History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.56.2

v4.c62.56.2

For example, Vena, who was jealous of the gods, wanted sacrificial offerings to be made to himself (and not to the gods) and violated dharma, was killed by the brāhmaṇas (Śāntiparva 59. 93–95, Bhāgavatapurāṇa IV. 14). The Anuśāsanaparva ³⁴ (61. 32–33) solemnly sanctions the killing of a king in certain circumstances "The people should gird themselves up and kill a cruel king who does not protect his subjects, who extracts taxes and simply robs them of their wealth, who gives no lead. Such a king is *Kali* (evil and strife) incarnate. That king who after declaring 'I shall protect you' does not protect his subjects should be killed (by the people) after forming a confederacy, like a dog that is afflicted with madness". Manu (VII. 27–28) states that the great principle of *daṇḍa* if properly wielded conduces to the advancement of the three *puruṣārthas*, but if a voluptuous, mean and unjust king wields it, it recoils on his head and destroys the king together with his relations. Kām. 2. 38 makes it clear that daṇḍa foolishly wielded might exasperate even hermits. The Śāntiparva 92. 19 recommends that a king who has false and very wicked ministers and who puts down dharma should be killed by the people. Even as early as the Tai. S. II. 3. 1 it appears that kings were driven away, while the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa (XII. 9. 3. 1 and 3) mentions a king Duṣṭarītu Pauṁsāyana who had been expelled from the kingdom which had descended to him through ten ancestors.