History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.51.3

v4.c62.51.3

26-27) states that Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Vāyu, Varuṇa—these and other gods—exist in the body of the king and that the king is full of (the parts of) all gods. It is to strengthen this conception that ancient kṣatriya dynasties and their panegyrists tried to trace for those dynasties descent from the Sun or the Moon and in later times from Fire. The practice of addressing the king as 'deva' in Sanskrit dramas is due to the same tendency of the glorification of the royal office. Aśoka was styled 'devānām priya' (beloved of the gods) and Kushana emperors like Kaniṣka and Huviṣka styled themselves Devaputra (E. I. vol. I. pp. 371 at pp. 381 and 386). This phenomenon is not confined to India. Alexander the Great and Julius Cæsar had their descent traced to gods and goddesses. Alexander was deified during his life-time in 324 B. C. by the Greek world (vide Cambridge Ancient History, vol. VI. p. 433) and Cæsar's image was carried among those of the immortal gods. Kauṭilya (I. 13) makes a spy say among pauras and jānapadas 'kings are (in) the place of (perform the functions of) Indra and Yama, since they visibly inflict punishment and bestow favours. Even divine punishment affects those who despise them (kings). Therefore kings should not be despised'. Hence it must be said that the conception of the divine nature of the kingly office was well-known in Kauṭilya's days and he was not above recommending the employment of this conception for safe-guarding the king's position.