History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.56.1

v4.c62.56.1

But it should not be supposed that this glorification of the king resulted in the full-fledged theory of the divine right of kings or that every king, however bad, was looked upon as a divinity or could do what he liked. In the first place, the Rājanītiratnākara³¹ (p. 83) when speaking of the coronation of a prince by his abdicating royal father quotes a verse where the people (*prajā*) themselves are called Viṣṇu. In the second place the king's authority over brāhmaṇas was limited (vide H. Dh. vol. II. part 1 pp. 139-140). The Gautama-dharmasūtra (XI. 1, 7 and 8) says³² 'the king rules over all, except over brāhmaṇas; all, except brāhmaṇas, should while sitting low on the ground wait upon (worship) him (the king) who occupies a high seat; they (the brāhmaṇas) too should honour him'. From the time of the Ait. Br. (37. 5) the harmony between the king and the brāhmaṇas and the king's following the advice of brāhmaṇas had been insisted upon. Vide Ait. Br. 40. 1, Gaut. VIII. 1, XI. 27. Further the Śukranītisāra (I. 70) states that a king who oppresses the subjects and causes loss of dharma is made up of the parts of *rākṣasas*.³³ Manu (VII. 111-112) states that the king who harasses his subjects loses his life, family and kingdom. Moreover stories of kings killed for their tyranny are found in the ancient Literature.