SB 1.17.16 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 16
- Rajno hi paramo dharmah swadharmastha anupalanam
- Sasato anyan yatha sastram anapat utpathani ha.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Rajno—of the king or the executive head, Hi—certainly, Dharmah—occupational duty, Paramo—supreme, Swadharmastha—one who is faithful to his prescribed duty, Anupalanam—giving protection always, Sasato—while ruling over, Anyan—others, Yatha—accordingly, Sastram—rulings of Scriptures, Anapat—without danger, Utpathani—persons going astray, Ha—as a matter of fact.
TRANSLATION
It is the supreme duty of the ruling king to give all protection to the law abiding persons while chastising others as they are ordained in the scriptures, who go astray even in ordinary times when there is nothing untoward happening.
PURPORT
In the scriptures there is a term called Apatdharama or occupational duty at times of extra ordinary happenings. It is said sometimes the great sage Viswamitra had to live on the flesh of dogs in some extra ordinary dangerous position. In cases of emergency they may be allowed to live on the flesh of animals of all description but that does not mean that there shall be regular slaughter houses to feed the animal eaters and the system be encouraged by the state. Nobody should try to live on flesh in ordinary times simply for the sake of palate. If anybody does so the king or the executive head must punish such animal eaters for gross enjoyment.
There are regular scriptural injunctions for different person engaged in different occupational duties and one's who follows them is called Swadharmanistha or faithful in one's prescribed duties. In the Bhagwat Geeta also (Bg. 18.48) it is advised that one may not give up his occupational prescribed duties even they are not always flawless. Such Swadharama might be violated in cases of emergency being forced by circumstances but they cannot be violated in ordinary course of time. The state executive head is to see that such Swadharma is not changed by the follower whatever he may be and give all protection to such follower of Swadharma. The violater is subject to punishment in terms of Shastra and it is the duty of the King to keen vigilance in this matter of strictly following one's occupational duty as prescribed in the Scripture.