The traits and attributes of a Vedic king

In a previous post I spoke about modern Vedic monarchy vs modern democracy and I tried to make the point that the two are not incompatible, because the Vedas make it clear a king is elected by the tribes people to begin with due to the obvious signs of his kingship. But what are these signs, what traits and attributes make a king?

• The king is chosen by the people
• the people wish the king long life
• the king is steadfast and unremovable
• he holds the kingship with his grasp
• the kings is strong due to strong oblations (worship)

 The King
(Author: Dhruva Angiras) 

1. BE with us; I have chosen thee: stand stedfast and immovable. Let all the people wish for thee let not thy kingship fall away. 2 Be even here; fall not away be like a mountain unremoved. Stand stedfast here like Indra's self, and hold the kingship in the grasp. 3 This man hath Indra stablished, made secure by strong oblation's power. May Soma speak a benison, and Brahmanaspati, on him. 4 Firm is the sky and firm the earth, and stedfast also are these hills. Stedfast is all this living world, and stedfast is this King of men. 5 Stedfast, may Varuna the King, stedfast, the God Brhaspati, Stedfast, may Indra, stedfast too, may Agni keep thy stedfast reign. 6 On constant Soma let us think with constant sacrificial gift And then may Indra make the clans bring tribute unto thee alone. - Rig Veda.10.173

• the king goes to battle and attains victory with royal sway
• he subdues rivals and malignities
• withstands man who menaces and angers
• All 5 elements(earth air fire water) aid the king
• the king is rivalless slayer of rivals
• the king is victorious and sovran over the folk 
• he has supremacy because he sacrifices to the gods

The King
(Author: Abhivarta Angiras) 

1. WITH offering for success in fight whence Indra was victorious. With this, O Brahmanaspati, let us attain to royal sway. 2 Subduing those who rival us, subduing all malignities, Withstand the man who menaces, withstand the man who angers us. 3 Soma and Savitar the God have made thee a victorious King All elements have aided thee, to make thee general conqueror. 4 Oblation, that which Indra. gave and thus grew glorious and most high,- This have I offered, Gods! and hence now, verily, am rivalless. 5 Slayer of rivals, rivalless, victorious, with royal sway, Over these beings may I rule, may I be Sovran of the folk. - Rig Veda.10.174– 

• The king is united with the gods
• he is navel and womb of kingly power
• his seat is smooth and pleasant
• he has true insight
• he is a brahman priest
• he has true rule 
• he is the bolt of indra
• he has surmounted every direction of the kingdom
• he is son of waters and of strength

 The Adoration of the King 

a Thou art Mitra, thou art Varuna. b May I be united with the All-gods. c Thou art the navel of kingly power, thou are the womb of kingly power. d Sit thou on the smooth, sit thou on the pleasant seat. e May she hurt thee not; may she hurt me not. f Varuna, of sure vows, hath set him down In the waters, with keen insight, for lordship. g O Brahman! Thou, O king, art the Brahman priest, thou art Savitr of true instigation. O Brahman! Thou, O king, art the Brahman priest, thou art Indra of true force [1]. O Brahman! Thou, O king, art the Brahman priest; thou art Indra, the kindly. O Brahman! Thou, O king, art the Brahman priest; thou art Varuna, of true rule. h Thou art the bolt of Indra, slaying foes; with this subject to me. i This king hath surmounted the quarters. k O thou of good fame! O thou of prosperity! O thou of true rule! l To the son of the waters hail! To the son of strength hail! To Agni, lord of the house, hail! - Yajur Veda.1.8.16 

• kings are devout with offerings
• the king is courageous 
• the people beg for the kings return when he is in exile 

 Charm for the Restoration of an Exiled King 

1. (Agni) has shouted loud: may he here well perform his work! Spread thyself out, O Agni, over the far-reaching hemispheres of the world! The all-possessing Maruts shall engage thee: bring hither that (king) who devoutly spends the offering! 2. However far he be, the red (steeds) shall urge hither Indra, the seer, to friendship, since the gods, (chanting) for him the gâyatri, the brihatî, and the arka (songs), infused courage into him with the sautrâmanî-sacrifice! 3. From the waters king Varuna shall call thee, Soma shall call thee from the mountains, Indra shall cite thee to these clans! Turn into an eagle and fly to these clans! 4. An eagle shall bring hither from a distance him that is fit to be called, (yet) wanders exiled in a strange land! The Asvins shall prepare for thee a path, easy to travel! Do ye, his kinfolk, gather close about him! 5. Thy opponents shall call thee; thy friends have chosen. thee! Indra, Agni, and all the gods have kept prosperity with this people. 6. The kinsman or the stranger that opposes thy call, him, O Indra, drive away; then render this (king) accepted here! - Atharva Veda.3.3

• the king is elected
• he is endowed with luster
• he shines and is a universal ruler
• the clans choose the king for empire
• the king distributes goods to the people
• his kinsmen go calling for him
• his wives and sons are devoted to him
• the king is given rich tribute
• the gods call upon and identify the king
• he is chosen by the king of gods Varuna himself 
• The king is called upon by diverse divinities
• the king is benevolent
• the king is wished to live for 100 years

Prayer at the Election of a King 

1. (Thy) kingdom hath come to thee: arise, endowed with lustre! Go forth as the lord of the people, rule (shine) thou, a universal ruler! All the regions of the compass shall call thee, O king; attended and revered be thou here! 2. Thee the clans, thee these regions, goddesses five, shall choose for empire! Root thyself upon the height, the pinnacle of royalty: then do thou, mighty, distribute goods among us! 3. Thy kinsmen with calls shall come to thee; agile Agni shall go with them as messenger! Thy wives, thy sons shall be devoted to thee; being a mighty (ruler) thou shalt behold rich tribute! 4. The Asvins first, Mitra and Varuna both, all the gods, and the Maruts, shall call thee! Then fix thy mind upon the bestowal of wealth, then do thou, mighty, distribute wealth among us! 5. Hither hasten forth from the farthest distance heaven and earth, both, shall be propitious to thee! Thus did this king Varuna (as if, 'the chooser') decree that; he himself did call thee: 'come thou hither'! 6. O Indra, Indra, come thou to the tribes of men, for thou hast agreed, concordant with the Varunas (as if,'the electors'), He did call thee to thy own domain (thinking): 'let him revere the gods, and manage, too, the people'! 7. The rich divinities of the roads, of manifold diverse forms, all coming together have given thee a broad domain. They shall all concordantly call thee; rule here, a mighty, benevolent (king), to up the tenth decade (of thy life)! - Atharva Veda.3.4 

• the king is graceful 
• the king embodies divine power
• the king does not look away from danger
• he is attended by men
• he is a member of the manly asuras
• he is focused on deeds which will bring him immortality
• he is like a tiger
• he makes his friends prosperous
• even animals see his divinity

Prayer at the Consecration of a King 

1. Himself prosperous (bhûto), he does put strength into the beings (bhûteshu); he became the chief lord of the beings (bhûtânâm). To his consecration death does come: may he, the king, favour this kingdom! 2. Come forth hither-do not glance away-as a mighty guardian, slayer of enemies! Step hither, thou who prosperest thy friends: the gods shall bless thee! 3. As he did step hither all (men) did attend him. Clothed in grace, he moves, shining by his own lustre. This is the great name of the manly Asura; endowed with every form (quality) he entered upon immortal (deeds). 4. Thyself a tiger, do thou upon this tiger-skin stride (victorious) through the great regionst All the clans shall wish for thee, and the heavenly waters, rich in sap! 5. The heavenly waters, rich in sap, flow joyously, (and too) those in the sky and upon the earth: with the lustre of all of these do I sprinkle thee. 6. They have sprinkled thee with their lustre., the heavenly waters rich in sap. May Savitar thus fashion thee, that thou shalt prosper thy friends! 7. (The waters) thus embracing him, the tiger, promote him, the lion, to great good fortune. Him, the leopard in the midst of the waters, as though standing in the ocean, the beneficent (floods, or the vigorous priests) cleanse thoroughly - Atharva Veda 4.8 

• The king emasculates enemies and makes them subject to him
• the king takes the lands and belongings of the enemy
• enemies become subject to the king once defeated
• he is tribal lord of the people and lord of treasures
• he makes the enemy devoid of luster
• he is favored by god, animals and plants
• the king is not conquered
• he is installed as sole leader and he is superior 
• his rivals are made inferior and are owned by the king
• he is friend of Indra
• he is victorious
• he calls out the supplies of his enemies
• he devours his enemies and seizes their supplies 

Charm to secure the superiority of a King 

1. This warrior, O Indra, do thou strengthen for me, do thou install this one as sole ruler (bull) of the Vis (the people); emasculate all his enemies, subject them to him in (their) contests! 2. To him apportion his share of villages, horses, and cattle; deprive of his share the one that is his enemy! May this king be the pinnacle of royalty; subject to him, O Indra, every enemy! 3. May this one be the treasure-lord of riches, may this king be the tribal lord of the Vis (the people)! Upon this one, O Indra, bestow great lustre, devoid of lustre render his enemy! 4. For him shall ye, O heaven and earth, milk ample good, as two milch-cows yielding warm milk! May this king be favoured of Indra, favoured of cows, of plants, and cattle! 5. I unite with thee Indra who has supremacy, through whom one conquers and is not (himself) conquered, who shall install thee as sole ruler of the people, and as chief of the human kings. 6. Superior art thou, inferior are thy rivals, and whatsoever adversaries are thine, O king! Sole ruler, befriended of Indra, victorious, bring thou hither the supplies of those who act as thy enemies! 7. Presenting the front of a lion do thou devour all (their) people, presenting the front of a tiger do thou strike down the enemies! Sole ruler, befriended of Indra, victorious, seize upon the supplies of those who act as thy enemies! - Atharva Veda.4.22

• The king calls upon the gods before battle 

Battle Charm of a King upon the Eve of a Battle 

1. I call -upon thee, O Indra, from afar, upon thee for protection against tribulation. I call the strong avenger that has many names, and is of unequalled birth. 2. Where the hostile weapon now rises against us, threatening to slay, there do we place the two arms of Indra round about. 3. The two arms of Indra, the protector, do we place round about us: let him protect us! O god Savitar, and king Soma, render me of confident mind, that I may prosper! Atharva Veda.6.99