Hindu Administrative Institutions c10.s5.12

c10.s5.12

Coming to the actual qualifications of these assessors we find interesting material in the *Dharmaśāstras*. They must be *dharmic*, well tested by the king, and capable of drawing the car of *vyavahāra*.³ Again they must be versed in the precepts of the *smṛtis*, belonging to noble family, truthful, impartial towards friend and foe.⁴ To these Kātyāyana adds, ungreedy, well-to-do, and so on. They were generally of the Brahman community. If the qualified Brahman was not available, members of the Kṣatriya and Vaiśya castes could be selected for these offices. But the fourth caste Sūdras are not recommended either by Kātyāyana, Vyāsa or Bṛhaspati. As he was not allowed to read the *śruti* or *smṛti* and as a knowledge of these was essential, it is obvious why that community was excluded from the dispensing of justice. It was the bounden duty of the judges to see that justice was rendered properly by the king. If his punishments are not in accordance with the law or *dharma*, it is for the judges to correct him and set him in the right direction. If they do not correct him the sin goes to them.¹ It would thus appear that the standard set up for the dispensers of justice was something high and something efficient.