SRILA PRABHUPADA ON MUNDANE POLITICS
Srila Prabhupada: Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam
Because they are not Vaisnava, politicians — reject
them Immediately. Immediately. That is the injunction.
(Room Conversation December 31, 1976, Bombay)
At present, because the head of the social body is missing—it is a dead body. The head is very important, and our Krsna consciousness movement is creating some brahmanas (intellectually spiritually inclined individuals) who will form the head of society. Then the administrators will be able to rule very nicely under the instructions of the philosophers and theologians—that is, under the instructions of God-conscious people.
Nowadays, unqualified men have taken the presidential post. And although they may pose themselves as very religious, they are simply rascals. Since people do not know that these administrators are rascals, they are suffering. And the people are also rascals because they are voting for these bigger rascals.
The government should be ideal, and this is the ideal: The saintly philosophers should be at the head of the state; according to their advice the politicians should rule; under the protection of the politicians, the productive class should provide the necessities of life; and the laborer class should help. This is the scientific division of society that Krsna advocates in the Bhagavad-gita [4.13]: catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah. “According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me.” (Srila Prabhupada — The Journey of Self Discovery: Chapter 7: Perspectives on Science and Philosophy : Goodness and Government)
So cats and dogs, they’re voting. So what will they vote for, cats and dogs? They will vote another big cat, big dog, that’s all. So what can the big dog or big cat do? That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh [Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.19] which means a leader voted for by some hogs, by some dogs, by some camels, and by some asses. This is the position of present society. Suppose there are many dogs in this Los Angeles city… Of course, camels you haven’t got, but there are many asses also. At least in Indian cities we find there are many hogs, many dogs, many camels and many asses. So if they are called for votes... “Now we are taking vote for this, for this,” but what is the value of that election? Is there any value? (Srila Prabhupada — Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.9 Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures — Los Angeles, September 15, 1972)
The best ruling is monarchy, and monarch means he must be a perfectly trained-up person by the best brahmanas. That is perfect government. Not this democracy, wherein some rascals and fools are voting for another rascal and fool, and by hook and crook he comes to the post. He does not like to give it up, and makes things very miserable. This kind of government… Now your Senate is proposing, “Let us pray to God how we can get good government.” They are coming back to that again. But why not train? Now you are going to pray to God, “Please give us good government.” Why don’t you train a person to be a maha-bhagavata (a person who is purely devoted to God)? (Srila Prabhupada — Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.1 Lecture — Los Angeles, December 29, 1973)
If people are given nomination, as it is the practice now, by vote, by ordinary people, who are all rascals, what is the value of their vote? Therefore another rascal is selected. Because one who is voting, he is a rascal. He does not know whom to give vote. He is not trained up. Simply by number, “Yes, I vote.” And that vote you can purchase by bribing, by propaganda. So democracy is of no value. It has no value. If somebody is voted for by a number of asses, what is the value of such votes? Those who elect, they must be very sober. Formerly a king was nominated not only by God, but also confirmed by the society of learned brahmanas (saintly persons) and he had to personally prove that he was actually a saintly king. (Srila Prabhupada — Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.11 Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada: Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam
Because they are not Vaisnava, politicians — reject
them Immediately. Immediately. That is the injunction.
(Room Conversation December 31, 1976, Bombay)
At present, because the head of the social body is missing—it is a dead body. The head is very important, and our Krsna consciousness movement is creating some brahmanas (intellectually spiritually inclined individuals) who will form the head of society. Then the administrators will be able to rule very nicely under the instructions of the philosophers and theologians—that is, under the instructions of God-conscious people.
Nowadays, unqualified men have taken the presidential post. And although they may pose themselves as very religious, they are simply rascals. Since people do not know that these administrators are rascals, they are suffering. And the people are also rascals because they are voting for these bigger rascals.
The government should be ideal, and this is the ideal: The saintly philosophers should be at the head of the state; according to their advice the politicians should rule; under the protection of the politicians, the productive class should provide the necessities of life; and the laborer class should help. This is the scientific division of society that Krsna advocates in the Bhagavad-gita [4.13]: catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah. “According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me.” (Srila Prabhupada — The Journey of Self Discovery: Chapter 7: Perspectives on Science and Philosophy : Goodness and Government)
So cats and dogs, they’re voting. So what will they vote for, cats and dogs? They will vote another big cat, big dog, that’s all. So what can the big dog or big cat do? That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh [Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.19] which means a leader voted for by some hogs, by some dogs, by some camels, and by some asses. This is the position of present society. Suppose there are many dogs in this Los Angeles city… Of course, camels you haven’t got, but there are many asses also. At least in Indian cities we find there are many hogs, many dogs, many camels and many asses. So if they are called for votes... “Now we are taking vote for this, for this,” but what is the value of that election? Is there any value? (Srila Prabhupada — Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.9 Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures — Los Angeles, September 15, 1972)
The best ruling is monarchy, and monarch means he must be a perfectly trained-up person by the best brahmanas. That is perfect government. Not this democracy, wherein some rascals and fools are voting for another rascal and fool, and by hook and crook he comes to the post. He does not like to give it up, and makes things very miserable. This kind of government… Now your Senate is proposing, “Let us pray to God how we can get good government.” They are coming back to that again. But why not train? Now you are going to pray to God, “Please give us good government.” Why don’t you train a person to be a maha-bhagavata (a person who is purely devoted to God)? (Srila Prabhupada — Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.1 Lecture — Los Angeles, December 29, 1973)
If people are given nomination, as it is the practice now, by vote, by ordinary people, who are all rascals, what is the value of their vote? Therefore another rascal is selected. Because one who is voting, he is a rascal. He does not know whom to give vote. He is not trained up. Simply by number, “Yes, I vote.” And that vote you can purchase by bribing, by propaganda. So democracy is of no value. It has no value. If somebody is voted for by a number of asses, what is the value of such votes? Those who elect, they must be very sober. Formerly a king was nominated not only by God, but also confirmed by the society of learned brahmanas (saintly persons) and he had to personally prove that he was actually a saintly king. (Srila Prabhupada — Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.11 Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974)
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