Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.14.16
स ते मा विनशेद्वीर प्रजानां क्षेमलक्षण: ।
यस्मिन् विनष्टे नृपतिरैश्वर्यादवरोहति ॥ १६ ॥
sa te mā vinaśed vīra
[sa te maa vinashed veera]
prajānāṁ kṣema-lakṣaṇaḥ
[prajaanaam kshema-lakshanah]
yasmin vinaṣṭe nṛpatir
[yasmin vinashte nripatir]
aiśvaryād avarohati
[aishvaryaad avarohati]
Word-for-word
saḥ
—
that spiritual life
te
—
by you
mā
—
do not
vinaśet
—
let it be spoiled
vīra
—
O hero
prajānām
—
of the people
kṣema-lakṣaṇaḥ
—
the cause of prosperity
yasmin
—
which
vinaṣṭe
—
being spoiled
nṛpatiḥ
—
the king
aiśvaryāt
—
from opulence
avarohati
—
falls down.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa te mā vinaśed vīra
saḥ
that spiritual life
te
by you
mā
do not
vinaśet
let it be spoiled
vīra
O hero
prajānāṁ kṣema-lakṣaṇaḥ
prajānām
of the people
kṣema-lakṣaṇaḥ
the cause of prosperity
yasmin vinaṣṭe nṛpatir
yasmin
which
vinaṣṭe
being spoiled
nṛpatiḥ
the king
aiśvaryād avarohati
aiśvaryāt
from opulence
avarohati
falls down.
The sages continued: O great hero, for this reason you should not be the cause of spoiling the spiritual life of the general populace. If their spiritual life is spoiled because of your activities, you will certainly fall down from your opulent and royal position.
Purport
Formerly, in practically all parts of the world, there were monarchies, but gradually as monarchy declined from the ideal life of religion to the godless life of sense gratification, monarchies all over the world were abolished. However, simply abolishing monarchy and replacing it with democracy is not sufficient unless the government men are religious and follow in the footsteps of great religious personalities.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
O hero! Do not destroy dharma, which brings benefit to the citizens. If dharma is destroyed, the King will fall from his position.
Mā vinaśet should be mā vinaśyatu.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Don't spoil the people's spiritual life; if you do, you'll fall from your royal position. Leaders who corrupt their people lose their own footing; the link is karmic, not merely social.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I quietly corrupting those who follow me — and what's that costing my own footing?
- Whose 'fall from position' might I be witnessing as karmic feedback for spoiling others?
My note
Source: vedabase.io