Prabhupāda: So śāstra, intelligence, knowledge, means one should study everything very critically, "What is my position? What is my duty?" We should not be like the animals, śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara. Now we have got our great personalities, leaders. They are praised, eulogized, our these political leaders: "our Hitler," "our Gandhi," "our Churchill," "our Nixon." But śāstra says these leaders, those who are not spiritual leaders, those who cannot give our life, they are worshiped by these classes of animals. Animals. These so-called leaders, politicians, they are eulogized very much, by whom? By these class of men: dogs, camels, asses and . . . what is the other one?
Devotees: Hogs.
Prabhupāda: Hog. So this is the verdict of . . . that means one who does not know whom to eulogize, whom to give honor, they give votes to these classes of men, without any knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. They are becoming the great philosophers, leaders, scientists. They have no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, no knowledge of God. Still, they are leading the society. And who praise them? This class of men—dogs, hogs, camels and asses. This is the verdict.
Now you can challenge. You can talk if it is right or wrong. This is the challenge given by Bhāgavatam that, "Persons who have no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are praised by these dogs, hogs, camels and asses." This is the challenge. Now how can you refute it? Can you refute it? This is a great challenge. We are not only . . . we are accepting some rascal as God, as incarnation of God. So who accept this so-called God? These classes of men. These classes of men: camel, hogs, dogs.
So by the vote of camels, dogs, hogs, one cannot become God. That is not possible. God is a different thing. So we should not be misled. If some incarnation come, "God," who is accepting? These camels, dogs and hogs and asses. So what is the value? What is the value of their vote? No. Formerly, the votes were taken by highly saintly persons, brāhmins. Just like Pṛthu Mahārāja's father, Veṇa Mahārāja, he was disapproved by the brāhmins and the saintly person, and immediately he was dethroned and killed. Not the public vote. Not vox populi.
Vote should be taken from the highly elevated persons, not from the lower-class dogs and asses. What is the value of their vote? What they can select? Vote should be taken . . . just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted that Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira should be on the throne. That is vote. So nowadays, a vote is franchised. Any common man, any rascal can vote. So how he can elect nice man? That is not possible.
Therefore, if you want real government who can lead you back to home, back to Godhead . . . that is perfect government. That is the duty of the government: to see the citizens happy in this life. They have no grievance for their living condition. They are happy. At the same time, they are preparing for going back to home, back to Godhead. That is good government. And the government who simply levies taxes somehow or other . . . every year, the budget is increasing tax. "You give us tax, and you go to hell. It doesn't matter. You give us tax." And the tax is divided amongst themselves. That is government. Whatever . . . we know in India, the tax collected, eighty percent is spent among the government servant. That's all.