因“社稷”关乎生存根本，古人用“社稷”代指国家或政权，如《孟子·尽心下》中“民为贵，社稷次之，君为轻”。

"The term '社稷' (shèjì) refers to the gods of land and grain, essential to survival in ancient China. As it symbolized the foundation of a nation, it came to represent the state or regime itself. As Mencius wrote in *Mencius·Jinxin II*: *'The people are the most important, the state comes next, and the ruler is of lesser weight.'*"

As "sheji" (the term referring to the deities of land and grain, symbolizing the country's foundation) was related to the very basis of survival, the ancients used "sheji" to refer to the state or regime, as seen in Mencius: Book of Mind where it is said, "The people are of the highest importance; the state (sheji) comes next; the ruler is of least importance."

Sheji (gods of land and grain) symbolized a nation’s survival, hence representing the state. As Mencius said, The people matter most, the state second, the ruler least.