Divine Authority and Righteous Governance in Ancient Indian Political Thought

How the daṇḍa—the staff of justice—and divine kingship shaped Bhārat's vision of governance as cosmic responsibility rather than mere human ambition

Introduction

The Kāmandaka Nītisāra stands as one of the foundational texts of ancient Indian political philosophy, offering profound insights into the nature of righteous governance and the divine mandate of kingship. This treatise, accompanied by two significant commentaries—the Jayamaṅgala and the Upādhyāya Nirapekṣa—presents a sophisticated understanding of political authority that interweaves temporal power with cosmic order.

The Divine Nature of Kingship

The opening verse of the Nītisāra establishes a fundamental principle that reverberates throughout Indian political thought: the king derives his authority not merely from human consent or conquest, but from divine participation. The text declares that through the king's influence (prabhāva), the world remains steadfast on the eternal path, and that the glorious wielder of the rod of justice (daṇḍadhāra mahīpati) achieves victory as a divine being.

This concept of divine kingship is not merely ceremonial but represents a profound theological understanding of governance. The commentaries elaborate that the king is considered divine (deva) because he embodies portions of various deities—Indra, Varuṇa, Yama, Sūrya, Agni,...

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