Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times c39.8

c39.8

he was only a man; he was a deity in human form. For this theory the author found no direct support in earlier literature. He uses the theory of politicians, which we have already noticed (§101), that when the people were dissatisfied with the Arâjaka system they consulted the Creator who recommended a king. He leaves out the theory about the election of Manu Vaivasvata and takes apparently the story of Vena. He says, God created king to save the people from Arâjaka.² But he ignores the further tradition of the deposition of Vena of divine origin because he ruled unlawfully. The Mânava Code twists the import of the coronation ritual invoking the help of gods to the elected king in his new career.³ The Code says that these gods come into the person of the king and he becomes a great Deity.⁴ The king is not to be despised. I think the idea of such a theory was suggested by some discussion as the one in the Artha-Sâstra.⁵ A man in the pay of the Government was made to say: