590
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 14]
aheḥ —of a snake;  iva —like;  payaḥ —with milk;  poṣaḥ —the maintaining;  poṣakasya —of the maintainer;  api —even;  anartha —against the interest;  bhṛt —becomes;  venaḥ —King Vena;  prakṛtyā —by nature;  eva —certainly;  khalaḥ —mischievous;  sunīthā —of Sunīthā, Vena's mother;  garbha —the womb;  sambhavaḥ —born of.
TRANSLATION
The sages began to think within themselves: Because he was born in the womb of Sunīthā, King Vena is by nature very mischievous. Supporting this mischievous king is exactly like maintaining a snake with milk. Now he has become a source of all difficulties.
PURPORT
Saintly persons are generally aloof from social activities and the materialistic way of life. King Vena was supported by the saintly persons just to protect the citizens from the hands of rogues and thieves, but after his ascendance to the throne, he became a source of trouble to the sages. Saintly people are especially interested in performing sacrifices and austerities for the advancement of spiritual life, but Vena, instead of being obliged because of the saints' mercy, turned out to be their enemy because he prohibited them from executing their ordinary duties. A serpent who is maintained with milk and bananas simply stores poison in his teeth and awaits the day to bite his master.
TEXT 11
निरूपितः प्रजापालः स जिघांसति वै प्रजाः । तथापि सान्त्वयेमाहं नास्यांस्तत्पातकं स्पृशेत् ॥११॥
nirūpitaḥ prajā-pālaḥ sa jighāṁsati vai prajāḥ tathāpi sāntvayemāmum nāsmāṁs tat-pātakaṁ spṛśet
nirūpitaḥ —appointed;  prajā-pālaḥ —the king;  saḥ —he;  jighāṁsati —desires to harm;  vai —certainly;  prajāḥ —the citizens;  tathāpi —nevertheless;  sāntvayema —we should pacify;  amum —him;  na —not;  asmān —us;  tat —his;  pātakam —sinful result;  spṛśet —may touch.
TRANSLATION
We appointed this Vena king of the state in order to give protection to the citizens, but now he has become the enemy of the citizens. Despite