  The maximum entropy approach operating with quite general entropy measure and
constraint is considered. It is demonstrated that for a conditional or
parametrized probability distribution $f(x|\mu)$ there is a "universal"
relation among the entropy rate and the functions appearing in the constraint.
It is shown that the recently proposed variational formulation of the entropic
functional can be obtained as a consequence of this relation, that is from the
maximum entropy principle. This resolves certain puzzling points appeared in
the variational approach.
