Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.17.41

athaitāni na seveta

bubhūṣuḥ puruṣaḥ kvacit

viśeṣato dharma-śīlo

rājā loka-patir guruḥ

SYNONYMS

atha — therefore; etāni — all these; na — never; seveta — come in contact; bubhūṣuḥ — those who desire well-being; puruṣaḥ — person; kvacit — in any circumstances; viśeṣataḥ — specifically; dharma-śīlaḥ — those who are on the progressive path of liberation; rājā — the king; loka-patiḥ — public leader; guruḥ — the brāhmaṇas and the sannyāsīs.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings, religionists, public leaders, brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs, should never come in contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles.

PURPORT

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.