History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.102
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.102
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v4.c62.102.1
Kauṭilya VI. 1 contains several lists of the king's qualities from several points of view. First, there is a list of qualities that make the king win the heart of the people (or make him approachable) viz. being of a noble family, godly, spirited, consulting the aged, virtuous, truthful, not failing in his promises, grateful, taking broad views (not pusillanimous), highly enthusiastic, not given to procrastination, powerful enough to control his feudatories, firm in mind, having a council of ministers of no mean calibre, desirous of self-discipline. These are called ‘ābhigāmika-guṇas’ which word occurs in the Palitana plates of Dharasena II (of Valabhī) in E.I. vol. XI p. 83 and in the Māliya plate of the same king (Gupta Ins. pp. 164, 169). The Daśakumāracarita VIII appears to make a pointed reference to this list when it makes a character say that the king (there referred to) has in him all the qualities beginning from good family (sarvai-vātma-sampad-abhijanāt-prabhṛti &c.) Then the intellectual qualities he should possess are: desire to learn, study, understanding of what is studied and retaining it, reflection, discussion and devotion to the principles accepted after discussion. Almost the same qualities of the intellect (*dhī*) are mentioned by Kām. IV. 22. The word ‘śakyasāmanta’ (in Kauṭ. VI. 1) occurs also in Agnipurāṇa 239. 4.
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The qualities that are the different aspects of his enthusiasm (or energy) are: valour, non-endurance (of the might of others), quickness (of action) and assiduity. The same occur in Kām. IV. 23. Then follows a long list of qualities that go to make up the personal endowment of the king (*ātma-sampat*). Gaut. (XI. 2, 4-6) requires that the king should do what is right (acc. to śāstras) and speak (or decide) rightly, should be pure (at heart and externally), should control his senses, be possessed of qualified servants and endowed with knowledge of the means of policy, should be even-handed towards all his subjects and look after their welfare. The long list of Śaṅkha-likhita agrees more or less with those of Kauṭilya and Yāj. Śāntiparva 70 states that the king should possess 36 qualities, viz. he should not speak bitterly, he should be godly, not wicked, not haughty, of agreeable address &c. Kām. I. 21-22 mentions 19 qualities that lead to the well-equipped personality of the king (*ātma-sampat*), viz. study of śāstra (Daṇḍanīti), intellect, serenity, cleverness, boldness, power of comprehension, energy, eloquence, firmness, capacity to endure the worries of adversities, majesty, purity, kindness, liberality, truthfulness, gratefulness, noble family, character, self-restraint. Then Kām. in IV. 15-19 sets out the qualities called *ātma-sampat*, which generally agree with Kauṭilya's enumeration (in VI. 1). Acc. to Kām. IV.
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24 liberality, truthfulness and valour are the three greatest qualities in a king, who, when endowed with these, acquires all other qualities. The Mānasollāsa (II. 1. 2-7) first enumerates 44 qualities such as truthfulness, spiritedness (which agree more or less with Kauṭilya's enumeration) and then states that the five most essential qualities in a king are truthfulness, valour, forbearance, liberality and capacity to appreciate the worth of others. The Agnipurāṇa (239. 2-5) enumerates 21 qualities such as noble family, character &c. In the Paraśurāmapratāpa 96 qualities are enumerated in the Rājavallabhakāṇḍa (Ms. 239 of Viśrāmaghāg collection II, folio 21b). The Sabhāparva 5. 107-109 and Rāmāyaṇa II. 100. 65-67 require the king to avoid 14 faults viz. atheism, falsehood, hot temper, carelessness, procrastination, not seeing the wise, laziness, addiction to five pleasures of sense, considering state matters alone (without *mantrins*), taking counsel with those who do not know politics, not starting to do what is decided upon, not guarding secret royal policy, not practising auspicious acts, taking up undertakings on all sides at one and the same time. Vanaparva 251. 5 says that subjects do not like a king who is very timid, very weak, procrastinating, careless and immersed in pleasures on account of vices. Sabhā 5. 125 states that sleep (by day), laziness, timidity, hot temper, softness and dilatoriness are six calamities in a king.