SB 1.17.38 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 38
- Abhyarthitas tada tasmai sthananik alaye dadou
- Dyutam panam striyah suna yatra adhamass chaturbidhah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Abhyarthitas—thus being prayed for, Tada—at that time, Tasmai—unto him, Sthanani—places, Kalaye—unto the personality of Kali, Dadou—gave him permission, Dyutam—gambling, Panam—drinking, Striyah—illicit association of woman, Suna—killing of living beings, Yatra—wherever, Adharma—irreligiosities, Chaturbidhah—four kinds of.
TRANSLATION
Suta Goswami said, "Maharaj Parikshit, thus being prayed for by the personality of Kali, gave him permission to reside in four different places where gambling, drinking, prostitution and slaughtering of animals are performed respectively."
PURPORT
The basic principles of irreligiosities such as pride, prositution, intoxication and falsehood respectively counteracts the four principles of religiosities namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, the Personality of Kali was given permissson to live in four places particularly mentioned by the king namely the place of gambling, the place of prostitution, the place of drinking and the place of slaughtering the animals.
Srila Jiva Goswami directs that drinking against the principles of scriptures such as Soutramani yajna etc, association with woman except the married one, killing of animals against injunction of scripture, are irreligious. In the Vedas two different types of injunctions are there for the Pravittas or those who are engaged in the matter of material enjoyment and for the Nrivittas or those who are engaged in the matter of liberation from material bondage. The Vedic injuction for the Pravittas are to regularise their activities towards the path of liberation by gradual process. Therefore, for the persons who are in the lowest stage of ignorance and indulge in the matter of wine, woman and flesh, for them drinking by performing Sroutamani yajna, association of woman by marriage and flesh eating by sacrifices are sometimes recommended. But such recommendations in the Vedic literature are meant for a particular class of men and not for all. But because they are injuctions of the Vedas for such particular type of persons such activities by the Pravittas are not considered Adharma. One man's food may be poison for other; similarly what is recommended for the persons in the modes of ignorance may be poison for the persons in the modes of goodness. Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu, therefore, affirms that recommendations of the scriptures, for a certain class of men, are never to be considered as Adharma or irreligion. But such activities are factually Adharma and they are never meant for being encouraged. The recommendation in the Scriptures are not meant for encouragement of such Adharmas but they are meant for regularising the necessary Adharmas gradually towards the path of Dharma.
Following the foot prints of Maharaj Parikshit, it is the duty of all executive heads of states to see that the principles of religiosities namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness be established in the state and the principles of irreligiosities namely pride, illicit womanly association or prostitution, intoxication and falsity be checked by all means. And to make the best use of a bad bargain the personality of Kali may be transferred to places of gambling, drinking, prostitution and slaughter houses if there is any place like that. Those who are addicted to these irreligioos habit may be regularised by the injunctions of the Scripture for restraining them and in all circumstances they may not be encouraged by any state. In other words the state should categorically stop all sorts of gambling, drinking, prostitution and falsity as a matter of fact. On the contrary the state which wants to eradicate corruption by majority may introduce the principles of religiosity in the following manner:
1. Two compulsory fasting days in a month if not more (austerity). Even from economic point of view such two fasting days in a month in the state will save tons of food grains and the system will act very favorably on the general health of the citizens also.
2. There must be compulsory marriage of young boys and girls attaining 24 years of age and 16 years of age respectively. There is no harm of co-education in the schools and colleges provided the boys and the girls are duly married and in case there is any intimate connection between a male and female student they may be married properly without allowing them for any illicit relation. The divorce act is encouraging prostitution and this should be abolished.
3. The citizens of the state must give in charity up to 50% of their income for the purpose of creating spiritual atmosphere in the state or in the human society both individually and collectively. Preaching of the principles of Bhagwatam by (a) Karmayoga or doing everything for the satisfaction of the Lord (b) regular hearing of the Srimad Bhagwatam from authorised persons or realised souls (c) Chanting of the glories of the Lord congregationally at home or at places of worship (d) rendering of all kinds of service to person Bhagwatas engaged in the matter of preaching Srimad Bhagwatam (e) and residing in a place where the atmosphere is saturated with God-consciousness. If the state is regularised by the above process, naturally there will be God-consciousness everywhere.
Gambling of all description even specalative business enterprises are considered to be gambling and by encouraging this gambling in the state there is complete disappearance of truthfullness. Allowing young boys and girls to remain unmarried more than the above mentioned ages and licence for animal slaughter houses of all description shall be at once closed. The flesh-eaters may be allowed to take flesh as they are mentioned in the scriptures and not otherwise; as by purchasing from the market and thus encourage unrestricted flesh-eating strictly be stopped. Intoxication habit of all description even smoking of Bidis and cigarettes chewing of pan or drinking tea, must be prohibited.