Theory of Government in Ancient India (Post-Vedic) c7.26

c7.26

The king must relentlessly enforce the scheme of human duties. Like the Mahābhārata, Manu applauds Chastisement, as an incarnation of the Law, formed of Brāhmaṇa's glory, protector of all. It is the real king and manager of affairs. It governs, guards and protects all creatures. It is the surety for obedience to the law on the part of the four orders. It prevents the castes from intermixture and corruption; it maintains wholesome barriers. If the king did not punish those worthy of punishment, the stronger would roast the weaker, like fish on a spit; the crow would eat the sacrificial cake and the dog would lick the sacrificial viands. The lower ones would usurp the higher places and the very idea of possession, that is, of property would vanish.² Behind this insistence on Chastisement lies the conviction that man is naturally a depraved being. "A guiltless man," says Manu, "is hard to find."