Righteousness (Dharma)

य उद्धरेत्‍करं राजा प्रजा धर्मेष्‍वशिक्षयन्‌ ।
प्रजानां शमलं भुङ्‌क्‍ते भगं च स्‍वं जहाति स: ।। - श्रीमद्‌भागवत ४.२१.२४

 Meaning: (King Pruthu told his royal assembly) The king who levies taxes on his subjects without teaching them about Righteousness (Dharma) has to suffer for their sins and loses his opulence. - Shrimadbhagvat 4.21.24

By making unrighteous people follow Righteousness the king should bring them under the purview of morals and rules. Manu says that Righteousness is the monarch even of kings and the code of punishment by kings has been created to protect it. Righteousness followed in the Mahabharat is based on intellectual analysis. Ritualistic worship (karmakand) advocated by the holy texts - the Shrutis and Smrutis is accorded a secondary status in the Mahabharat.

A. Rule of Righteousness: ‘Mere preaching does not change a person. To turn man towards Righteousness either the incentive of rewards or the fear of punishment is necessary. Religious scriptures or the Purans describe the benefits of various religious rites. Hence people are seen following the righteous path in order to gain these rewards. However preaching or explaining the benefits of following Righteousness does not have any effect whatsoever on people with immoral tendencies. Such people have to be punished and brought to the righteous path. Since the rule of Righteousness cannot be established without punishment and rewards, the following three constituents of Righteousness prove essential.

1. Decisions about Righteousness and unrighteousness: In this it is decided whether an act is righteous or unrighteous and specific punishment is meted out for a particular unrighteous act and a specific reward is awarded for a particular righteous act.

2. Decisions about punishment and rewards: This is called justice in other words. Here it is decided that a particular person who has performed a particular righteous or unrighteous act should receive a particular reward or punishment.

3. The administration: Arresting and punishing the unrighteous and rewarding the righteous are functions executed by the administration (government).

All these constituents instead of being under the purview of an individual should be controlled by different people or organisations because when only one person, organisation or class controls it, it generates terror among the people. This is well illustrated by the story of King Ven from the holy text, Bhagvat. Ven undertook the responsibility of both, the administration as well as deciding about Righteousness (Dharma) and unrighteousness, upon himself. This led to the development of fear and unrest among his subjects. The sages then united, slew King Ven and instated the crown prince Pruthu as the king.’

Both the wealthy as well as the poor have the right to make spiritual progress. Hence, at one juncture Manu has stated that a king should make a rich man who does not give donations to do so and a poor man who does not undertake austerities to undertake them by suitably punishing him.

Punishing evildoers and Righteousness and unrighteousness

‘Koutilya has clearly preached that so long as one is powerful harbouring an ideal of fighting righteously does not cause any harm; however if one is weak then one should unhesitantly employ all means in confirmity with the scriptures or otherwise, to emerge victorious even if it proves to be an unrighteous fight. (Koutilya Arthashastra 10.3). Shukracharya too has propagated the same view (Shukraniti 1.350).’

1. यो यथा वर्तते यस्‍मिंस्‍तस्‍मिन्‍नेव प्रवर्तयन्‌ ।
नाधर्मं समवाप्‍नोति नचाश्रेयश्च विन्‍दति ।। - महाभारत ५.१७८.५३

Meaning: Behaviour with someone in the same way as he behaves is not unrighteous and does not cause any untoward result. - Mahabharat 5.178.53

2. यस्‍मिन्‍यथा वर्तते यो मनुष्‍यस्‍तस्‍मिंस्‍तथा वर्तितव्‍यं स धर्म: ।
मायाचारो मायया वर्तितव्‍य: साध्‍वाचार: साधुना प्रत्‍युपेय: ।। - महाभारत ५.३७.७

Meaning: One should behave with someone in the same way as he behaves. This itself is Righteousness (Dharma). One should behave craftily with the deceitful and righteously with the straightforward. - Mahabharat 5.37.7

3. स चेन्‍निकृत्‍या युध्‍येत निकृत्‍या प्रतियोधयेत्‌ ।
अथ चेद्धर्मतो युध्‍येद्धर्मेणैव निवारयेत्‌ ।। - महाभारत १२.९५.९

Meaning: If the opposite party fights deceitfully then one should also do so. On the contrary if it fights righteously then one should also combat it righteously. - Mahabharat 12.95.9

4. मायावी मायया वध्‍य: सत्‍यमेतद्युधिष्‍ठिर ।। - महाभारत ९.३१.७

Meaning: (Shrikrushna says) O Yudhishthir, it is the truth that a deceitful man should be annihilated deceitfully. - Mahabharat 9.31.7

5. मायया निर्जिता देवैरसुरा इति न: श्रुतम्‌ ।। - महाभारत ९.५८.५

Meaning: (Shrikrushna preaches to Arjun) I have heard that the deities triumphed over the demons using unrighteous means. - Mahabharat 9.58.5

6. निकृत्‍या निकृतिप्रज्ञा हन्‍तव्‍या इति निश्चय: ।
न हि नैकृतिकं हत्‍वा निकृत्‍या पापमुच्‍यते ।। - महाभारत ३.५२.२२

Meaning: There is a doctrine which says that a deceitful enemy should be slain by unrighteous means. This does not amount to sin. - Mahabharat 3.52.22

7. भीमसेनस्‍तु धर्मेण युध्‍यमानो न जेष्‍यति ।
अन्‍यायेन तु युध्‍यन्‍वै हन्‍यादेव सुयोधनम्‌ ।। - महाभारत ९.५८.४

Meaning: (Shrikrushna tells Arjun) If Bhimsen fights righteously then he will not emerge victorious; but if he fights unjustly then he will definitely slay Suyodhan. - Mahabharat 9.58.4

8. पूर्वापकारिणं हत्‍वा न ह्यधर्मेण युज्‍यते ।। - रामायण २.९६.२४

Meaning: If the one who has acted unrighteously first is slain then it does not amount to unrighteousness. - Ramayan 2.96.24

9. नाधर्मो विद्यते कश्चिच्‍छत्रून्‍हत्‍वाततायिन: ।
अधर्म्‍यमयशस्‍यं च शात्रवाणां प्रयाचनम्‌ ।। - महाभारत ५.३.२१

Meaning: No sin arises out of killing a terrorising enemy; on the contrary pleading before it, is unrighteous and a stigma on one’s reputation. - Mahabharat 5.3.21