SB 1.17.41

SB 1.17.41

Devanagari

अथैतानि न सेवेत बुभूषु: पुरुष: क्‍वचित् । विशेषतो धर्मशीलो राजा लोकपतिर्गुरु: ॥ ४१ ॥

Verse text

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

Synonyms

atha therefore ; etāni all these ; na never ; seveta come in contact ; bubhūṣuḥ those who desire well-being ; puruṣaḥ person ; kvacit in any circumstances ; viśeṣataḥ specifically ; dharma śīlaḥ — those who are on the progressive path of liberation ; rājā the king ; loka patiḥ — public leader ; guruḥ the brāhmaṇas and the sannyāsīs. .

Translation

Therefore, whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings, religionists, public leaders, brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs, should never come in contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The person who desires his own benefit, and particularly the religious king, the protector of people and the teacher, should not indulge in these five items.

Purport

The brāhmaṇas are the religious preceptors for all other castes, and the sannyāsīs are the spiritual masters for all the castes and orders of society. So also are the king and the public leaders who are responsible for the material welfare of all people. The progressive religionists and those who are responsible human beings or those who do not want to spoil their valuable human lives should refrain from all the principles of irreligiosity, especially illicit connection with women. If a brāhmaṇa is not truthful, all his claims as a brāhmaṇa at once become null and void. If a sannyāsī is illicitly connected with women, all his claims as a sannyāsī at once become false. Similarly, if the king and the public leader are unnecessarily proud or habituated to drinking and smoking, certainly they become disqualified to discharge public welfare activities. Truthfulness is the basic principle for all religions. The four leaders of the human society, namely the sannyāsīs, the brāhmaṇa, the king and the public leader, must be tested crucially by their character and qualification. Before one can be accepted as a spiritual or material master of society, he must be tested by the above-mentioned criteria of character. Such public leaders may be less qualified in academic qualifications, but it is necessary primarily that they be free from the contamination of the four disqualifications, namely gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter.

Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

One should not serve women beyond one’s married wife. Bubhūṣuḥ means “desiring his own benefit.” “Not indulging in gold or wealth” means not being attached to it (though to some degree everyone has to use it.)