Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power in the Indian Theory of Government c2.s1.8

c2.s1.8

Now bearing in mind that "Arjuna" is Indra (VS. X. 21, ŚB. II. 1. 2. 12 and V. 4. 3. 7), or, what amounts to the same thing, Indra's son (Mbh.), that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, like Indrāgnī (RV. VI. 59. 5) and like Mātali (= Vāyu-Mātariśvān) and Indra (Mbh.), share a common car and that "where these are, Kṛṣṇa the Lord of Yoga and Arjuna the Archer, there are fortune, victory, security of being and governmental-science" (*nīti*, BG. XVIII. 78) it is clear that Kṛṣṇa is the Sacerdotium (*brahma*), as is Arjuna the Regnum (*kṣatra*), and Kṛṣṇa therefore to be equated with the Agni-Bṛhaspati-Vasiṣṭha, *brahma* etc. of RV. It is just because Arjuna is Indra—that Indra who is *idam-dra* because he alone saw Brahma (AA. II. 4 = Ait. Up. I. 1, similarly JB. III. 203, cf. JUB. IV. 20-21 = Kena Up. 14 f.)—that he alone is able to see Kṛṣṇa's "supreme form" (BG. XI. 47-48). BG. is an Arthaśāstra; its burden of the control of the senses and conme, O Indra, perform heroic deeds” (*ayáṁ ta emi tanvà̄ purástād . . . yadā́ máhyaṁ dī́dharo bhāgám indrā́d ín máyā kṛṇavo vīryā̀ṇi*, RV. VIII. 100. 1).⁵ In RV. I. 18. 6 Sadasaspati (who must be Agni, cf. RV. I. 21. 5