562 Srimad-Bhagavatam [ Canto 4, Ch. 13

kim—why; va—also;amhah—sinful activities; vene—unto Vena; uddisya—
seeing; brahma-dandam—curse of a brahmana; ayttyujan—they desired to
award; danda-vrata-dhare—who carries the rod of punishment; rajai—unto
the king; munayah—the great sages; dharma-kovidah—completely conver-
sant with religious principles.

TRANSLATION

Vidura also inquired: How is it that the great sages, who were completely
conversant with religious principles, desired to curse King Vena, who him-
self carried the rod of punishment, and thus awarded him the greatest
punishment [brahma-sapa]?

PURPORT

It is understood that the king is able to give punishment to everyone, but
in this case it appears that the great sages punished him. The king must
have done something very serious, otherwise how could the great sages,
who were supposed to be the greatest and most tolerant, still punish him
in spite of their elevated religious consciousness? It appears also that the
king was not independent of the brahminical culture. Above the king there
was the control of the brahmanas, and if needed the brahmanas would
dethrone the king or would kill him, not with any weapon, but with the
mantra of a brahma-sapa. The brahmanas were so powerful that simply by
their cursing one would immediately die.

TEXT 23
ATT: TANTS: Tafa TaTAHA |
Tee Stare acaia: ATA Az
navadhyeyah praja-palah
prajabhir aghavan api
yad asau lola-palanarm
bibharty ojah sva-tejasa

na—never; avadhyeyah—to be insulted; praja-palah—the hing; prajabhih—
by the citizens; aghavan—ever sinful; api—even though; yat— because; asau—
he; loka-palandm—of many kings; bibharti—maintains; ojah—prowess; sva-
tejasa—by personal influence.

TRANSLATION

It is the duty of all citizens in a state never to insult the king, even

though he sometimes appears to have done something very sinful. Because
