Power and Purity

“In modern times, there are legislative assemblies whose members are authorised to make laws for the welfare of the state, but according to this description of the kingdom of Maharaja Ambarish, the country or the world should be ruled by a chief executive whose advisors are all devotee brahmanas. Such advisors or members of the legislative assembly should not be professional politicians, nor should they be selected by the ignorant public. Rather, they should be appointed by the king. When the king, the executive head of the state, is a devotee and he follows the instructions of devotee brahmanas in ruling the country, everyone will be peaceful and prosperous. When the king and his advisors are perfect devotees, nothing can be wrong in the state. All the citizens should become devotees of the Lord, and then their good character will automatically follow.” (SB 9.4.21)

The modern world has seen a long list of corrupt, devious and manipulative leaders who have exercised the power lent to them for less-than-noble purposes. The famous aphorism comes to mind: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” People often wonder whether those who are in positions of significant influence can simultaneously be moral, humane and compassionate. Can power and purity coexist?

The Srimad-Bhagavatam says “Yes” and offers many examples to demonstrate it. Its narrations are replete with examples of saintly kings, known as rajarsis (a Sanskrit term that combines the word raja, meaning ‘king,’ and rsi, meaning ‘saint’), who exemplified this perfect combination. Although endowed with opulence and power, they were simultaneously great sages. Due to the purity of their devotion, their motivations, decisions and actions were completely selfless. They ruled with reference to spiritual wisdom, offering genuine spiritual leadership to steer society in the most progressive way. Modern-day politics, however, devoid of such sacred principles, can easily degrade into a selfish fight for power, prestige, profit and position.

Some of the most notable qualities of saintly kings are as follows: