Contents
1. Duties of a king related to ethics of home affairs
‘The rules and teachings from the Mahabharat with regard to how a king should behave with his subjects, generate moral values in his kingdom, make the kingdom happy and opulent, preserve peace in the state, take care of the subjects during calamities like famine, etc. and moreover how to become chaste himself so as to be able to accomplish all this are incorporated in the code of ethics of home affairs from the code of Righteousness of rulers.’(1)
मूषावादं परिहरेत् कुर्यात् प्रियमयाचत: ।
न कामान्न च संरंभान्न व्देषाद्धर्ममुत्सृजेत् ।।Meaning: A king should refute the false charges made against him. He should fulfill the wishes of his subjects before they make demands for them and should never turn his back on Righteousness under the pretext of being very busy, of remaining engrossed in the enjoyment of worldly pleasures.
Nurture and protection of subjects, endowing them with happiness and contentment, prosperity of the kingdom, punishing the unrighteous and protecting Righteousness are the chief duties of a king (Vishnusmruti).
1.1 Protection of subjects
The first and greatest duty of a king is to protect all the four classes. This includes protection from foreign invasions and from thieves, dacoits, evildoers, etc. in the kingdom.
A: निर्वनो वध्यते व्याघ्रो निर्व्याघ्रं छिद्यते वनम् ।
तस्माव्द्याघ्रो वनं रक्षेव्दनं व्याघ्रं च पालयात् ।। - महाभारत ५.२९.५५Meaning: In the absence of a forest, tigers are killed and a forest without any tigers is cut down by people. Hence by the principle of symbiosis tigers should protect the forest and forests should nurture the tigers. (Similarly a king and his subjects should protect one another.) - Mahabharat 5.29.55
B. न्यस्तदण्डा वयं राजन् जितक्रोधा जितेन्द्रया: ।
रक्षणीयास्त्वया शश्वद्गर्भभूतास्तपोधना: ।। - रामायण ३.१.२२Meaning: (The sage tells Rama) O king, we have given up restraining of animals by controlling our anger and subduing our senses (passions). That is why You have to protect Me just as a mother protects her foetus. - Ramayan 3.1.22
1.2 Punishing evildoers
A. Importance of punishment
1. दण्डश्चेन्न भवेल्लोके विनश्येयुरिमा: प्रजा: ।
जले मत्स्यानिवाभक्ष्यन् दुर्बलान्बलवत्तरा: ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.३०Meaning: If punishment were to be non-existent in the universe then subjects would have been annihilated. Just as big fish in the water swallow the small ones, powerful people would have destroyed the weak. - Mahabharat 12.15.30
2. राजा चेन्न भवेल्लोके पृथिव्यां दण्डधारक: ।
जले मत्स्यानिवाभक्ष्यन्दुर्बलं बलवत्तरा: ।। - महाभारत १२.६७.१६Meaning: If a king meting out punishment did not exist on the earth then like fish in the water powerful people would have destroyed the weak. - Mahabharat 12.67.16
3. दण्डस्यैव भयादेके न खादन्ति परस्परम् ।
अन्धे तमसि मज्जेयुर्यदि दण्डो न पालयेत् ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.७Meaning: Due to fear of punishment some animals do not devour each other. If people are not protected by meting out punishment then they will get engulfed in darkness (will destroy each other). - Mahabharat 12.15.7
4. विष्वग्लोप: प्रवर्तेत भिद्येरन्सर्वसेतव: ।
ममत्वं न प्रजानीयुर्यदि दण्डो न पालयेत् ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.८Meaning: If there was no protection by punishment then everything would be reduced to ashes, all rules would be violated and no one would own anything. - Mahabharat 12.15.8
5. राजमूलो महाप्राज्ञ धर्मो लोकस्य लक्ष्यते ।
प्रजा राजभयादेव न खादन्ति परस्परम् ।। - महाभारत १२.६८.८Meaning: (Bruhaspati preaches to King Vasumana) It is observed that people behave righteously only because of the king. It is fear of the king which prevents them from attacking one another. - Mahabharat 12.68.8
6. सर्वो दण्डजितो लोको दुर्लभो हि शुचिर्जन: ।
दण्डस्य हि भयाद्भीतो भोगायैव प्रवर्तते ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.३४Meaning: Everyone is kept under control because of punishment. A basically pure individual is rarely found. Truly, it is the very fear of punishment that makes one perform the task allotted to him. - Mahabharat 12.15.34
7. यस्माददान्तान्दमयत्यशिष्टान् दण्डयत्यपि ।
दमनाद्दण्डनाच्चैव तस्माद्दण्डं विदुर्बुध: ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.८Meaning: Learned men refer to royal punishment as punishment considering that it brings people behaving unethically onto the righteous path and punishes those who are uncivilised because of its two characteristics of control and meting out punishment. - Mahabharat 12.15.8
8. नाभीतो यजते राजन्नाभीतो दातुमिच्छति ।
नाभीत: पुरुष: कश्चित्समये स्थातुमिच्छति ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.१३Meaning: (Arjun tells Yudhishthir) O king, no one performs a fire sacrifice (yadnya) without fear (of punishment). Similarly no one develops a desire to donate or to follow the agreement made by oneself willingly, without a sense of fear. - Mahabharat 12.15.13
9. न ब्रह्मचार्याधीयीत कल्याणीं न दुहेत गाम् ।
न कन्योव्दहनं गच्छेद्यदि दण्डो न पालयेत् ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.३७Meaning:If people were not protected by meting out punishment to the deserving then a celibate (brahmachari) would not study, milch cows would not yield milk and girls would not marry. - Mahabharat 12.15.37
10. नित्यमुद्यतदण्डस्य भृशमुव्दिजते नर: ।
तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि दण्डेनैव प्रसाधयेत् ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.८Meaning: When the punishing authority is highly efficient people are very cautious. Hence, a king should keep all beings in his control through the code of punishment. - Mahabharat 12.140.8
11. दण्ड: शास्ति प्रजा: सर्वा दण्ड एवाभिरक्षति ।
दण्ड: सुप्तेषु जागर्ति दण्डं धर्मं विदुर्बुधा: ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.२Meaning: It is punishment by itself which disciplines all subjects and protects everyone. It remains vigilant even when all are asleep; that is why punishment alone is Righteousness (Dharma) is what some learned men opine. - Mahabharat 12.15.2
B. Punishing evildoers and Righteousness and unrighteousness
‘Koutilya has clearly preached that so long as one is powerful harbouring an ideal of fighting righteously does not cause any harm; however if one is weak then one should unhesitantly employ all means in confirmity with the scriptures or otherwise, to emerge victorious even if it proves to be an unrighteous fight. (Koutilya Arthashastra 10.3). Shukracharya too has propagated the same view (Shukraniti 1.350).’(2)
1. यो यथा वर्तते यस्मिंस्तस्मिन्नेव प्रवर्तयन् ।
नाधर्मं समवाप्नोति नचाश्रेयश्च विन्दति ।। - महाभारत ५.१७८.५३Meaning: Behaviour with someone in the same way as he behaves is not unrighteous and does not cause any untoward result. - Mahabharat 5.178.53
2. यस्मिन्यथा वर्तते यो मनुष्यस्तस्मिंस्तथा वर्तितव्यं स धर्म: ।
मायाचारो मायया वर्तितव्य: साध्वाचार: साधुना प्रत्युपेय: ।। - महाभारत ५.३७.७Meaning: One should behave with someone in the same way as he behaves. This itself is Righteousness (Dharma). One should behave craftily with the deceitful and righteously with the straightforward. - Mahabharat 5.37.7
3. स चेन्निकृत्या युध्येत निकृत्या प्रतियोधयेत् ।
अथ चेद्धर्मतो युध्येद्धर्मेणैव निवारयेत् ।। - महाभारत १२.९५.९Meaning: If the opposite party fights deceitfully then one should also do so. On the contrary if it fights righteously then one should also combat it righteously. - Mahabharat 12.95.9
4. मायावी मायया वध्य: सत्यमेतद्युधिष्ठिर ।। - महाभारत ९.३१.७
Meaning: (Shrikrushna says) O Yudhishthir, it is the truth that a deceitful man should be annihilated deceitfully. - Mahabharat 9.31.7
5. मायया निर्जिता देवैरसुरा इति न: श्रुतम् ।। - महाभारत ९.५८.५
Meaning: (Shrikrushna preaches to Arjun) I have heard that the deities triumphed over the demons using unrighteous means. - Mahabharat 9.58.5
6. निकृत्या निकृतिप्रज्ञा हन्तव्या इति निश्चय: ।
न हि नैकृतिकं हत्वा निकृत्या पापमुच्यते ।। - महाभारत ३.५२.२२Meaning: There is a doctrine which says that a deceitful enemy should be slain by unrighteous means. This does not amount to sin. - Mahabharat 3.52.22
7. भीमसेनस्तु धर्मेण युध्यमानो न जेष्यति ।
अन्यायेन तु युध्यन्वै हन्यादेव सुयोधनम् ।। - महाभारत ९.५८.४Meaning: (Shrikrushna tells Arjun) If Bhimsen fights righteously then he will not emerge victorious; but if he fights unjustly then he will definitely slay Suyodhan. - Mahabharat 9.58.4
8. पूर्वापकारिणं हत्वा न ह्यधर्मेण युज्यते ।। - रामायण २.९६.२४
Meaning: If the one who has acted unrighteously first is slain then it does not amount to unrighteousness. - Ramayan 2.96.24
9. नाधर्मो विद्यते कश्चिच्छत्रून्हत्वाततायिन: ।
अधर्म्यमयशस्यं च शात्रवाणां प्रयाचनम् ।। - महाभारत ५.३.२१Meaning: No sin arises out of killing a terrorising enemy; on the contrary pleading before it, is unrighteous and a stigma on one’s reputation. - Mahabharat 5.3.21
C. Even if fulfillment of duties amounts to sin, one should perform them
1. पीडाकरममित्राणां यच्च कर्तव्यमेव तत् ।। - रामायण ६.८१.२९
Meaning: Anything that causes distress to the enemy (even if it should amount to sin) is a part of one’s duty. - Ramayan 6.81.29
2. नृशंसमनृशंसं वा प्रजारक्षणकारणात् ।
पातकं वा सदोषं वा कर्तव्यं रक्षता सदा ।। - रामायण १.२५.१८Meaning: One who has to protect his subjects should not hesitate if sometimes he is compelled to be a little cruel or to perform a slightly wrong action in order to protect them. - Ramayan 1.25.18
(Refer to the point ‘Punishing the unrighteous and non-violence’ in ‘Science of Spirituality: Chapter 1 A A - What is Righteousness?’.)
1.3 Making the subjects follow the path of Righteousness (Dharma)
य उद्धरेत्करं राजा प्रजा धर्मेष्वशिक्षयन् ।
प्रजानां शमलं भुङ्क्ते भगं च स्वं जहाति स: ।। - श्रीमद्भागवत ४.२१.२४Meaning: (King Pruthu told his royal assembly) The king who levies taxes on his subjects without teaching them about Righteousness (Dharma) has to suffer for their sins and loses his opulence. - Shrimadbhagvat 4.21.24
By making unrighteous people follow Righteousness the king should bring them under the purview of morals and rules. Manu says that Righteousness is the monarch even of kings and the code of punishment by kings has been created to protect it. Righteousness followed in the Mahabharat is based on intellectual analysis. Ritualistic worship (karmakand) advocated by the holy texts - the Shrutis and Smrutis is accorded a secondary status in the Mahabharat.
A. Rule of Righteousness: ‘Mere preaching does not change a person. To turn man towards Righteousness either the incentive of rewards or the fear of punishment is necessary. Religious scriptures or the Purans describe the benefits of various religious rites. Hence people are seen following the righteous path in order to gain these rewards. However preaching or explaining the benefits of following Righteousness does not have any effect whatsoever on people with immoral tendencies. Such people have to be punished and brought to the righteous path. Since the rule of Righteousness cannot be established without punishment and rewards, the following three constituents of Righteousness prove essential.
1. Decisions about Righteousness and unrighteousness: In this it is decided whether an act is righteous or unrighteous and specific punishment is meted out for a particular unrighteous act and a specific reward is awarded for a particular righteous act.
2. Decisions about punishment and rewards: This is called justice in other words. Here it is decided that a particular person who has performed a particular righteous or unrighteous act should receive a particular reward or punishment.
3. The administration: Arresting and punishing the unrighteous and rewarding the righteous are functions executed by the administration (government).
All these constituents instead of being under the purview of an individual should be controlled by different people or organisations because when only one person, organisation or class controls it, it generates terror among the people. This is well illustrated by the story of King Ven from the holy text, Bhagvat. Ven undertook the responsibility of both, the administration as well as deciding about Righteousness (Dharma) and unrighteousness, upon himself. This led to the development of fear and unrest among his subjects. The sages then united, slew King Ven and instated the crown prince Pruthu as the king.’(3)
Both the wealthy as well as the poor have the right to make spiritual progress. Hence, at one juncture Manu has stated that a king should make a rich man who does not give donations to do so and a poor man who does not undertake austerities to undertake them by suitably punishing him.
1.4 Nurturing the subjects
The feeble and downtrodden, blind, dumb, crippled, orphaned, old, widowed, diseased and distressed should be provided with food, clothing, medicines, shelter, etc. - Mahabharat 12.86.24
1.5 Related to agriculture
‘Provision of facilities such as lakes and water canals, distribution of seeds, control of rodents, elephants, etc. which destroy harvests, augmenting farming by developing meadows for cattle to graze, etc.
1.6 Related to finance
It is a king’s duty to promote trade and commerce of a state. It is important to safeguard honesty in transactions. Arrangements for standardising weights and measures and regular inspection should be made. Vigilance to control slackness in performing duties and corruption and bribery among officers should be maintained.’(4)
A. यथा मधु समादत्ते रक्षन्पुष्पाणि षट्पद: ।
तव्ददर्थान्मनुष्येभ्य आदद्यादविहिंसया ।। - महाभारत ५.३४.१७Meaning: Just as a bumble-bee sucks nectar from flowers without harming them so also a king should collect money from his subjects without hurting them. - Mahabharat 5.34.17
B. मधुदोहं दुहेद्राष्ट्रं भ्रमरा इव पादपम् ।
वत्सापेक्षी दुहेच्चेव स्तनांश्च न विकुट्टयेत ।। - महाभारत १२.८८.४Meaning: Just as a bumble-bee sucks nectar from flowers delicately without harming the plant so also a king should collect money by levying taxes on his subjects, without hurting them. One who milks a cow does not milk it dry but takes care to see that some milk is left for its calf. Similarly a king should levy taxes on the people carefully after considering that they will be sufficiently provided for. - Mahabharat 12.88.4
C. जलौकावत्पिबेद्राष्ट्रं मृदुनैव नराधिप: ।
व्याघ्रीव च हरेत्पुत्रान् संदशेन्न च पीडयेत् ।। - महाभारत १२.८८.५Meaning: Like a leech, a king should gently take money from the state by levying taxes. A tigress lifts its cubs with its teeth yet does not harm them. Similarly a king should levy taxes on his subjects without causing them distress. - Mahabharat 12.88.5
D. अधर्म: सुमहान्नाथ भवेत्तस्य तु भूपते: ।
यो हरेद्बलिषङ्भागं न च रक्षति पुत्रवत् ।। - रामायण ३.६.११Meaning: (Sages who have performed austerities tell Rama) O king, it is the king’s great folly if despite taking one sixth of the income of his subjects he does not nurture them like his children. - Ramayan 3.6.11
E. अरक्षितारं राजानं बलिषड्भागहारिणम् ।
तमाहु: सर्वलोकस्य समग्रं पापचारिणम् ।। - महाभारत १.२१३.९Meaning: It is said that a king who without protecting his subjects takes one sixth of their income (in the form of taxes) acquires their sins. - Mahabharat 1.213.9
F. ‘A king should become a gardener, not a coal manufacturer. A gardener takes care of plants to obtain flowers and fruits from them. Similarly a king should guide his subjects towards prosperity and then secure one fourth of their income from them in the form of taxes. A coal trader uproots a tree and then chars it completely. A king should not uproot his subjects likewise plundering their wealth totally.’ - Mahabharat
G. ऊधश्छिन्द्यात्तु यो धेन्वा: क्षीरार्थी न लभेत्पय: ।
एवं राष्ट्रमयोगेन पीडितं न विवर्धते ।। - महाभारत १२.७१.१६Meaning: Just as one who cuts off the udders of a cow with the hope of getting milk never acquires it, so also a state in which taxes are levied inappropriately thus harassing the subjects does not prosper. - Mahabharat 12.71.16
1.7 With regard to intellectuals and ascetics
Most of the authors of the Smrutis have stated that taxes should not be levied upon Brahmans (priests) who have mastered the Vedas. This is because the king gets one sixth of the merits acquired by a Brahman following the righteous path (Vishnu Dharmasutra 3.26-27). It is the duty of a king to support and look after the worldly and spiritual needs of learned Brahmans, ascetics, poets, scholars and teaching institutions. This would augment the king’s prestige. The king would treat them with great respect. Some scholars were appointed as ministers whereas others were sent as ambassadors.
योऽसाधुभ्योऽर्थमादाय साधुभ्य: संप्रयच्छति ।
स कृत्वा प्लवमात्मानं संतारयति तावुभौ ।। - मनुस्मृति ११.१२Meaning: A state has both real and fake holy men. A king should attach the wealth of hypocrites and utilise it to fulfill the worldly and spiritual needs of ascetics and saints. By doing so along with the evolution of ascetics he also causes upliftment of the hypocrites. - Manusmruti 11.12
1.8 Collection of information by travelling
Just as Lord Shankar and His consort, Parvati roam everywhere in disguise so also a king should disguise himself and travel in the kingdom to collect information from all spheres.
Reference:
‘Protecting seekers and destroying evildoers and code of righteousness of rulers’, published by Sanatan Sanstha.
Bharatiya Sanskrutikosh. Publisher: Pandit Mahadevshastri Joshi, Secretary, Bharatiya Sanskrutikosh Mandal, 410, Shanivar Peth, Pune 411 030.
First edition: Vol. 3 to 10
[1]. Vol. 7, Pg. 175 [2]. Vol .8, Pg. 47
[3]. Vol. 4, Pg. 570 [4]. Vol .8, Pg. 31-33
Print Article
Send to Friends
Save as PDF
