the women, the children and the old men were
properly given protection.

1. The protection of the brahmanas maintains the institution of varna
and asrama, the most scientific culture for attainment of spiritual life.

2. The protection of cows maintains the most miraculous form of food,
i.e., milk for maintaining the finer tissues of the brain for understanding
higher aims of life.

3. The protection of women maintains the chastity of society by which
we can get a good generation for peace, tranquility and progress of life.

4. The protection of children gives the human form of life its best
chance to prepare the way of liberty from material bondage. Such pro-
tection of children begins from the very day of begetting a child by the
purificatory process of Garbhadhana-samskara, the beginning of pure life.

3..The protection of the old men gives them a chance to prepare them-
selves for better life after death. This complete outlook is based on factors
leading to successful humanity as against the civilization of polished cats
and dogs.

The killing of these innocent creatures is totally forbidden because even
by insulting them one loses one’s duration of life. In the age of Kali they
