History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.51.4

v4.c62.51.4

Vide Rāmāyaṇa, III. 1. 18-19 and VII. 76. 37-45 and Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa 24. 23-28, Viṣṇudharmottara II. 2. 9 for similar ideas. The phrase 'nā viṣṇuḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ' is well-known and may be interpreted in two ways viz. the ruler of the earth is Viṣṇu incarnated as man or no king is not Viṣṇu i. e. every king is Viṣṇu. The Pañcatantra²⁹ (I. 120 p. 19) states 'Manu has declared that the king is made up (of parts) of all gods'. The Rājanītiprakāśa is careful to point out that the idea of the king having in him parts of the deities applied only to the mahārāja (the sovereign ruler), while the idea of a ruler doing the functions of five deities applies to vassal kings.³⁰ For eulogy of the kingly office, vide Manu VII. 6-17, Śānti 63. 24-30, Śānti 68, Kām. I. 9-11, Rājanītiprakāśa pp. 17-31.