The Political Institutions and Theories of the Hindus: A Study in Comparative Politics c16.s1.t3.39

c16.s1.t3.39

The doctrine of *dharma* as law introduces into the theory of the state the cardinal element of *aiśvarya* or *svâmitva*, i. e. sovereignty. Whether *dharma* be taken as equivalent to the dictates of a moral sense, or as the observance of a tribal or some other established usage, or as the deliberate order issued by an authority with threat of punishment in case of violation, it is clear enough that *dharma* is like *danda* the most awe-inspiring fact in the state's life. *Danda* and *dharma* are indeed the two faces of the political Janus, so to speak, the one looking to the failures, the other to the triumphs. Or, to express the same thing in a different way, *danda* is the root of a tree which flowers in *dharma*. The state can be recognized positively by *dharma* which is in evidence, while *danda* maintains its vitality from behind.