The Distinctiveness of the 'Rajdharma' as Expounded by Shukracharya in the Vedic Political Tradition and Its Relevance in the Contemporary Global Context

Every discipline in the Indian knowledge tradition has repeatedly demonstrated its timeless importance, universality, and utility across the world. Whether it concerns the suffering humanity, afflicted by threefold miseries—physical, divine, and spiritual—or various concerns such as environmental issues, the rich knowledge tradition of the Indian Vedic scriptures and sages has shown pathways to resolve these problems, proving its relevance. Today, when we observe the global scenario, a web of diverse problems is spread everywhere—disorder, wars, anarchy, terrorism, separatism, illegal immigration, poverty, unemployment, polarization, agricultural issues, climate change, malnutrition, inflation, financial mismanagement, among others. Entangled in these problems, several nations and many cultures have either lost their existence or are struggling for survival. As a result of these various struggles, humanity is facing existential threats, and eventually, it is the human race that is bearing the brunt of these consequences.