A History of Hindu Political Theories from the Earliest Times to the End of the First Quarter of the Seventeenth Century A.D. c8.s3.78.2

c8.s3.78.2

Again in Chapter LXV of the Sāntiparvan the god Indra is quoted as addressing king Māndhātā in the following fashion. Of the person who slights the king that is beyond doubt the lord of all, neither the gifts nor the libations nor the offerings to the manes bear fruit. Even the gods do not slight the king of virtuous desire, who is like an eternal god. The divine Lord of creatures (Prajāpati) created the whole world: he seeks the Kṣatriya for the purpose of directing the people towards virtue and leading them away from sin.† In this passage, it will be noticed, the author teaches by appeals to formidable spiritual sanctions the obligation of respectful submission on the part of the subjects, and he connects this with the theory of divine ordination of the Kṣatriya.‡ We shall, lastly, refer to a lengthy extract of the Sāntiparvan purporting to embody the sage Brihaspati's reply to the king Vasumanas. "Through whose worship do the creatures attain imperishable bliss?" Such is the question put by the king as a rider to his query mentioned above, which relates to the importance of the king's office. In reply the sage states, " Who will not worship the person in whose absence all creatures perish, and through whose presence they always live ? " He who bears the king's burden, continues the sage, and follows the course which is dear and beneficial to him, conquers both the worlds.