1272 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 27

TEXT 18

A Tl TN MUTINST AM: |
arta als Tot Stren aeRAT |2clI

sa eva puryam madhu-bhuk
pancalesu sva-parsadaih

upanitam balim grhnan
stri-jito navidad bhayam

sah—he; eva—certainly ; puryam—within the city; madhu-bhuk—enjoying
sex life; pancalesu—in the kingdom of Paricala (five sense objects); sva-
parsadaih—along with his followers; upanitam—brought; balim—taxes;
grhnan—accepting; strt-jitah—conquered by women; na—did not; avidat—
understand; bhayam—fear of death.

TRANSLATION

King Puranjana collected taxes in the city known as Paricala and thus
was able to engage in sexual indulgence. Being completely under the control
of women, he could not understand that his life was passing away and
that he was reaching the point of death.

PURPORT

Government men—including kings, presidents, secretaries and ministers—
are in a position to utilize taxes collected from the citizens for sense
gratification. It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam that in this Kali-yuga
government men (rajanyas) and those connected with the government, as
well as exalted government ministers, secretaries and presidents, will all
simply collect taxes for sense gratification. The government is top-heavy,
and without increasing taxes the government cannot maintain itself. When
taxes are collected, they are utilized for the sense gratification of the govern-
mental officials. Such irresponsible politicians forget that there is a time
when death will come to take away all their sense gratification. Some of
them are convinced that after life everything is finished. This atheistic
theory was conceived long ago by a philosopher called Carvaka. Carvaka
recommended that man should live very opulently by either begging ,
borrowing or stealing. He also maintained that one should not be afraid
of death, the next life, the past life, or an impious life because after the
body is burned to ashes, everything is finished. This is the philosophy of
