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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.21
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 21
- arakṣyamāṇāḥ striya urvi bālān
- śocasy atho puruṣādair ivārtān
- vācaṁ devīṁ brahma-kule kukarmaṇy
- abrahmaṇye rāja-kule kulāgryān
arakṣyamāṇāḥunprotected — unprotected; striyaḥwomen — women; urvion the earth — on the earth; bālānchildren — children; śocasiyou are feeling compassion — you are feeling compassion; athoas such — as such; puruṣaby cannibals (Rākṣasas)-ādaiḥby cannibals (Rākṣasas) — by cannibals (Rākṣasas); ivalike that — like that; ārtānthose who are unhappy — those who are unhappy; vācamvocabulary — vocabulary; devīmthe goddess — the goddess; brahmain the family of the brāhmaṇa-kulein the family of the brāhmaṇa — in the family of the brāhmaṇa; kukarmaṇiacts against the principles of religion — acts against the principles of religion; abrahmaṇyepersons against the brahminical culture — persons against the brahminical culture; rājain the administrative family-kulein the administrative family — in the administrative family; kulamost of all the families (the brāhmaṇas )-agryānmost of all the families (the brāhmaṇas ) — most of all the families (the brāhmaṇas).
Are you feeling compunction for the unhappy women and children who are left forlorn by unscrupulous persons? Or are you unhappy because the goddess of learning is being handled by brāhmaṇas addicted to acts against the principles of religion? Or are you sorry to see that the brāhmaṇas have taken shelter of administrative families that do not respect brahminical culture?
In the age of Kali, the women and the children, along with brāhmaṇas and cows, will be grossly neglected and left unprotected. In this age illicit connection with women will render many women and children uncared for. Circumstantially, the women will try to become independent of the protection of men, and marriage will be performed as a matter of formal agreement between man and woman. In most cases, the children will not be taken care of properly. The brāhmaṇas are traditionally intelligent men, and thus they will be able to pick up modern education to the topmost rank, but as far as moral and religious principles are concerned, they shall be the most fallen. Education and bad character go ill together, but such things will run parallel. The administrative heads as a class will condemn the tenets of Vedic wisdom and will prefer to conduct a so-called secular state, and the so-called educated brāhmaṇas will be purchased by such unscrupulous administrators. Even a philosopher and writer of many books on religious principles may also accept an exalted post in a government which denies all the moral codes of the śāstras. The brāhmaṇas are specifically restricted from accepting such service. But in this age they will not only accept service, but they will do so even if it is of the meanest quality. These are some of the symptoms of the Kali age which are harmful to the general welfare of human society.