Text 46] Prthu Maharaja’s Meeting with the Four Kumaras 951
are many bogus institutions which are collecting funds from the public for
the purpose of giving food to starving people, but these funds are invariably
misused. According to the Vedic instructions, the government should
arrange things in such a way that there will be no question of starvation.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that a householder must see to it
that even a lizard or a snake does not starve. They also must be given food.
In actuality, however, there is no question of starvation because everything
is the property of the Supreme Lord, and He sees to it that there is ample
arrangement for feeding everyone. In the Vedas it is said: eko bahunam yo
vidadhati kaman (Katha Up. 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord supplies the
necessities of life to everyone, and there is no question of starvation. If
anyone starves, it is due to the mismanagement of the so-called ruler, gover-
nor or president.

It is clear therefore that a person who is not well versed in the Vedic
injunctions (veda-sastra-vit) should not run for election as president,
governor, etc. Formerly kings were rajarsis, which meant that although
they were serving as kings, they were as good as saintly persons because
they would not transgress any of the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures
and would rule under the direction of great saintly persons and brahmanas.
According to this arrangement, modern presidents, governors and chief
executive officers are all unworthy of their posts because they are not con-
versant with Vedic administrative knowledge and they do not take direc-
tion from great saintly persons and brahmanas. Because of his disobedience
to the orders of the Vedas and the brahmanas, King Vena, Prthu Maharaja’s
father, was killed by the brahmanas. Prthu Maharaja therefore knew very
well that it behooved him to rule the planet as the servant of saintly per-
sons and brahmanas.

TEXT 46
SAT ATA Ue AeA Sl Zaha |
qaqameas «Bat ATR: v4
svam eva brahmano bhunk te
svam vaste svam dadati ca
tasyaivanugrahenannam
bhunijate ksatriyadayah

svam—own; eva—certainly; brahmanah—the brahmanas; bhunkte—enjoy;
svam—own; vaste—clothing; suam—own; dadati—gives in charity; ca—and;
tasya—his; eva—certainly; anugrahena—by the mercy of; annam—food
