Modern Warfare and Kshatriya Duty Through the Lens of the Mahabharata

Abstract

This article raises the question of contemporary Gaudiya-vaishnava attitudes towards war and kshatriya duty, particularly in relation to Ukrainian, Rus- sian, and Indian perspectives on Russia’s war against Ukraine. This is viewed in the context of the holy war depicted in the Mahabharata, especially in terms of Krishna’s instructions in the Bhagavad-gita. There are four types of symbolic correlation between modern war and the events of the Mahabharata: religious, mythological, ideological, and ethical. The differences between them have led to disagreements and discussions within the Vaishnava community about how to understand the duty of a devotee in the midst of this contem-porary hostility in the Russia/Ukraine part of the world. The article substan-tiates the religious nature of the spiritual-practical position of Ukrainian Vaishnavas, some of them engaging in peaceful service to people impacted by the battle, and others in the performance of kshatriya duty in the ranks of the armed forces.