Shanti Parva of
Mahabharata
Contributed by Lover of Ancient Knowledge
Ideal rulers in an republic is described in the Shanti Parva. In Ancient India of Rishis the ideal was realized and rose to a perfect civilization.
Now India is abysmally degraded.
Excerpt from wiki
pedia:-
The book is set after the war is over- the two sides have accepted peace and Yudhishthira starts his rule of the Pandava kingdom. The Shanti parva recites the duties of the ruler, dharma and good governance, as counseled by the dying Bhishma and various Rishis.[5] The parva includes many symbolic tales such as one about "starving and vegetarian Vishvamitra stealing meat during a famine" and fables such as that of "the fowler and pigeons". The book also provides what some have described as a "theory of caste" as well as a comparative discussion between a rule of truth versus a rule of rituals, declaring truth to be far superior over rituals.[6] Shanti parva has been widely studied for its treatises on jurisprudence, prosperity and success.[7][8
Shanti Parva was composed in Sanskrit. Several translations of
the book in English are available. Two translations from 19th century, now in
public domain, are those by Kisari Mohan Ganguli[1] and Manmatha Nath Dutt.[2] The translations vary with each
translator's interpretations.
Clay Sanskrit Library has published a 15 volume set of the
Mahabharata which includes a translation of Shanti Parva by Alex Wynne. This
translation is modern and uses an old manuscript of the Epic. The translation
does not remove verses and chapters now widely believed to be spurious and
smuggled into the Epic in 1st or 2nd millennium AD.[12]
Debroy, in 2011, notes[13] that updated critical edition of Shanti Parva, after
removing verses and chapters generally accepted so far as spurious and inserted
into the original, has 3 sub-books, 353 adhyayas (chapters) and 13,006 shlokas
(verses).
Salient features
Shanti parva - the
longest book and most number of verses - has a number of treatises and fables
embedded in it. Examples include a theory on caste,[14] a
theory on governance,[15] and the fable of the wicked fowler and compassionate
pigeons.[6]
Shanti parva on caste
Chapters 188 and 189
of the parva begin by reciting Bhrigu's theory of varna, according to whom Brahmins were white, Kshatriyas red,
Vaishyas yellow, and Shudras black. Rishi Bharadwaja asks
how can castes be discriminated when in truth all colors are observed in every
class of people, when in truth people of all groups experience the same desire,
same anger, same fear, same grief, same fatigue, same hunger, same love and
other emotions? Everyone is born the same way, carries blood and bile, and dies
the same way, asserts Bharadwaja. Why do castes exist, asks Bharadwaja? Bhrigu replies
there is no difference among castes. It arose because of differentiation of
work. Duty and rites of passage are not forbidden to any of them.[2][6] According to John Muir, Shanti Parva and its companion book Anushasana
Parva claim neither birth, nor initiation, nor descent, nor
bookish knowledge determines a person's merit; only their actual conduct,
expressed qualities and virtues determine one's merit.[16] There
is no superior caste, claims Shanti parva.[17]
Shanti parva on governance
The parva dedicates
over 100 chapters on duties of a king and rules of proper governance. A
prosperous kingdom must be guided by truth and justice.[18] Chapter
58 of Shanti parva suggests the duty of a ruler and his cabinet is to enable
people to be happy, pursue truth and act sincerely. Chapter 88 recommends the
king to tax without injuring the ability or capacity of citizens to provide
wealth to monarchy, just like bees harvest honey from flower, keepers of cow
draw milk without starving the calf or hurting the cow; those who cannot bear
the burden of taxes, should not be taxed.[1] Chapter 267 suggests the judicial staff to reflect before
sentencing, only sentence punishment that is proportionate to the crime, avoid
harsh and capital punishments, and never punish the innocent relatives of a
criminal for the crime.[19] Several chapters, such as 15 and 90, of the parva claim
the proper function of a ruler is to rule according to dharma; he should lead a simple life and he should not use his power
to enjoy the luxuries of life.[2][5] Shanti parva defines dharma not in terms of rituals or any religious precepts, but in
terms of that which increases Satya (truth), Ahimsa (non-violence), Asteya (non-stealing of
property created by another), Shoucham (purity),
and Dama (restraint).[20][21] Chapter
109 of Shanti parva asserts rulers have a dharma (duty, responsibility) to help
the upliftment of all living beings. The best law, claims Shanti parva, is one
that enhances the welfare of all living beings, without injuring any specific
group.[2][22]
Comments
Post a Comment