Text 15] Parasurama, the Lord’s Warrior Incarnation 223

ceased to care for the laws enacted by the brahmanas, Parasurama
killed them. Although their offense was not very severe, he killed
them to lessen the burden of the world.

PURPORT

The ksatriyas, or the ruling class, must govern the world in accordance
with the rules and regulations enacted by great brahmanas and saintly
persons. As soon as the ruling class becomes irresponsible in regard to
the religious principles, it becomes a burden on the earth. As stated here,
rajas-tamo-vurtam, bharam abrahmanyam: when the ruling class is in-
fluenced by the lower modes of nature, namely ignorance and passion, it
becomes a burden to the world and must then be annihilated by superior
power. We actually see from modern history that monarchies have been
abolished by various revolutions, but unfortunately the monarchies have
been abolished to establish the supremacy of third-class and fourth-class
men. Although monarchies overpowered by the modes of passion and ig-
norance have been abolished in the world, the inhabitants of the world
are still unhappy, for although the qualities of the former monarchs were
degraded by taints of ignorance, these monarchs have been replaced by
men of the mercantile and worker classes whose qualities are even more
degraded. When the government is actually guided by brahmanas, or
God conscious men, then there can be real happiness for the people.
Therefore in previous times, when the ruling class was degraded to the
modes of passion and ignorance, the brdhmanas, headed by such a
ksatriya-spirited brdéhmana as Parasurama, killed them twenty-one
consecutive times. ;

In Kali-yuga, as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.13), dasyu-
prayesu rdjasu: the ruling class (rajanya) will be no better than plun-
derers (dasyus) because the third-class and fourth-class men will
monopolize the affairs of the government. Ignoring the religious prin-
ciples and brahminical rules and regulations, they will certainly try to
plunder the riches of the citizens without consideration. As stated
elsewhere in Srimad-Bhdégavatam (12.1.40):

asamskrtah kriya-hina
rajasé tamasdurtah
