Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 16


Sanskrit:

स ते मा विनशेद्वीर प्रजानां क्षेमलक्षण: ।यस्मिन् विनष्टे नृपतिरैश्वर्यादवरोहति ॥ १६ ॥

ITRANS:

sa te mā vinaśed vīraprajānāṁ kṣema-lakṣaṇaḥyasmin vinaṣṭe nṛpatiraiśvaryād avarohati

Translation:

The sages continued: O great hero, for this reason you should not be the cause of spoiling the spiritual life of the general populace. If their spiritual life is spoiled because of your activities, you will certainly fall down from your opulent and royal position.

Purport:

Formerly, in practically all parts of the world, there were monarchies, but gradually as monarchy declined from the ideal life of religion to the godless life of sense gratification, monarchies all over the world were abolished. However, simply abolishing monarchy and replacing it with democracy is not sufficient unless the government men are religious and follow in the footsteps of great religious personalities.