Author Name: – Sanskriti Mishra & Prof. Madhu Bala Singh Date:- 15-March-2026
Background: Contemporary discussions of Bhāratīya leadership ethics usually focus on the Bhagavad-Gītā, leaving aside a wider range of Saṃskṛta sources that deal directly with governance. Manusmṛti, the Śānti Parva of the Mahābhārata and Kauṭilya’s Arthaśāstra together present some of the most detailed early accounts of rājadharma, organisational responsibility and value-driven political conduct. This study proposes a comparative textual analysis of these works in order to develop a nuanced model of “dhārmic leadership” relevant to the conference theme of Leadership and Ethics. The primary corpus will include Manusmṛti Ch.s 7–9 (king and administration), key adhyāyas of Śānti Parva on rājadharma and selected books of the Arthaśāstra on the king’s character, council and public welfare. The material will be thematically coded under virtues, decision-making processes, treatment of ministers and subjects, economic justice and organisational ethics including taxation, punishment and social responsibility. The analysis aims to show both convergence and divergence among these texts. Manusmṛti largely stresses norm-based kingship and social order; Śānti Parva foregrounds moral restraint, consultative rule and the king’s accountability to dharma; Arthaśāstra combines ethical exhortation with political realism, emphasising competence, surveillance and welfare measures. Together, they yield a many-sided picture of dhārmic leadership that integrates character, motivation and institutional responsibility. The study hopes to provide a Saṃskṛta- grounded framework that can inform contemporary debates on ethical governance, public leadership training and value-based organisational culture
Keywords: rājadharma, dhārmic leadership, Manusmṛti, Śānti Parva, Arthaśāstra, organisational ethics, Sanskrit political thought
