Text 41]
Punishment and Reward of Kali
923
athaitāni na seveta bubhūṣuḥ puruṣaḥ kvacit viśeṣato dharma-sīlo rājā loka-patir guruḥ
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-sīlaḥ —those who are on the progressive path of liberation;  rājā —the king;  loka-patiḥ —public leader;  guruḥ —the  brāhmaṇa  and the  sannyāsī .
TRANSLATION
Therefore whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings, religionists, public leaders,  brāhmaṇa  and  sannyāsī , should never come in contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles.
PURPORT
The  brāhmaṇa  is the religious preceptor for all other castes, and the  sannyāsī  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 from 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  sannyāsī , 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 are free from the contamination of the four disqualifications, namely gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter.