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SEPTEMBER, 1931 ) WAS THE RAUTALIYA ARTHA-SASTRA IN PROSE OR IN VERSE
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18.
WAS THE KAUTALIYA ARTHA-SASTRA IN PROSE OR IN VERSE ?
BY PROFESSOR PRAN NATH, D.Sc. (LOND.), PA,D. KAUTALYA states at the end of his introductory chapter that in the text "There are on the whole 15 books, 150 chapters, 180 sections and 6000 Slokas."1 Dr. Shamasastry men. tions that “In chap. vii of his Dasakumara-carita, Dandin has also stated that the extent of the Dandaniti abridged by Vishnugupta is 6000 Slokas.". As sloka generally means veree' and the present text is in prose, Pandit Ganapati Sastrin thinks that "by sloka, 32 letters are meant, and when these letters are knitted together they make a book."3 Before accepting this interpretation, it may be stated that the present text shows a peculiar type of harmony which does not seem to be accidental. The text is full of parts of anustubh verse and of sentences which, by a slight alteration, assume the form of stanzas. The following examples of sentences which either (a) begin with a line, or lines, of anuştubh verse, or (6) can be converted into the anustubh metre by removing or adding a word or two, will make my meaning more clear. (a) Sentences which begin with a line or lines of anustubh verse : 1. Anviksakt trayi varta
p. 6. 2. Tatra dharmopadha buddhan
und suddhán p. 16. 3. Sarva-pravrajitáśca svam 4. Tatra ye'nuprasamseyuh 5. Yathasvaganinám dhenus 6. Ingitam anyatha vittih 7. Amatya-sampadopeto
30. 8. Atyaktam tulya-silábhis 9. Dvitiye andna-bhojanam 10. Tytîye túrya-ghosena 11. Aştame tvigácárya 12. Mryate matta-kokilah 13. Catur dandántará rathyd p. 54. 14. Caturvarnya-samájive 16. Yo bhrtyátma-pidábhyam p. 69. 16. Aksa-sálam anayukto
p. 87. 17. Trayomsah tapaniyasya
p. 88. 18. Atma-balánukalyena 19. Kosa-grha-vidhanena
p. 40. Arpayet kaca-karmanah p. 87. Bharta vd karayan nanyah Andhas calita sástro va
p. 325. Asastra-cakşur andho yat 24. Sannidhátr-samahartros p. 333.
Sannidhata kytavastham 26. Bhinna-kútandhayor bhinna p. 337.
Kalah sitosna-varsåtma ;
tasya råtrirahah pakso p. 340. 28. Desah sreyan ityeke
Sthala-gato hi svá nakram p. 340.
38.
38.
20.
21.
23.
p. 325.
p. 333.
1 Dr. R. Shamasastry, Kautilya's Anthasdetra, English translation, 1929 edn., p. 6. 1 Ibid. p. viii.
3 Sloka iha dvåtrimdad aknarani, yeşām samuddya eko grantha iti ganyate. (The Arthasdorra of Kautalya, Trivandrum, 1924, vol. I, p. 25.)