Dharampal's Writings

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Geographically, the India of the Mahabharatam was more or less similar in extent to what is today identified as the Indian subcontinent. The Mahabharatam lists some one hundred major regions referred to as janapadas in it—around 38 in the north west; 20 in the centre, the area of the river Ganga; 10 in the east; 12 in the mountainous central area; 12 in the south; and 10 in the centre west.l It also suggests that each region was governed by some specific, identifiable, extended kinship commun-ity. Further, besides Sanskrit, various regions together, or separately, seem to have had a language or dialect of their own. Sanskrit seems to have been used on a pan-Indian scale, and even at the domestic cultural and social level in numerous homes in all parts of India.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->While the Mahabharatam advises men to have a king, the king is bound not only by dharma, custom and morality, but also is to govern with the assistance of a council of ministers. The number of ministers suggested is 37 and of these 4 were to be from the Brahmanas, 8 from the Kshatriyas, 21 from the Vaisyas (the peas-ant and trading communities of the age when the Mahabharatam was composed), 3 from the Sudras (the craftsmen of the time), and one, who was versed in every field of knowledge from the Suta (charioteer) community.3 <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->