Text 23]
The Doorkeepers Cursed by the Sages
659
TEXT 23
न त्वं द्विजोत्तमकुलं यदिहात्मगोपं 
  गोप्ता वृषः स्वर्हणेन सम्भूतेन । 
  तर्ह्येव नङ्क्ष्यति शिवस्तव देव पन्था 
  लोकोऽग्रहीष्यदृषभस्य हि तत्प्रमाणम्॥२३॥
na tvam dvijottama-kulam yadi hātma-gopam 
  goptā vṛṣaḥ svarhaṇena sa-sūnṛtena 
  tarhy eva naṅkṣyati śivas tava deva panthā 
  loko 'grahīṣyad ṛṣabhasya hi tat pramāṇam
na—not; tvam—You; dvija—of the twice-born; uttama-kulam—the highest class; yadi—if; ha—indeed; ātma-gopam—worthy to be protected by You; goptā—the protector; vṛṣaḥ—the best; svarhaṇena—by worship; sa-sūnṛtena—along with mild words; tarhi—then; eva—certainly; naṅkṣyati—will be lost; śivaḥ—auspicious; tava—Your; deva—O Lord; panthāḥ—the path; lokaḥ—the people in general; agrahīṣyat—would accept; ṛṣabhasya—of the best; hi—because; tat—that; pramāṇam—authority.
TRANSLATION
O Lord, You are the protector of the highest of the twice-born, and if You do not protect them by offering worship and mild words, then certainly the auspicious path of worship will be rejected by people in general, who act on the strength and authority of Your Lordship.
PURPORT
In  Bhagavad-gītā  it is stated by the Lord Himself that the acts and character of great authorities are followed by people in general. Leaders of ideal character are therefore needed in society. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared in this material world just to show the example of perfect authority, and people have to follow His path. The Vedic injunction is that one cannot understand the Absolute Truth simply by mental speculation or logical argument. One has to follow the authorities.  Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ . Great authorities should be followed; otherwise, if we simply depend on the scriptures, we are sometimes misled by rascals, or else we cannot understand or follow the different spiritual injunctions. The best path is to follow the authorities.