Bhagvatam : At the present moment, high government officials are ignorant of the values of life, and when saintly persons endeavor to broadcast the Vedic knowledge, the so-called executives do not offer their respectful obeisances but try to obstruct the spiritual propaganda. Thus one can say that the former kingly government was like heaven and that the present government is like hell.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvämi continued: O best of the Pändu dynasty [Mahäräja Pariksit], the King of the Sindhu and Sauvira states [Mahäräja Rahügana] had great faith in discussions of the Absolute Truth. Being thus qualified, he heard from Jada Bharata that philosophical presentation which is approved by all scriptures on the mystic yoga process and which slackens the knot in the heart. His material conception of himself as a king was thus destroyed. He immediately descended from his palanquin and fell flat on the ground with his head at the lotus feet of Jada Bharata in such a way that he might be excused for his insulting words against the great brähmana. He then prayed as follows.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gitä (4.2) Lord Krsna says:
"This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost."
Through the disciplic succession the royal order was on the same platform as great saintly persons (räja-rsis).
Formerly they could understand the philosophy of life and knew how to train the citizens to come to the same standard.
In other words, they knew how to deliver the citizens from the entanglement of birth and death.
When Mahäräja Dasaratha ruled Ayodhyä, the great sage Visvämitra once came to him to take away Lord Rämachandra and Laksmana to the forest to kill a demon.
When the saintly person Visvämitra came to the court of Mahäräja Dasaratha, the King, in order to receive the saintly person, asked him, aihistam yat tat punar janma jayäya.
He asked the sage whether everything was going on well in his endeavor to conquer the repetition of birth and death.
The whole process of Vedic civilization is based on this point.
We must know how to conquer the repetition of birth and death.
Mahäräja Rahügana also knew the purpose of life; therefore when Jada Bharata put the philosophy of life before him, he immediately appreciated it.
This is the foundation of Vedic society.
Learned scholars, brähmanas, saintly persons and sages who were fully aware of the Vedic purpose advised the royal order how to benefit the general masses, and by their cooperation, the general masses were benefited.
Therefore everything was successful.
Mahäräja Rahügana attained this perfection of understanding the value of human life; therefore he regretted his insulting words to Jada Bharata, and he immediately descended from his palanquin and fell down at the lotus feet of Jada Bharata in order to be excused and to hear from him further about the values of life known as brahma jijnäsä (inquiry into the Absolute Truth).
At the present moment, high government officials are ignorant of the values of life, and when saintly persons endeavor to broadcast the Vedic knowledge, the so-called executives do not offer their respectful obeisances but try to obstruct the spiritual propaganda.
Thus one can say that the former kingly government was like heaven and that the present government is like hell.
