Yasastilaka and Indian Culture

SR No.: 001609
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Krishnakant Handiqui
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur
Publication Year: 1968
Total Pages: 566
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Story, Literature, & Culture
File Size: 16 MB

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YASASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE
The following verses quoted anonymously in Yasastilaka 3.77 and Book VI, section 13, are found in Kautilya's Arthaśāstra 10.6 and 3.1 respectively. तदाह
एकं हन्यास वा हन्यादिषुः क्षिप्तो धनुष्मता । प्राशेन तु मतिः क्षिप्ता हन्याङ्गर्भगतानपि ॥ दण्डो हि केवलो लोकं परं चेमं च रक्षति । राज्ञा शत्रौ च पुत्रे च यथादोषं समं धृतः ॥
The first verse occurs also in the Pañcatantra (Tantrākhyāyikā) 3.123. It occurs in a somewhat different form in the Mahabharata (Udyogaparva 33.47).
एकं हन्यास या हन्यादिषुर्मुक्तो धनुष्मता । बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतोत्सृष्टा हन्याद्राष्ट्रं सराजकम् ॥
The following verse occurring in Yasastilaka (towards the end of Book IV) is found in Kautilya 5.6 :
कालश्च सकृदभ्येति यं नरं कालकाङ्क्षिणम् । दुर्लभः स पुनः कालस्तस्य कर्म चिकीर्षतः ॥ The verse is found also in the Pañcatantra ( Tantrākhyāyikā) 3.74, the latter text reading tena for tasya and cikirṣata for cikirṣataḥ. The Pañcatantra seems to have borrowed the verse from Kautilya, as the preceding sentence स्वयमुपगता श्रीस्त्यज्यमानाभिशपतीति लोकप्रवादः is a variation of Kautilya's स्वयमारूढा हि स्त्री त्यज्यमानाभिशपतीति लोकप्रवादः. The real author of the verse seems to be Bhāradvāja, as both the verse and the sentence preceding it form part of certain opinions of Bharadvaja which Kautilya here cites and subjects to criticism,
There are also a few verses in our romance which are clearly based on Kautilya's Arthaśāstra. The following verse is one of three (3.106-108) which Somadeva represents as containing the essence of all the Arthasastras. He says:
स्वस्मानिजः परोऽन्यस्मात् स्वः परस्मात् परो निजात् । रक्ष्यः स्वस्मात् परस्माच्च नित्यमामा जिगीषुणा ॥ The verse is obviously based on the following verse found in Kautilya 9. 3:
परे परेभ्यः स्वे स्वेभ्यः स्त्रे परेभ्यः स्वतः परे । रक्ष्याः स्वेभ्यः परेभ्यश्च नित्यमात्मा विपश्चिता ॥ The following Niti verse on the risks of hunting is cited in Book V:
स्तेन द्विषद्विषन्यालश्वापदप्रभवं भयम् । शर्मधर्मविरामश्च मृगयायां महीपतेः ॥
The verse seems to be based on Kautilya 8.3: ' स्तेनामित्र व्यालदावप्रस्खलन भयदि मोहाः क्षुत्पिपासे च प्राणाबाधस्तस्याम् ।'. The references of Somadeva to the Arthaśästra are of a general character, and he does not seem to refer to any particular Arthasästra. Two such references have been mentioned above. Another occurs in the following Niti verse cited in Book IV, which sums up a leading idea of the Arthaśastra: to outwit one's enemies and not to be outwitted by them (p. 152):
एतदेवार्थशास्त्रस्य नित्यमध्ययने फलम् । यत् परानभिसंधत्ते नाभिसंधीयते परैः ॥ A similar summing up occurs also in Manu 7. 180 :
यथैनं नाभिसंदध्युर्मित्रोदासीनशत्रवः । तथा सर्व संविदध्यादेष सामासिको नमः ॥