Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada…
Employment in one of the four orders can solve social ills
Formerly, the judgement was given by the king. Every day, king would sit. Just like we are sitting. So if there is... Formerly, there was no criminal, practically. If there was any criminal, if... It was very difficult to find out a criminal. Because these four things were forbidden. What is that? No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. So if one follows these four principles, naturally he is sinless automatically. And if the whole population is sinless, then where is the possibility of judging or bringing the criminal? When Kali was awarded four places. He was first of all ordered by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. As soon as he saw that this black man is going to kill one cow, "Oh, who are you in my kingdom? You are trying to kill a cow?" He took his sword, "I shall kill you," immediately. So he fell down. "Sir, I am also your subject, and this is my business, killing. So what can I do? I must have some means of livelihood." Just like this butcher. His means of livelihood is to kill animal. So if the animal slaughterhouse is closed, then there will be so much unemployment. The butcher must have chance of killing. So that is not law, "Oh, butcher must have also employment." No. "Therefore slaughterhouse must be maintained." Not that.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that "You cannot live in my kingdom. I cannot provide you with any employment. You must go out." So at that time, Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world, whole planet. So he said, "Sir, where shall I go out? The whole planet is your kingdom. Where shall I go out of your kingdom? Where is that place?" So Parīkṣit Mahārāja considered that. So, "All right, then you can remain in these four places." Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁdyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ. "Where illicit sex life, brothel, prostitute's house, you can remain there. Striyaḥ sūnā,slaughterhouse. Or unnecessarily where animals are killed, you can remain there." Striyaḥ sūnā pānam. "And intoxication. Where liquor house, you can remain there. And where there is gambling, you can remain there." So he could not find out a place where to remain. That means in those days these things were so much conspicuous by absence that is was difficult for the Kali to find out a place like that. But with the advancement of Kali, now Kali can find out his place anywhere, at any home, anyplace. These things are going on. This is the position.
Bhagavad-gita 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973
Therefore the kingdom was so peaceful, without any cares for the citizens. The citizens were also trained up very nicely, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Everyone is employed. It is the duty of the government to see that everyone is engaged. Otherwise, idle brain will manufacture devil's brain. They will manufacture so many things, and there will be chaos. In every country nowadays, all over the world, there is so much unemployment. Why there... Why one should be unemployed? He must be trained up in such a way that he's employed, he's engaged. This is the duty. So if you understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you'll be able to train your students, your citizens, your subordinates, how to remain engaged. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, we are simply after the people, whether he is engaged or not. There must be engagement. If one remains idle, then it will be devil's workshop. Immediately māyā will dictate, "Do this, do this nonsense, do that nonsense, do that nonsense."
Bhagavad-gita 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974
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