This is the relationship between the government and the citizens. The citizens must be law-abiding, and the government must rule over them just like father

Expressions researched:
"This is the relationship between the government and the citizens. The citizens must be law-abiding, and the government must rule over them just like father"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

This is the relationship between the government and the citizens. The citizens must be law-abiding, and the government must rule over them just like father. Father is not unaffectionate. Father is affectionate, and even the father chastises the son, that is not 'out of affection'; that is also affection. So that was the relationship. So the asuras, they do not know this. Only the devatās, they know.

761213 - Lecture BG 16.06 - Hyderabad

On the whole, in the Vedic civilization everyone should be in order. That was the set-up. Nobody can act independently, killing the human civilization. That was not possible. Mahārāja Pṛthu was personally checking whether people are following the varṇāśrama-dharma. A brāhmaṇa must follow the brahminical rules and regulation. Otherwise he would not be allowed to call himself a brāhmaṇa. Similarly, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras. This is called secular state. Secular state does not mean everyone is irresponsible. You must be responsible for your particular type of duty, and the government has to see it that everyone is doing that. That is secular state. Lord Rāmacandra, when He returned from the forest . . . In His absence Bharata was ruling, and when Bharata requested Lord Rāmacandra to take charge of the kingdom, Lord Rāmacandra was ready, but He first of all examined whether the citizens were following the varṇāśrama-dharma. When He was satisfied that the citizens were following the varṇāśrama-dharma, then He took charge of the kingdom and began to maintain them just like father.

This is the relationship between the government and the citizens. The citizens must be law-abiding, and the government must rule over them just like father. Father is not unaffectionate. Father is affectionate, and even the father chastises the son, that is not 'out of affection'; that is also affection. So that was the relationship. So the asuras, they do not know this. Only the devatās, they know. There are two kinds of men. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke asmin daiva āsuraḥ (BG 16.6). So Kṛṣṇa says, daivo vistaraśaḥ proktaḥ (BG 16.6). Kṛṣṇa has already explained in the beginning which are the qualification of the devatā and what are the qualification of the asuras.