TEXT 24
ya uddharet karam raja
praja dharmesv asiksayan
prajanam samalam bhunkte
bhagam ca svam jahati sah
SYNONYMS
yahanyone (king or governor); uddharetexact; karamtaxes; rajaking; prajahthe citizens; dharmesuin executing their respective duties; asiksayanwithout teaching them how to execute their respective duties; prajanamof the citizens; samalamimpious; bhunkteenjoys; bhagamfortune; caalso; svamown; jahatigives up; sahthat king.
TRANSLATION
Any king who does not teach his citizens about their respective duties in terms of varna and asrama but who simply exacts tolls and taxes from them is liable to suffer for the impious activities which have been performed by the citizens. In addition to such degradation, the king also loses his own fortune.
PURPORT
A king, governor or president should not take the opportunity to occupy his post without also discharging his duty. He must teach the people within the state how to observe the divisions of varna and asrama. If a king neglects to give such instructions and is simply satisfied with levying taxes, then those who share in the collectionnamely, all the government servants and the head of the stateare liable to share in the impious activities of the general masses. The laws of nature are very subtle. For example, if one eats in a place which is very sinful, he shares in the resultant reaction of the sinful activities performed there. (It is a Vedic system, therefore, for a householder to call brahmanas and Vaisnavas to eat at ceremonial performances in his house because the brahmanas and Vaisnavas can immunize him from sinful activities. But it is not the duty of rigid brahmanas and Vaisnavas to accept invitations everywhere. There is, of course, no objection to taking part in feasts in which prasada is distributed.) There are many subtle laws which are practically unknown to people in general, but the Krsna consciousness movement is very scientifically distributing all this Vedic knowledge for the benefit of the people of the world.

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