Hamsaduta: King of India.
Prabhupada: Yes. That was his policy. He favored that policy, that Indian
people are in favor of monarchy. So introduce this system: one of the royal
family's son should come and become king of India. That was good suggestion.
If Britishers would have ruled India for the interest of India, making one
king from the royal family, it would have been great success. That policy
of Lord Collier was very nice.
Hamsaduta: That never happened.
Prabhupada: The same thing. The parliamentary members... Just like nowadays,
party. India is suffering in party politics. And they did not like to give
importance to monarchy. They wanted to rule according to their whims, and
therefore the whole scheme failed. The so-called democracy under party politics
is nonsense. Monarchy... I have said. That day I was in remarking that "This
democracy is the government of the asses," because the population are asses
and they vote another ass to be head of the government. So what you can do?
Sayuddhe kriyate rajan sa kim asnu pahanam. These are instructions
in Sanskrit. "If you make a dog a king, don't you think that he will still
lap the shoes?" You cannot change his habits. Sva... Yasya bhavasya na sa sudurate kramah.
Anyone's habits, even if you give good position, you cannot change it. The
example is just like if you make a dog the king, he will immediately come
from the throne and bite the shoes. You see? So materially you cannot change.
Only by spiritual understanding one can be...
Hamsaduta: Canakya Pandit... I have see that book, and he says in his book that if a crow sits on a high (indistinct)
Prabhupada: Yes. If you make a crow... The crow generally sits on the roof
of the house, but that does not mean he has become a great man. "How great
I am, a very beautiful bird."
Revatinandana: The symbol of the Democrat party in America is the ass.
Prabhupada: Everywhere. As soon as you...
Revatinandana: Their symbol is an ass. They have a symbol.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Because they are asses.
Revatinandana: The Republican party is elephant and the Democratic party is ass, a donkey.
Prabhupada: What is the value of vote by asses? According to Vedic civilization,
there was democracy but that democracy is selected committee. Just like in
England there was Privy Council. So selected body of learned brahmanas and
sages, they were guiding the king, and the king himself was properly educated
how to rule over, under religious principles. He was trained from the beginning
of his life as prince. As the future heir of the throne, he was trained,
and at the same time, he was guided by a council of learned sages and brahmanas.
They were looking over the activities of the king. As soon as there was some
mistake they will see. And there are instances; whenever there was a bad
king they were dethroned. Not for political purpose. He was dethroned but
his son was on the... Just like Lord Ramacandra did. Ramacandra killed Ravana
but He never occupied the kingdom. His brother Vibhisana proved to be faithful.
He was enthroned. From the same family. And that was the system. Even a king
was wrong, he would be dethroned but from his family, either his son or brother,
or somebody would occupy there. Not that "Because I have conquered you, therefore
I shall sit down." No. There are many instances. And therefore India was
ruling all over the world. The emperor was in India, and the kings of different
states, their family was. So there was no rebellion. And in every state a
king was trained in the same process, guided by committee of learned brahmana
and sages. How perfect this monarchy is.
Room Conversation; December 13, 1970, Indore
