The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c11.24

c11.24

The already-mentioned ten duties of the king give us, little as they contain a true picture of the king, no idea of the essence of the kingly power, of the obligations or functions of the rājan, because they, as already said, contain universal prescriptions of morals applicable to the whole Buddhistic laity. From these Dasarája-dhamme the special obligations of the king demanded by his position as ruler are essentially different; the traditional duties of the ruler to which the kings of the Jâtakas also are subject, consist above all in the protection of the subjects from external and internal enemies and the safety of their person and property, as assured by punishment of all violation of these.