How Ancient Indian Texts Shaped the Principles of Modern Diplomacy
WHEN THE BRITISH came to India, they sought to demoralize Indians by creating an impression that Indians were merely a race of savages who needed to be “civilized” and that there was no law in India before the British arrived.
This impression was entirely false. India had a highly developed legal system long before the British arrived (see my article, “Ancient Indian Jurisprudence and Modern Jurisprudence”).
While I will not delve into the broader aspects of ancient Indian law, I will focus on the principle of diplomatic immunity, a concept well-established in international law globally.
In the Ramayana, an interview takes place between Hanuman, the emissary of Sugriva, the king of the Vanaras, and Ravana, the king of Lanka. Hanuman says:
“O King of the Rakshas race! I have brought a message from King Sugriva for you. The ruler of the Vanara people is your brother king. He sends you his greetings.” (Sundar Kaand, Chapter 51, Shloka 2)
अहम् सुग्रीव सन्देशादिह प्राप्तः तवन्तिके
राक्षसेंद्र हरीशह त्वां भ्राता कुशलं अब्रवीत
(Note the language used by Hanuman, which was clearly the language of sophisticated protocol in those days.)
Ravana, enraged by this, ordered Hanuman’s execution. However, Ravana’s youngest brother, Vibhishana, intervened, reminding him that under the law, an ambassador cannot be executed.
वधं न कुर्वन्ति परावरज्ञः
But Ravana responded, “It is not illegal to kill an ambassador who has grossly abused his status. I shall put him to death as he has himself violated the law.”
न पापानां वधे पापं विद्यते दुरासद
तस्मात् इदं वधिश्यामि दूतदण्डो विधीयताम
Vibhishana then said, “O King of the Rakshas race, be pleased to know the law. The sages have declared that an ambassador’s person is inviolate at all times and in all circumstances, and an ambassador can never be put to death.”
दूता न वध्याः समयेषु राजन
सर्वेषु सर्वत्र वदन्ति सन्तः
Vibhishana further explained, “Whether he is a good person or bad is irrelevant. He is an agent sent by another, and speaks for another. So, he is never liable to the death penalty.” Eventually, Ravana was persuaded by Vibhishana’s argument.
The same principle of diplomatic immunity is found in the Mahabharata.
When war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas seemed imminent, Lord Krishna made a last-ditch effort to preserve peace by going to Hastinapur, the capital of the Kauravas, as the ambassador of the Pandavas. There, Duryodhana proposed in the Kaurava Sabha that Krishna should be arrested and imprisoned.

When Duryodhana ordered to imprison Lord Krishna
This proposal shocked everyone in the sabha, and the first to denounce it was his own father, Dhritrashtra, who said:
“Duryodhana, you should not even utter such words. It is against the ancient law.”
ततो दुर्योधनम् इदं धृतराष्ट्र अब्रवीत् वचः
मा एवं वोचह प्रजापाल नैष धर्मः सनातनः
The oldest member of the sabha, Bheeshma Pitamah, was so shocked at Duryodhana’s proposal that he walked away from the sabha, saying:
“This man has discarded the law and all sense of good and evil. He is bent upon committing a crime and a sin.”
पापस्य अस्य नृशंसस्य त्यक्त धर्मस्य दुर्मते
नोत्सहे अनर्थ संयुक्ता श्रोतुं वाचः कथं चन
In the Shantiparva of the Mahabharata, the principle of diplomatic immunity is affirmed even more strongly, and it is said that a king who kills an envoy goes to hell.
न तु हन्यान्नृपो जातु दूतं कसयांचीदापदि
दूतस्य हन्ता नरकमाविशेत सचिवैः सह
In the Arthashastra, Kautilya says:
Kautilya states in the Arthashastra: “Kings speak through their ambassadors (doota mukha vai rajanah). Even when facing raised weapons, an ambassador must deliver their message precisely as instructed. Therefore, an ambassador cannot be executed, as their words represent those of another. This is the law governing the status of ambassadors.”
दूतमुखा वै राजानः त्वं च अन्ये च
तस्मात् उद्यतेषु अपि शास्त्रेषु यथोक्तं वक्तारः
तेषां अंतवसायिनो अपि अवध्या
परस्य एतत वाक्यमेष दूतधर्मः इति
Also Read:
This Sanskrit shloka is descriptive of most people in authority in India today
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