Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 22
Bhagavān’s Avatāras, Their Protections (Poṣaṇa), and the Limits of Knowing Him
क्षत्रं क्षयाय विधिनोपभृतं महात्मा ब्रह्मध्रुगुज्झितपथं नरकार्तिलिप्सु । उद्धन्त्यसाववनिकण्टकमुग्रवीर्य- स्त्रि:सप्तकृत्व उरुधारपरश्वधेन ॥ २२ ॥
kṣatraṁ kṣayāya vidhinopabhṛtaṁ mahātmā brahma-dhrug ujjhita-pathaṁ narakārti-lipsu uddhanty asāv avanikaṇṭakam ugra-vīryas triḥ-sapta-kṛtva urudhāra-paraśvadhena
যখন ক্ষত্রিয় শাসকেরা ব্রাহ্মণ্য-ধর্মকে অবমাননা করে সত্যপথ ত্যাগ করে নরকভোগের আকাঙ্ক্ষী হলো, তখন মহাত্মা ভগবান পরশুরাম অবতারে উগ্র বীর্যে তীক্ষ্ণ পরশু ধারণ করে পৃথিবীর কাঁটার মতো সেই দুষ্ট রাজাদের একুশবার মূলসহ উপড়ে ফেললেন।
The kṣatriyas, or the ruling administrators of any part of the universe, either on this planet or on other planets, are factually the representatives of the Almighty Personality of Godhead, and they are meant to lead the subjects towards the path of God realization. Every state and its administrators, regardless of the nature of the administration — monarchy or democracy, oligarchy or dictatorship or autocracy — have the prime responsibility to lead the citizens toward God realization. This is essential for all human beings, and it is the duty of the father, spiritual master, and ultimately the state to take up the responsibility of leading the citizens towards this end. The whole creation of material existence is made for this purpose, just to give a chance to the fallen souls who rebelled against the will of the Supreme Father and thus became conditioned by material nature. The force of material nature gradually leads one to a hellish condition of perpetual pains and miseries. Those going against the prescribed rules and regulations of conditional life are called brahmojjhita-pathas, or persons going against the path of the Absolute Truth, and they are liable to be punished. Lord Paraśurāma, the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, appeared in such a state of worldly affairs and killed all the miscreant kings twenty-one times. Many kṣatriya kings fled from India to other parts of the world at that time, and according to the authority of the Mahābhārata, the kings of Egypt originally migrated from India because of Paraśurāma’s program of chastisement. The kings or administrators are similarly chastised in all circumstances whenever they become godless and plan a godless civilization. That is the order of the Almighty.
FAQs
This verse says Paraśurāma uprooted the kṣatriya rulers when they abandoned dharma, became hostile to brāhmaṇas, and acted as a “thorn of the earth,” so he repeatedly removed that oppression to restore order.
It describes such rulers as brahma-dhruk (harmers of the brāhmaṇas) who stray from the right path, and indicates that divine intervention may arise to remove them for the protection of dharma.
Power should serve dharma and protect spiritual culture; when authority becomes abusive and anti-spiritual, society must correct it through lawful, ethical means and by supporting genuine learning, integrity, and devotion.