FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.10.50

अग्रहीदासनं भ्रात्रा प्रणिपत्य प्रसादित: । प्रजा: स्वधर्मनिरता वर्णाश्रमगुणान्विता: । जुगोप पितृवद् रामो मेनिरे पितरं च तम् ॥ ५० ॥
agrahīd āsanaṁ bhrātrā
[agraheed aasanam bhraatraa]
praṇipatya prasāditaḥ
[pranipatya prasaaditah]
prajāḥ sva-dharma-niratā
[prajaah sva-dharma-nirataa]
varṇāśrama-guṇānvitāḥ
[varnaashrama-gunaanvitaah]
jugopa pitṛvad rāmo
[jugopa pitrivad raamo]
menire pitaraṁ ca tam
[menire pitaram cha tam]
agrahīt — accepted āsanam — the throne of the state bhrātrā — by His brother (Bharata) praṇipatya — after fully surrendering unto Him prasāditaḥ — having been pleased prajāḥ — and the citizens sva-dharma-niratāḥ — fully engaged in their respective occupational duties varṇāśrama — according to the system of varṇa and āśrama guṇa-anvitāḥ — all of them being qualified in that process jugopa — the Lord protected them pitṛ-vat — exactly like a father rāmaḥ — Lord Rāmacandra menire — they considered pitaram — exactly like a father ca — also tam — Him, Lord Rāmacandra.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
agrahīd āsanaṁ bhrātrā
agrahīt
accepted
āsanam
the throne of the state
bhrātrā
by His brother (Bharata)
praṇipatya prasāditaḥ
praṇipatya
after fully surrendering unto Him
prasāditaḥ
having been pleased
prajāḥ sva-dharma-niratā
prajāḥ
and the citizens
sva-dharma-niratāḥ
fully engaged in their respective occupational duties
varṇāśrama-guṇānvitāḥ
varṇāśrama
according to the system of varṇa and āśrama
guṇa-anvitāḥ
all of them being qualified in that process
jugopa pitṛvad rāmo
jugopa
the Lord protected them
pitṛ-vat
exactly like a father
rāmaḥ
Lord Rāmacandra
menire pitaraṁ ca tam
menire
they considered
pitaram
exactly like a father
ca
also
tam
Him, Lord Rāmacandra.
Being pleased by the full surrender and submission of Lord Bharata, Lord Rāmacandra then accepted the throne of the state. He cared for the citizens exactly like a father, and the citizens, being fully engaged in their occupational duties of varṇa and āśrama, accepted Him as their father.

People are very fond of the pattern of Rāma-rājya, and even today politicians sometimes form a party called Rāma-rājya, but unfortunately they have no obedience to Lord Rāma. It is sometimes said that people want the kingdom of God without God. Such an aspiration, however, is never to be fulfilled. Good government can exist when the relationship between the citizens and the government is like that exemplified by Lord Rāmacandra and His citizens. Lord Rāmacandra ruled His kingdom exactly as a father takes care of his children, and the citizens, being obliged to the good government of Lord Rāmacandra, accepted the Lord as their father. Thus the relationship between the citizens and the government should be exactly like that between father and son. When the sons in a family are well trained, they are obedient to the father and mother, and when the father is well qualified, he takes good care of the children. As indicated here by the words sva-dharma-niratā varṇāśrama-guṇān-vitāḥ, the people were good citizens because they accepted the institution of varṇa and āśrama, which arranges society in the varṇa divisions of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra and the āśrama divisions of brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. This is actual human civilization. People must be trained according to the different varṇāśrama occupational duties. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13) , cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: the four varṇas must be established according to varying qualities and work. The first principle for good government is that it must institute this varṇāśrama system. The purpose of varṇāśrama is to enable people to become God conscious. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate . The entire varṇāśrama scheme is intended to enable people to become Vaiṣṇavas. Viṣṇur asya devatā. When people worship Lord Viṣṇu as the Supreme Lord, they become Vaiṣṇavas. Thus people should be trained to become Vaiṣṇavas through the system of varṇa and āśrama, as they were during the reign of Lord Rāmacandra, when everyone was fully trained to follow the varṇāśrama principles.

Simply enforcing laws and ordinances cannot make the citizens obedient and lawful. That is impossible. Throughout the entire world there are so many states, legislative assemblies and parliaments, but still the citizens are rogues and thieves. Good citizenship, therefore, cannot be enforced; the citizens must be trained. As there are schools and colleges to train students to become chemical engineers, lawyers or specialists in many other departments of knowledge, there must be schools and colleges to train students to become brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas, vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs. This will provide the preliminary condition for good citizenship ( varṇāśrama-guṇān-vitāḥ ). Generally speaking, if the king or president is a rājarṣi, the relationship between the citizens and the chief executive will be clear, and there will be no possibility of disruption in the state, because the number of thieves and rogues will decrease. In Kali-yuga, however, because the varṇāśrama system is neglected, people are generally thieves and rogues. In the system of democracy, such thieves and rogues naturally collect money from other thieves and rogues, and thus there is chaos in every government, and no one is happy. But here the example of good government is to be found in the reign of Lord Rāmacandra. If people follow this example, there will be good government all over the world.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Being pleased by the full surrender of Bharata, Rāmacandra then accepted the throne of the state. He cared for the citizens exactly like a father, and the citizens, engaged in their occupational duties of varṇa and āśrama, accepted him as their father.
Rāma cares for citizens like a father, and they engage in varṇa and āśrama as His children. People want 'Rāma-rājya without Rāma' — but good government depends on the family relationship with God being intact.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I asking for the fruits of Rāma-rājya in my life without engaging with Rāma?
  • What relationship of mine is straining because I have removed the father at the center?
📝 My note

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