Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.15.24

prāyeṇaitad bhagavata

īśvarasya viceṣṭitam

mitho nighnanti bhūtāni

bhāvayanti ca yan mithaḥ

SYNONYMS

prāyeṇa etat — it is almost by; bhagavataḥ — of the Personality of Godhead; īśvarasya — of the Lord; viceṣṭitam — by the will of; mithaḥ — one another; nighnanti — do kill; bhūtāni — the living beings; bhāvayanti — as also protect; ca — also; yat — of whom; mithaḥ — one another.

TRANSLATION

Factually this is all due to the supreme will of the Lord, the Personality of Godhead. Sometimes people kill one another, and at other times they protect one another.

PURPORT

According to the anthropologists, there is nature's law of struggle for existence and survival of the fittest. But they do not know that behind the law of nature is the supreme direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed that the law of nature is executed under the direction of the Lord. Whenever, therefore, there is peace in the world, it must be known that it is due to the good will of the Lord. And whenever there is upheaval in the world, it is also due to the supreme will of the Lord. Not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Lord. Whenever, therefore, there is disobedience of the established rules enacted by the Lord, there is war between men and nations. The surest way to the path of peace, therefore, is dovetailing everything to the established rule of the Lord. The established rule is that whatever we do, whatever we eat, whatever we sacrifice or whatever we give in charity must be done to the full satisfaction of the Lord. No one should do anything, eat anything, sacrifice anything or give anything in charity against the will of the Lord. Discretion is the better part of valor, and one must learn how to discriminate between actions which may be pleasing to the Lord and those which may not be pleasing to the Lord. An action is thus judged by the Lord's pleasure or displeasure. There is no room for personal whims; we must always be guided by the pleasure of the Lord. Such action is called yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam, or actions performed which are linked with the Supreme Lord. That is the art of doing a thing perfectly.