Jaina Political Thought

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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aristocracy based on birth had now grown up side with a hereditary priesthood and that this aristrocracy did not regard rulership as just an office deriving its authority from merely priestly ritual. The aristrocracy was proud of its birth and claimed rulership by right18. It also claimed philosophical wisdom or at least interest in patronizing philosophies, Brahmanical as well as non-Brahmanical. Many of the Ksattriya clans in northeastern India are known to have treated the Brahmanas with scant respect. An additional factor undermined the significance of ritual in politics. This was the rise of a new kind of monarchy in the 6th century B.C, which ran counter to both the priestly as well as the aristocratic conceptions of politics. The new monarchy from Ajatasatru to Chandragupta Maurya relied on power and its clever use rather than on the magic of ritual or legitimacy conferred by birth. It also relied on the advice of political scientists' and administrators rather than priest skilled in Vedic lore and ritual.
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With ritual ceasing to be an operative philosophy of public life, its guiding ethos or dharma and need to be formulated and codified explicitly. The Brahmanas attempted this task in the sutras. propounding at the same time the scheme of the varnas and ashramas. This work depended on traditional material but such explicit codes were apparently new. Within this scheme the king was held to be an aristocrat by birth and the aristrocracy was regarded as a class privileged to act as a soldiery. At the same time, the Brahmans had the privilege of declaring and interpreting the law which the king was required to follow. The law itself sought to regulate the general affairs of society, and in particular the relations of the different classes. The king was required to appoint and consult the Purohita or royal chaplain. With the varnashrama dharma was, thus, evolved the doctrine of rajadharma. the duty of the king. It consisted briefly in using force against the law-breakers at home and enemies outside, in dispensing justice according to the advice of the Brahmanas. and in patronizing the Brahmanical religion and its priests. The king was conceived primarily as a fighter. a hero in war.
The Jaina conception of dharma was entirely at variance with this. The Brahmanical tradition conceived the nature of dharma as command or imperative,albeit impersonaland Vedic19In the famous definition of Jaimini dharma is, thus, defined as a good known from Vedic imperatives. Veda commands and what it commands is dharma By implication that is right which is in accordance with the law available in the Vedas directly or indirectly through the smrtis. Against this was the Jaina view, Dharma is basically virtue which is grounded ultimately in the spiritual nature of man. Moral conduct, thus, becomes conduct in accordance with and conductive to
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