True kingship demands saintly character; democracy without virtuous leadership merely exchanges one thief for another.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.17 — January 12, 1974, Los Angeles 740112SB-LOS ANGELES [43:17 Minutes] SB-01.16.17_740112SB-LOS ANGELES Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on. Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.] tasyaivaṁ vartamānasya pūrveṣāṁ vṛttim anvaham nātidūre kilāścaryaṁ yad āsīt tan nibodha me [SB 1.16.17] [break] [03:20] Translation: "Now you may have heard from me of what happened while Mahārāja Parīkṣit was passing his days hearing of the good occupations of his forefathers and being absorbed in thought of them." Prabhupāda: So the question was, "How Mahārāja Parīkṣit punished this Kali-yuga?" The chapter name is "How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali." So why he punished the Kali? Because... Here it is said, pūrveṣāṁ vṛttim anvaham, tasya vartamānasya.
He was situated always on the platform where his forefathers remained. This is called aristocracy. Every family or every caste... Family...
First of all, there must be division, then family. Community, society, then family. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja belonged to the royal family. His forefathers, own, Bhārata-vaṁśa, the Bhārata dynasty.
Therefore you will find the members of the Bhārata dynasty is called Bhārata, Bhārata. Arjuna was addressed by Kṛṣṇa as Bhārata. Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra was also addressed as Bhārata. Vidura was addressed as Bhārata.
Many times you have seen it. So these descendants of the Bhārata dynasty, especially... Not especially. All of them. When Parīkṣit Mahārāja was born, so—I have told you already—learned scholars in astrology, they were calculating the horoscope of the newly born child.
So he was being described that "This child, this baby now born, he will be hero like this. He will be devotee like this. He'll be..." This horoscope made, in future what he will be. So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was anxious, and he informed the learned brāhmaṇas that "This is all right.