← Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1962)

Chapter 17: Punishment and Reward of Kali

Verse 41 of 41
SB 1.17.41

athaitāni na seveta bubhūṣuḥ puruṣaḥ kvacit viśeṣato dharma-śīlo rājā loka-patir guruḥ

Synonyms

athatherefore; etāniall these; nanever; sevetacome in contact; bubhūṣuḥthose who desire well being; puruṣaḥperson; kvacitin any circustances; viśeṣataḥspecifically; dharma-śīlaḥthose who are on the progressive path of liberation; rājāthe king; loka-patiḥpublic leader; guruḥthe Brahmins and the Sanyasins.

Translation

Therefore any one who desires progressively well being of oneself, must not be in contact with the abovementioned four irreligiosities and specially the king, the religionists, the public leaders and the Brahmins and Sanyasins are forbidden to do this.

Purport

The Brahmin is the religious preceeptor for all other castes and the Sanysins are the spiritual masters for all the castes and orders of society. As such they are very responsible personages in the society. So also is the king and the public leader who are responsible for the material welfare of all people. The progressive religionists and the one who is a responsible human being or one who does not want to spoil his valuable human life, all should refrain from all the above mentioned principles of irreligiosities and specially from the illicit connection of woman. If a Brahmin is not truthful all his claim for the position of Brahmin at once become null and void. If a Sanyasi is illicitly connected with women all his claim for the honour of a sannyasi at once become a perjury. Similarly if the king and the public leader are unnecessarily proud or habituated to drinking and smoking certainly they become disqualified in the matter of discharging public welfare activities. Truthfulness being the basic principle for all reeligiosities the four leaders of the human society namely the Sannyasi, the Brahmin, the king and the public leader must be tested crucially by their character and qualification. Before accepting one as the spiritual or material masters of the society, he must be tested by the above mentioned criterion of factual character. Such public leaders may be less qualified in academic educational qualifications but it is necessary primarily that they should be free from the contamination of the above mentioned four kinds of disqualifications namely gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughtering.

Verse 41 of 41
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