Democracy Unraveled

Amazing Democracy

Fools Elected by Fools Hansadutta das

“Oh, you should have democracy. You can vote.” Vote for what? [laughing] Two men are running for office, and ten million people are voting. So what is the big choice? Both of them are rogues. [laughter] Fool’s paradise. The people are foolish, and they are given the right to vote. “You vote.” So amongst all the fools, they select one grand fool. more

According to the system of varnashram-dharma, the pious and learned brahmanas were the natural guardians of society. The brahmanas, by their learned labor of love, would instruct the administrator-kings how to rule the country in complete righteousness, and thus the process would go on as a perfect welfare state. The kings or the kshatriya administrators would always consult the council of learned brahmanas. They were never autocratic monarchs. The scriptures like Manu-samhita and other authorized books of the great sages were guiding principles for ruling the subjects, and there was no need for less intelligent persons to manufacture a code of law in the name of democracy. The less intelligent mass of people have very little knowledge of their own welfare, as a child has very little knowledge of its future well-being. The experienced father guides the innocent child towards the path of progress, and the childlike mass of people need similar guidance. The standard welfare codes are already there in the Manu-samhita and other Vedic literatures. The learned brahmanas would advise the king in terms of those standard books of knowledge and with reference to the particular situation of time and place. Such brahmanas were not paid servants of the king, and therefore they had the strength to dictate to the king on the principles of scriptures. This system continued even up to the time of Maharaja Chandragupta, and the brahmana Chanakya was his unpaid prime minister.

Maharaja Vena did not adhere to this principle of ruling, and he disobeyed the learned brahmanas. The broad-minded brahmanas were not self-interested, but looked to the interest of complete welfare for all the subjects. They wanted to chastise King Vena for his misconduct and so prayed to the Almighty Lord as well as cursed the king.

Long life, obedience, good reputation, righteousness, prospects of being promoted to higher planets, and blessings of great personalities are all vanquished simply by disobedience to a great soul. One should strictly try to follow in the footsteps of great souls. Maharaja Vena became a king, undoubtedly due to his past deeds of righteousness, but because he willfully neglected the great souls, he was punished by the loss of all the above-mentioned acquisitions. In the Vamana Purana the history of Maharaja Vena and his degradation are fully described.

Every day changing some law
excerpt from Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.2, Los Angeles, May 16, 1973

All the kshatriyas, kings, would be always accompanied by hoards of brahmanas. As soon as they required any instruction, immediately consult the brahmanas, and they gave good advice: "Do like this." This is the business of the brahmana. And the kings, they would not do anything without consulting. Don't think that because there was monarchy, they were all autocrat. No. If the brahmanas would not agree, then they won't do. The brahmana's community, all saintly persons and learned scholars, brahmanas... There was a committee, and the king would take their advice how to manipulate the political affairs or administration, and they would consult standard books. Nowadays the rascals, every day they are changing some law. Somebody told me... where? In Africa, every week there is change of the cabinet, every week. Means so full of rascals. So one rascal will fight with another rascal. So there is no stability of government. All these rascals, politicians, they are trying to occupy the post: "I shall become president, I shall become secretary, and then I shall exploit the state like anything." This is the motive. Their manifestation, that "I am going to give you heaven. If you select me president, then I shall give you heaven within three minutes." [laughter] So these promises, they simply promise. Actually, there is nothing. But king was very responsible, as we are discussing.

Duties of a Monarch
purport, Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.27, "The Passing Away of Bhishmadeva in the Presence of Lord Krishna"

Raja-dharma [the duties of kingship] is a great science, unlike modern diplomacy for political supremacy. The kings were trained systematically to become munificent and not merely be tax collectors. They were trained to perform different sacrifices only for the prosperity of the subjects. To lead the prajas [citizens] to the attainment of salvation was a great duty of the king. The father, the spiritual master and the king are not to become irresponsible in the matter of leading their subjects to the path of ultimate liberation from birth, death, diseases and old age. When these primary duties are properly discharged, there is no need of government of the people, by the people. In modern days the people in general occupy the administration by the strength of manipulated votes, but they are never trained in the primary duties of the king, and that is also not possible for everyone. Under the circumstances the untrained administrators play havoc to make the subjects happy in all respects. On the other hand, these untrained administrators gradually become rogues and thieves and increase the taxation to finance a top-heavy administration that is useless for all purposes. Actually the qualified brahmanas are meant to give direction to the kings for proper administration in terms of the scriptures like the Manu-samhita and dharma-shastras of Parashara. A typical king is the ideal of the people in general, and if the king is pious, religious, chivalrous and munificent, the citizens generally follow him.