Hindu Administrative Institutions c7.s7.76

c7.s7.76

Hindu texts on polity lay emphasis on all possible occasions upon the powers, functions and responsibilities of the monarch. There is not much which is so frequently insisted upon as rights and privileges. Not that the monarch had none of these but these were secondary to the concept of duty. Duty first and rights afterwards, was the great gospel preached by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, in the great battlefield of Kurukṣetra. The duties were both personal and public. Personal duties consisted of self-control, his conduct towards himself, towards the harem to enjoy *kāma* without prejudice to *dharma* and *artha*, and towards the household in general; to avoid the company of the evil-minded and to secure personal safety by previous and pre-meditated precautions. Public duties were varied in character but could be summed up in a simple phrase—welfare of the subjects (प्रजानां योगक्षेमवहा). To carry out law and administration he was entitled to one-sixth of the produce of the land and one-tenth of merchandise besides other dues such as tolls and duties innumerable. Even in the matter of receiving gifts discrimination was used. Presents were not to be accepted from butchers (सूना), prostitutes (वेश्या), wine merchants (ध्वजी), and oilmen (चक्री). For these¹ were considered as unlawful earnings arising from immoral callings. The king was to offer gifts in cash and kind to the Brahmans who functioned to the religious affairs of the state.² Further arts and sciences were associated with religion and the king was a devout patron of these.³