394. DSC 253: Rajdharma (3)

1. Ved Vyas is considered to be the reincarnation of God Vishnu by the Hindus.

Satyabati and Rishi Parashar were his parents. (Dritirashtra and Pandava brothers are said to have been the sons of Rishi Parashar). The meaning of Ved Vyas is, the collector of Vedas. He compiled the Vedas, composed Mahabharata and 18 Puranas. He is said to have divided the Vedas into four parts.

Shastras and Vedas have been written thousands of years back. But the fundamentals of these writings have remained the same. Birth, disease, old age and death are the inescapable relevant realities from Bhagwad Gita in Mahabharata. Vedas contents also preceded with Varna system, birth hierarchy, praises for Gods that represented the natural forces. Vedas consist of 6000 verses in each, that is total 24,000 verses.

BORI or Bhandari Oriental Research Institute, UNESCO archives, and 15th century writings of Rig Vedas are some of the valuable sources of Vedas.

(2) Shanti Parva

Rajdharma

The Mahabharata has been divided into 18 parts and each part is known as 'Parva'. The epic is not only a religious text but it also gives us political insight. Some of these parvas are named Adi Parva, Sabha Parva, etc. The 12th among these 18 is called the Shanti Parva which talks about the 'Rajdharma' that is, the duty of a king.

Shanti Parva is the discourse between Bhishma and Yudishtra, the eldest Pandava brother. This discourse is in chapter 365. There are 13,716 verses in it. It has three sub-parts which are Raj Dharma Anusasana Parva which describes the duties of king and his governance. Apad Dharma Anusasana Parva describes the rules and conduct for a king when one faces emergencies. And the third sub-part Moksha Dharma Parva describes the behaviour and rules to achieve salvation or Moksha.

Theory of origin of state:

 Shanti Parva gives description of pre-state period (contrary to Hobbesian 'State of Nature's; Shanti Parva) and tells how in the pre-state era human beings were living with 'Dharma'. They were living in a harmonious environment. Thus, the need of any authority of state was limited. With the time, there was decline in moral characters of human beings and 'Dharma' was replaced by Adharma and anarchy became prevalent in society. It was similar to the condition of Matsanayay (law of fishes), where situation of 'Might is Right'. People wanted to escape this situation in order to ensure security.

Upto here we have to write same thing in both the theory of origin of state that is, Divine Origin and Elective Theory.

It is said that the people went to Brahma and he made Virajas as the King. However, he was in the state of deep meditation. Hence, his grandson 'Prithvi' was made king to restore Dharma.

ii) Chapter 67 of Shanti Parva:

Elective Theory of king, state also called quasi-contractual theory.

It says that people to end 'Adharma' people made a mutual agreement according to which a provision was made that they will expel the misbehaving non-social elements from the society to restore 'Dharma'.

However, in absence of any king, this agreement could not succeed in maintaining peace for a long time.

In such a situation, people went to Lord Brahma and requested him to appoint a respectable and capable king. A king who could get everyone out of 'Matsyanayay' and could restore Dharma. Brahma then asked Manu to become king. However, Manu refused the proposal initially due to the extreme Adharma which was prevalent in the society. But people requested him again and assured that they would cooperate in ensuring justice and maintaining law and order.

They also promised that they will give 50% (In some books 115th portion) of livestock and previous metals and 1th of food grains as the tax. Then Manu agreed to take this responsibility.

Rajdharma is still relevant. Bhishma Pitamah is considered very knowledgeable and the Shanti Parva is based on the smriti shastra that were already there. Philosophy has also been covered.

(3)

The rajadharma, as the name suggests, in ancient Indian political speculation constituted mainly the duties of the king towards his subjects and his administrative activities. The details of rajadharma make it clear that the basic spirit behind rajadharma was to ensure peace and prosperity of the people and in doing so the state was also expected to maintain impartiality.

At the helm of Rajdharma lied the notion that it was the king’s duty to see that the people in his kingdom acted according to the rules laid down in the Smritis for the several varnas and asramas, to administer justice. Rajdharma is used in Mahabharata in two meanings, the royal duties and the politics (dandniti).

Vyasa’s concept of Rajdharma, one of the Parvas of the Mahabharata, entitled Shanti Parva, is more essential than the others. Because this Parva opens with a request by Yudhishthira (elder son of Pandu) to Vyasa for him to outline the duties of the King and his behaviour in times of hardship, he then addresses the question of how a ruler could dominate the universe via the practice of morality. Thus, Devvratt (Bhishma) (the great kuru sage and warrior, a guy who is well-versed in the Vedic knowledge) directs Yudhishthira to Devvratt Bhishma for the answers.

The solution could be found in the first and second sections of the book, which contain Bhishma’s speech on the monarch’s duties and the obligations of the subjects, respectively. Because it addresses such fundamental topics as the value of the state and the science of politics, the foundation of the state, the roles of the government, the welfare of citizens, politics, and morals, as well as the duty of the monarch in times of hardship, it is exceptional for its time. In our old Indian knowledge heritage, these sections include, without a doubt, the most comprehensive collection of political ideas ever assembled in one place.

Chapter 68 states that “The king is the heart of the people; he is their great refuge; he is their glory; and he is their greatest happiness.” While discussing the significance of king’s authority, Bhishma tells that the king must give up his likes and dislikes. The king should act fearlessly and perform acts based on dharma and should always behave in an impartial manner. The king should have good command over dandniti, as it is only through dand or punishment that the king can manage the affairs of the state in a very smooth manner and can guide everyone to be on the path of dharma.

In chapter 70 of Rajadharma, Anushasana Parva, Bhishma has discussed about thirty-six virtues which a king should practise, like the king should follow his duties without malice, he should earn wealth without persecution and cruelty, he should seek pleasure without attachment, he should be liberal, he should be pure, and he should never strike in ignorance and so on.

According to this great discourse, the king should be charitable and should never relinquish the performance of his duties towards his subjects. Another significant duty of the king is protection of people from internal and external dangers. At the time of emergency, the king should take some stringent steps to control the situation. During such times, the normal rules must be suspended and the king should work in a very prudent manner. If the people are in distress, the king should always be prepared to help them by all means. The king should ensure prosperity of the state which can be achieved by three expedients: concealment of his own shortcomings, ascertainment of loopholes of foes and having good advisers.