Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when . . . that means five thousand years ago, all over the world these things were unknown. You won't find in history these things. So as king, he has to punish the debauchers, the rogues, the thieves. So immediately he become alert. He said, niśamya vārtām anatipriyām, when he got news. So although no enemy is there attacking, but Kali is attacking. Kali's attacking. Kaliṁ praviṣṭaṁ nija-cakravartite. Praviṣṭam. Kali has already entered in his own jurisdiction, cakravartī. The cakra, cakra means circle, and vartī means remaining in the center. So a king is supposed . . . a king or the spiritual master or the head is supposed to be the center of a circle. So his kingdom is supposed to be the circle. He is the center. Nija-cakravartite, within his jurisdiction, within the circle. Kaliṁ praviṣṭam, niśamya. As soon as he heard, he became alert to punish.
That is responsible king. Not that, "They want to drink, and we can levy tax for drinking." Because by, I mean to say, encouraging people drinking . . . that we see in India now. Gandhi started his movement on this basis. Nobody could drink even tea. At least amongst his associates, nobody could drink even tea. No cigarette. Gandhi was very strict. And of course, he could not prohibit, but he was also against illicit sex, drinking, gambling. But he prohibited. He introduced prohibition in so many states. But now government is encouraging. Government is giving license, "Yes, openly you can drink." Kali's influence. Meat-eating. In India, at least, we never saw big signboard in a beef shop. In upper country, even there was . . . always there are meat-eaters. So the meat shop is kept out of the vision of public. I mean to say, privately one could purchase, and if one was accustomed to eat meat, he could not get the chance daily. Because in the family, no Hindu family will allow meat-eating or fish-eating. No. In our childhood we have seen, our family also. If one wanted to eat meat, then he would do it hundred miles away, secretly. Nobody will know. Or he will go to some rascal hotel. That was the system. Now they are keeping chickens, everyone's roof. This is the advancement, Kali's advancement.
And government is giving license, "Yes, you manufacture liquor." Because it is a great profit for government. I know. I had also license to keep in my medical business this rectified spirit. Rectified spirit means pure alcohol, from which whiskey is made. Absolute alcohol. So I know that the cost of rectified spirit, distilled by the government, was one rupee per gallon. One rupee per gallon. But the same rectified spirit, when turned into liquor by some process—not any very difficult process, just making it coloring or flavoring; the real thing is the rectified spirit—the government would charge sixty rupees per gallon. The cost is one rupee, and they would charge sixty charge rupees. Because government knew it or know it that when a man becomes drunkard, he will drink at any cost. At any cost. Pramatta. Pramatta. Matta means mad, and pramatta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa matta. So people are already mad under the influence of this material nature, and our government, all over the world, encouraging that, "You become more mad, more mad." This is their welfare activities.
So Mahārāja Parīkṣit was not that kind of government. It is the duty of the government or the king to see that the citizens are properly raised to the spiritual platform, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the duty of the government. Therefore the social division is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The brāhmaṇas should be ideal teachers of Vedic understanding. The kṣatriyas should follow, even by force. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. As soon as he heard that Kali, these four principles of Kali, has already entered, he immediately took his bows and arrows and . . . "Who is that rascal, he is drinking? Kill him." That was kingdom. "Kill him, that rascal." So if one man is killed because he was drinking, then others will be very careful. That was king's duty. "Anyone who has got illicit sex, kill him. Anyone who is drunkard, kill him. Anyone who is eating meat, kill him." No other consideration. "Directly kill him." Then you see within a few years all these things will stop. Within a few years. But the government must be strong. But the government wants that, "You go to hell by drinking, but we are making profit. One rupee cost, we are getting sixty rupees. Go on with this business." This is Kali-yuga. Everyone is doing his own personal interest.