Manava Dharmashastra 5.93

5.93

mahānātmā yasya sthānasya tanmāhātmakaṃ | yasminsthāne sthitasya puṃsaḥ prajānāṃ parirakṣā 'māhātmyaṃ' tadeva ucyate | tacca prajaiśvaryam |
yadāha āsanaṃ cātra kāraṇamiti taduktam | nātra jātimātraṃ kiṃtu prajāpālanādhikāraḥ | 'āsana'śabdopīha nāsanaśayyādivacanaḥ, api tu tatpadaṃ prāptavato yatkartavyaṃ tadāha | ataḥ akṣatriyo'pi yadi prajāpālane samarthaḥ tasyāpyāśaucābhāva eva pūrveṇaivākhyātaḥ |
prajānāṃ parirakṣārthamiti | na sarveṇa sarvāśaucanivṛttiḥ, kintarhi prajāpālanavirodhi yadāśaucadhāraṇaṃ tannivartate| yathā durbhikṣādau svakośādannadānena prajābharaṇam| tathā divyāntarikṣabhaumeṣūtpāteṣu śāntiḥ | akasmātsabhyaiḥ kartavyena rājñā, athavā āśrameṣu dvijātīnāṃ dharmasaṃśayasattvena, prathame'pyāśāvavyahita pravaktṛtvam, tadapi prayojanam |

Immediate purification has been ordained for the king on the majestic throne; and the reason for this lies in his occupying that position for the protection of the people.—(93).

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Majestic’—i.e., that seat whose character is grand, glorious; this ‘majesty’ consists in the fact that it is seated upon this throne that the man is enable to carry on the work of protecting the people; and herein lies his sovereignty over men. This is what is meant by the clause—‘and the reason for this lies in his occupying that position’; and what this means is that mere caste does not entitle the man to the consideration that the rule implies; what entitles him to it is his work of protecting the people. The term ‘āsana’, ‘position,’ also does not mean here a seat or a couch; it stands for the duties incumbent upon one who takes his seat upon it. It is for this reason that the older writers have explained the present rule to mean that there is no impurity in the case of any person who is capable of protecting the people, even if he be a non-Kṣatriya by caste.

‘For the purpose of protecting the people.’—The meaning of this is that all the observances relating to impurity are not to cease, but only those that would be incompatible with the proper fulfilment of his duty of protecting the people; for example, the giving of food-grains out of his granary during times of scarcity, and so forth, the performance of rites for the allaying of celestial, atmospheric and terrestrial portents. Further, it becomes incumbent upon the king to attend to such business as may be brought up suddenly by gentlemen; or, when it becomes necessary for him to speak out for the purpose of settling disputes and religious doubts that may arise among twice-born persons in the higher stages of life.—(93).