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The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c14.s9.t2: 2. Mādhava's Rājadharmaprakaraṇa of Parāśara Samhitā

The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c14.s9.t2

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2. Mādhava's Rājadharmaprakaraṇa of Parāśara Samhitā

c14.s9.t2.1

The *Rājadharmaprakaraṇam* of the *Parāśara Samhitā*³ is to be found in the *Āchārakaṇḍa*, chapter I. It comprises only three verses (60-62) as follows:

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³ The *Parāśara Dharma-Samhita* or *Parāśara Smriti* with the commentary of Sāyaṇa Mādhavāchārya, edited by V. S. Islampurkar (Bombay 1893), Vol. I. Part I.

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'*Avratā hyanadhīyānā yatra bhaikṣyacharā dvijāh*
*Taṁ grāmaṁ daṇḍyedrājā chorabhaktaprado hi sah* (60).
*Kṣatriyo hi prajā rakṣan śastrapāṇih pradaṇḍavān*
*Nirjitya parasainyāni kṣitim dharmeṇa pālayet* (61).
*Puṣpaṁ puṣpaṁ vichinuyān mūlachchhedaṁ na kārayet*
*Mālākāra ivārāme na yathāṁgārakārakāh* (62).

c14.s9.t2.4

"The king should punish that region where the Brāhmaṇas are first *avrata*, i.e., do not practise *vrata* (daily ceremonial and moral functions), secondly, have not discharged their functions as students, and thirdly, live by begging. A region like that is offering food to thieves (60).

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"The Kṣatriya, equipped with arms as well as furnished with punishment, should maintain or govern the state according to the rules by protecting the people and conquering foreign enemies (61).

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"He should pluck the flowers piece by piece and not destroy the roots, behaving thus like the maker of garlands in a garden and not the maker of charcoal (62)."

c14.s9.t2.7

On these three verses of Parāśara, Mādhava has a *vyākhyā* covering some thirty pages.⁴ In regard to *daṇḍa* Parāśara quotes the *Nārada Smriti*, the *Yājnavalkya Smriti*, the *Manu Samhitā*, the *Mahābhārata*. The item *prajārakṣan* is elucidated by references to Yājnavalkya, Manu, the *Śāntiparva* (of the *Mahābhārata*), the *Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa* and the *Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa*. The different kinds of *daṇḍa* are described on the authority of Manu, Viṣṇu (*Smriti*), Brihaspati, Kātyāyana and Yama. On the subject of conquests, battle arrays, expeditions etc. Mādhava's authorities are the *Sāntiparva* and Manu. The financial policy is explained by citations from the *Śāntiparva*, Manu and the *Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa*.

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⁴ See Text Vol. I. Part I. pp. 445-475.

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Mādhava introduces a new category *vahiramgarājadharma* as contrasted with *antaranga rājadharma*. He quotes Yājnavalkya on the *vahiramga* duties of the king. Policy and forts are the two items discussed in this connection and his quotations are derived from Yājnavalkya, Manu and the *Śāntiparva*. For some other duties of kings Mādhava quotes Manu, Yājnavalkya, the *Śāntiparva*, Uśanas, and the *Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa*, e.g., in regard to the exemption of Brāhmaṇas from taxes, the construction of works of public utility like tanks, temples, halls, *prapā*, residences for Brāhmaṇas, gifts, and so forth.

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Mādhava has made it a point to quote chapter and verse of most of his authorities.

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Mādhava's treatment of the subject leaves much to be desired. He has introduced all sorts of topics, even such as are not in the least suggested by the three verses of Parāśara. Perhaps one need not quarrel with Mādhava on this score. This enables us to see somewhat more extensively of his conception of public law or politics. But his arrangement of topics is rather perfunctory. The entire discussion (pp. 463-475) after the introduction of the category *vahiranga rājadharma* is specially marked by absence of system and coherent thinking. One should not be surprised if "Mādhavāmātya," busy minister as he was, depended on some assistant for the compilation of this portion. The extracts from Manu, the *Śāntiparva*, Yājnavalkya, Uśanas, the *Mārkaṇḍeya* etc., have been placed here in such a careless, irrelevant and unthinking manner that one should hesitate to ascribe the compilation to the alleged author, who describes himself at the commencement of the work as past master in *Mīmāmsā*.

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