King election

ATHARVAVEDA III. 4 : “ELECTION OF A KING” Introduction It is usually suggested that the ancient Indian thinker possessed only a ’theological’ and ‘philosophical’ mind. The large amount of ancient Indian literature relating, either directly or indirectly, to political science (Arthaśāstra or Dandaniti) would, however, clearly indicate that he also possessed what may be called a political’ and ’economic’ mind. Indeed, some of the thinkers of ancient India went to the extent of claiming that Arthaśāstra or Dandaniti was the most fundamental of all sciences, One of the most basic concepts in ancient Indian polity was that of kingsbip. In the Vedic literature - more particularly, in the Brāhmaṇas - we come across various speculations, mostly embodied in mythical legends, about such topics as the origin and nature of kingship, the functions of the king, the types of sovereignty, and the checks on the autocracy of the king. So far as the origin of kingship is concerned, one may distinguish between two main currents of thought. It is pointed out in one of the Brāhmaṇa passages that the highest god (Prajāpati) bestowed his own special power upon one of the gods (Indra) and thus enabled him, though a jupior, to rule over the gods. There is another significapt variation of this theory of the divine origin of kingship. The Mahābhārata, for instance, speaks of a Mare di nature irom Wrich Prajapati rescued Ype ‘auman race by laying down a code of conduct for all people and by creating the institution of kingship,3 The Great Epic here refers to three

1. CE kaufiliya Arthacastra 1,2-4, 7, The Sukranin, which is now showa to be a work belonging to the eighteenth century AD, also glorifies Nitiśastra in glowing terns (1.4-19 ) and seeks to establish the superiority of that science over other sciences.
2. TBr II. 2. 10. 1-2, 7,2. 3. MBR XII, 59, 5, 13-30, 93-94, 142 EXERCISES IN INDOLOGY distinct stages in the process of the evolution of kingship, namely, (a) the golden age of stateless’ society, in which there was ’neither kingship nor king, neither sceptre nor the bearer of the sceptre’ and in which all people protected one another by means of righteous conduct on the part of each one of them ), (b) the period of decadence characterised by the prevalence of a state of nature 5 and (c) the divine origination of law and the adminis trator of las (that is, the king) 6 The Satapatha-Brāhmaṇa also seems to hint at a similar origin of law and kingship? It may be incidentally mentioned here that in the Vedic literature there are but very rare references to any divinity attaching to the person of a historical hing In RV IV 42 9, king Trasadisyu is called ardha-dera (half-god ), and, in AV XX 127 7, Pariksit is referred to as a god who is abole mortals. The idea of the personality of a king having becu constituted of essential particles derived from different gods was de cloped, perhaps for the first time, in the Alamısmrti. ATHARVAVIDA III 4: “ELECTION OF A KING” 143 Three main points need to be noted in connection with the second current of thought relating to the origin of kingship. Firstly, the need for kingship was felt on account of special emer gency such as that of war, secondly, kingship was the result of some kind of election, and, thirdly, the king was expected to fulfil certain obligations to the people in this theory, which may be described as the theory of the elective origin of kingship, two principles were thus involved - one of election and the other of implied social contract Atharvaveda III 4 contains quite an upambiguous reference to the Vedic practice of the election of a king 10 It does not form part of any mythical legend, but presumably describes actual historical conditions It would seem that the king was elected not by the whole community, but by a smaller body which constituted what may be called the electoral college. This hymn is important also for some other ideas concerning polity which occur in it Text, translation, and notes á iva gan rastrám sahá várcaso ’d thi prán visam pátir ekarát tyam vi raja/ sarās tā rājan pradıso hvaj antii ‘pasádyo namasyo bhave ‘há // 1 // 9 ABr I 14 narrates the legend of the election of Sonda to kingship It is clearly implied here that kingship had its origia in the exigencies of war “The gods said (to one another ) Oa account of our kinglessness indeed, do they (the demons) conquer 25, let us make (some one) a king’ A Person was chosen a king for his ability to lead people to victory in battles Though this legend refers to gods and demons it is safe to assume that it reflects, to a large extent, actual conditions in human bustory AB. VIII 12 gives another version of the theory of the elective origin of kingship That passage is further important for the different types of state which it mentions ($nraya bhauja, suardiya, patroja etc) and for the formulas used for the proclamation of Indra s elect on to sovereignty (eg dharmasya gopta ajanı) 10 GRIFFITH (The Hymns of the Athartaocda Vol 1, 81) characteriscs this hymn ay ‘bened ction at the elect on of a king WEBER ( Ind Stud 17, 190) and BLOOMFIELD (Hymns of the Atharva Veda 113) mention its subject to be election of a king’, while, according to WHITNEY (Atharva I cda Sathuta Vol 1, 89), its purpose is to establish a kug, The Anuhramani mentions (Continued on the next page} 144 EXERCISES IN INDOLOGY Unto thee has (this ) dominioni come?, (endowed) with lustre, do thou rise, go forward’ as the lord of people, as the sole king do thou rule (mightily) May all the quarters, o king, call thee, worthy of being attended upon and worthy of homage do thou become here [1 The word rästra ( dominion or kingdom) in this stanza should be clearly distinguished from the word rajya (kingship) occurring in the next stanza Presumably, råstra implies the territory under a king’s sovereignty and thus presupposes the transition from the earlier tribal organizations to territorial states This distinction between rästra and rajya would indicate a fairly advanced state of political thinking 2 as the result of thy election to kingship 3 Saha varcasa may be construed either with ā gan (injunctive) or with ud ahi, the latter is obviously better ‘Being endowed with lustre’must have been one of the reasons for his election (cf TBr II 2 10 1-2 where Indra, though junior is said to have achieved kingship of the gods because he had obtained haras or lustre from Prajapatı) 4 The pun on the words ud ilu and prän, suggesting the rising of the sun in the east, may be noted 5 The metre is sought to be regularised variously by omitting ud hi or prān or patir or vi raja 6 perhaps implying the various sections of the community or the various parts of the dominion. ) ly&m viso vrnatām rajyaya trávni imáh pradıśak páñca devih/ start But KIDS The plays the (Cont nued from the last page) Atharvan as the Rei of this hymn This is obviously conventional and has to historical sgnificancc The devata of the hymn is said to be Indra perhaps because 11s name is mentioned in st 6 (but Varuṇa and some other gods as also mentioned) but more probably because Indra had come to be recogns as the symbol of Vedic kingshup Indeed, Indra was b msell elected to kingin p by gods ( ABr VIII 12) The Kansika Sutra considers AP III 3 and 4 to gether, so far as their ritual employment is concerned This is strange, fort while the subject matter of 111 3 3 the restoration of a king wbo wa exile or was driven out of hs kingdom by a rival, that of III 4 is clearly election of a king The Vart ina Sira 13 2 employs the last stanza of fac hymn toretter with AV VII 28 (29] 1) obviously in a farfetched manner in Agioma 19 connection with the oblations to Pathya Siasti in the Payar yeSTHARVAVCDA NII. 4: “CLECTION OF A KING” 145 várṣman rāṣtrásja hakudi Srayasia toto na ugró vi bhajā násüni f/2 / Thee may the people choose for Lingship); thee (way) these quarters, the five goddesses? (choose). In the exalted position, at the pingacle of the dominion, do thou remain secure; from there,” do thou, formidable, distribute treasures among us.’ (1. This is one of the unequivocal references in the Vedic literature to the election of a king. 2. This reminds us of pañca janäh. 3. or, then. 4. This probably refers to the distribution of booty won in battles. Kingship in ancient times often had its origin in conditions of warfare, which demanded a captain of war as king to lead the people.] áccha na yantu has inah sajará agnir dató ajirál sám cardtail jayeh putráh sumáraso bhavantu bahun balín práti paszāsā ugráh ||3| 146 EXERCISES IN INDOLOGY required to acquiesce? 4 Balı seems to have included the kings receipts from his subjects as well as from the conquered kings It is not unlikely that bal originally represented a voluntary offering to the king by the subjects In later times, it assumed the character of a compulsory payment or tax (cf ABr VII 29) ] avına ta ‘gre mitravaruno ‘blá viste devā marutas tra hvayantu adha mano vasudeyaya krnusya tato na ugro yi blaja jasunı // 4 // May the two Asvins (call) thee first, (may) Mitra and Varuoa both, (may) Viśve Devas, (may) the Maruts call thee? Then do thou make up thy mind for the giving of wealth, then do thou, formidable, distribute treasures among us [1 The various gods are called upon to approve of and bless the election ] á pra drasa paramosyah parājatah sive te dy avaprthuvi uble stam / rád ayam raja varunas tatha “ha so tva ‘yon ahrat su upe ‘dam chi // 5 // Do thou hurry up bither from the farthest distance ? May heaven and earth both be propitious unto thee Thus did this king Varuṇa ordain it, he here called thee, such as thou art ) do thou come to this (place) 11 This obviously refers to the person having been engaged on the war front before he was elected king He proved his mettle on the battle field and was, therefore, called back to be formally elected king It is not very likely that the allusion is to the king’s having been in exile, though it must have been on account of these words that this hymn was connected - wrongly - with the preceding hymn (cf foot note 10 ) 2 Varuṇa (asura, samral) was the divine prototype of kingship and was, therefore, believed to be controllip, all matters relating to human kingsbip, such as the clection of a new king A pun on the word varuna is cvidently intended in this context Varuṇa ( from the root 17 ATHARVAVEDA III, 4 : " ELECTION OF A KING” 147 to choose) seems to denote also the group of electors (per sonified). God Varuṇa was responsible for the election in one sense, and the electorate (varuna) in another. ] indre ’ndra manusyah páre ‘hi sám hy ájñāsthā várunaih sažividānáh/ sá Ivā’yám ahvat své sadhásthe số devấn yaksat su u kalpayad visa !! 6 !! O Indra, Indra! In human form,” do thou come hither; for, thou hast agreed, being concordant with the varunas (electors ). Hes here has called thee in his own domain, (thinking): “Hes shall offer sacrifices unto the gods; he, indeed, shall organize (and enforce order among) the people.” [1. I read manusyah (sing). A king was Indra in human form. What Indra was to gods, a king was to the human tribes. It is also possible to understand manusyāh as an adjective (fem. acc. pl.) qualifying a word like viśah (to be supplied). The meaning in that case would be: O Indra, Indra! Do thou come hither unto ( these ) human (tribes) (in the form of the newly elected king). 2. A pun on the word saruna is intended also in this context. It would seem that the king was elected not by the whole clan or tribe, but by certain elders of the clan, who constituted the electoral college and who are here referred to as sarunas or electors (cf, sajātäh above). In another sense, Varuṇas may mean Varuṇa and other gods, who had made Indra their king. To read rarnaih (= social orders ?) for varunaih is not convincing. 3. = varunah. 4. Two distinct currents of thought seem to have been mixed up in this reference, He=Varuṇah ( sing. ), that is, God Varuṇa; or the (personified) electoral college ( see note 2 on st. 5 above). The author of this stanza seems to have in mind the mythological phenomenon of Varuṇa’s flaving made place for Indra as the chief god of the Vedic pantheon in the course of the evolution of Vedic mythology (See: DANDEKAR, “Some aspects of Vedic mythology; Evolutio nary mythology,” UCR 12, 1-23). Just as god Varuṇa had brought in god Indra, so too did raruna ( = the electorate) bring 148 EXERCISES IN INDOLOGY in this king who was Indra in human form. 5. = the newly elected king. 6. The principal duties of a king arc succinctly mentioned here. ] pathyà revátir bahudhá vírūpāh sárvah sangatya váriyas te akran/ tas svā sárvāh sarvidånd hvayantu daśanim ugrák surnánā vaśe ‘há 1/7// The rich divinities of the roads, of manifoldly varied forms, all, coming together, have made wide room for thee. May they al), concordant, call thee; up to the tenth (decade of thy life) do thou rule’ here, formidable (yet) benevolent. [1. This mention explains the viniyoga of this stanza laid down in thc Vaitāna-Sutra. 2. Vinayaka commenti yana-Brāhmana 13. 3 says: sarire sad ajasthāh, bālah, poganda.., kumarah, tarunah, vrddhaḥ, dasami iti vaidyakohtäll. 3. The reading jasa (for iasa) is not satisfactory. 4. These two words seem to denote the essence of the character of an ideal Vedic king.) (First published | B. K. Barva Comm. Vol., 1966, 32-37.)