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State and Government in Ancient India c12.s7: King as a Trustee

State and Government in Ancient India c12.s7

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King as a Trustee

c12.s7.1

The notion of *the kingship as a trust* was also there in ancient India. The king was particularly enjoined to note that the treasury was not his private or personal property. It was a public trust to be utilised for public purposes. If a king misappropriated public funds and diverted them to his personal use, he would be guilty of sin and be condemned to hell.⁶ To put

c12.s7.2

⁶ बलप्रजारक्षणार्थं धर्मार्थं कोषसंग्रहः । परत्रेह च सुखदो नृपस्यान्यस्तु दुःखदः ।। स्त्रीपुत्रार्थं कृतो यश्च स्वोपभोगाय केवलम् । नरकायैव स ज्ञेयो न परत्र सुखप्रदः ।। *Ibid.*, IV. 2. 3-5.

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पौरजानपदार्थं तु ममार्थो नात्मभोगतः । *Mbh.*, V. 118. 13

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ब्रह्मणा स्वामिरूपस्तु पालनार्थं हि सर्वदा ॥ IV. 2. 137

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it in a nutshell, the king must regard his own happiness as indissolubly connected with that of his subjects.¹

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¹ प्रजासुखे सुखं राज्ञः प्रजानां च हिते हितम् । नात्मप्रियं हितं राज्ञः प्रजानां तु प्रियं हितम् ॥ *Artha.* I. 19

c12.s7.7

According to some political thinkers, however, the duties of the king are even more onerous and exacting than those of a trustee. The latter is expected to take scrupulous care of the trust ; it is sufficient if he promotes the welfare of the trust and refrains from taking any direct or indirect advantage from his position as a trustee. He is not required or expected to make any self-sacrifice for promoting the interest of his trust. The ideal king, on the other hand, is required to do this. Just as an expectant mother sacrifices her own desires and pleasures, lest they should be harmful to the child to be born, the king must sacrifice his own conveniences, inclinations and pleasures in order to be of the maximum help and service to his people.² The body of the king is not meant for enjoyment of pleasures ; it has to put up with great troubles and worries while carrying out the royal duty of protecting the subjects and fulfilling the *dharma*.³

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² नित्यं राज्ञा तथा भाव्यं गर्भिणी सहधर्मिणी । यथा स्वं सुखमुत्सृज्य गर्भस्य सुखमावहेत् ॥ *Agni-Purāṇa*, 222. 8

c12.s7.9

³ राज्ञां शरीरग्रहणं न भोगाय महीपते । क्लेशाय महते पृथ्वीस्वधर्मपरिपालने ॥ *Mārkaṇḍeya-P.* 130-33

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