Shloka 41
Parīkṣit Confronts Kali: Dharma (Bull) and Bhūmi (Cow) at the Dawn of Kali-yuga
अथैतानि न सेवेत बुभूषु: पुरुष: क्वचित् । विशेषतो धर्मशीलो राजा लोकपतिर्गुरु: ॥ ४१ ॥
athaitāni na seveta bubhūṣuḥ puruṣaḥ kvacit viśeṣato dharma-śīlo rājā loka-patir guruḥ
Oleh itu, sesiapa yang menginginkan kesejahteraan yang meningkat jangan sekali-kali mendekati hal-hal ini; khususnya raja yang berpegang pada dharma, ahli agama, pemimpin masyarakat, brāhmaṇa dan sannyāsī—jangan berhubung dengan empat prinsip adharma tersebut.
The brāhmaṇas are the religious preceptors for all other castes, and the sannyāsīs are the spiritual masters for all the castes and orders of society. So also are the king and the public leaders who are responsible for the material welfare of all people. The progressive religionists and those who are responsible human beings or those who do not want to spoil their valuable human lives should refrain from all the principles of irreligiosity, especially illicit connection with women. If a brāhmaṇa is not truthful, all his claims as a brāhmaṇa at once become null and void. If a sannyāsī is illicitly connected with women, all his claims as a sannyāsī at once become false. Similarly, if the king and the public leader are unnecessarily proud or habituated to drinking and smoking, certainly they become disqualified to discharge public welfare activities. Truthfulness is the basic principle for all religions. The four leaders of the human society, namely the sannyāsīs, the brāhmaṇa, the king and the public leader, must be tested crucially by their character and qualification. Before one can be accepted as a spiritual or material master of society, he must be tested by the above-mentioned criteria of character. Such public leaders may be less qualified in academic qualifications, but it is necessary primarily that they be free from the contamination of the four disqualifications, namely gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter.
FAQs
This verse says that one who wants real well-being should not associate with destructive vices, and it stresses this even more strongly for leaders who shape society.
Because the king is described as lokapati and guru—protector and teacher—so his personal discipline directly influences the moral and spiritual health of the people.
Choose environments, habits, and media that strengthen dharma; and if you lead others (family, team, community), model the standards you want society to follow.