Text 14] Lord Visnu’s Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena 781

material world, then how could things as they are go on? And if things are
to go on as they ought to, how can a head of state be indifferent to such
activities? In answer to this question the word sreyah, “auspicious,” is
used here. The division of activities in society as arranged by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead was not blindly or accidently created, as foolish
people say. The brahmana must do his duty properly, and the ksatriya,
the vaigya and even the sitdra must do the same. And every one of them
can achieve the highest perfection of life—liberation from this material
bondage. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita. Sve sve karmany abhiratah
samsiddhim labhate narah: “By executing one’s prescribed duties, one can
attain the highest perfection.” (Bg. 18.45)

Lord Visnu advised Maharaja Prthu that a king is not enjoined to give up
his kingdom and the responsibility of protecting the prajds or citizens to
instead go away to the Himalayas for liberation. He can attain liberation
while executing his royal duties. The royal duty or the duty of the head of
state is to see that the prajas or the general mass of people are doing their
respective duties for spiritual salvation. A secular state does not necessitate
a king or head of state who is indifferent to the activities of the prajas.
In the modern state the government has many rules and regulations for
conducting the duties of the prajds, but the government neglects to see
that the citizens advance in spiritual knowledge. If the government is
careless in this matter, the citizens will act whimsically, without any
sense of God realization or spiritual life, and thus become entangled in
sinful activities.

An executive head should not be callous to the welfare of the general
mass of people while he simply goes on collecting taxes. The king’s real
duty is to see that the citizens gradually become fully Krsna conscious.
Krsna conscious means completely free from all sinful activities. As soon
as there is complete eradication of sinful activities in the state, then there
will be no more war, pestilence, famine or natural disturbances. This was
actually prevailing during the reign of Maharaja Yudhisthira. If a king or
head of the government is able to induce the citizens to become Krsna con-
scious, then he is worthy to rule over the mass of people; otherwise, he
has no right to levy taxes. If the king looks after the spiritual interests of
the citizens, he can levy taxes without difficulties. In this way both the
subjects and the king will be happy during this life, and in the next life the
king will be able to share one sixth of the pious activities of the citizens.
Otherwise, by levying taxes on the sinful citizens he will have to share the
reactions of their sinful activities.

This same principle can be applied to parents and the spiritual masters as
well. If parents simply give birth to children like cats and dogs but cannot
