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105
The whole life-story of Caṇakya from birth to death is indicated here with few key-words. Municandra, the commentator of Upadeśapada, elaborates the biography in total 178 gāthās. (iv) Upadesapada, gāthā 196
जह चेव चंदउत्तस्स विब्भमो सव्वहा ण चाणक्के । सव्वत्थ तहेतस्सवि एत्तो अहिगो सुहगुरुम्मि ।।
The content of the gathā can be summarized as -
When a disciple has a complete faith in his preceptor, he becomes a recipient of immense spiritual progress. For explaining this fact, the example of Cāṇakya and Candragupta is given. And it is noted that due to the impeccable faith in Caṇakya, Candragupta enjoyed the royal prosperity.
On the whole, we can say that the reverence for the both, Cāṇakya and Candragupta, is seen even in the short and suggestive dvaragāthās of the Upadesapada.
[C] Satirical reference in the Dhūrtākhyāna
Haribhadra's satirical work Dhūrtākhyāna (Dhuttakkhāṇa) is enumerated among the few celebrated classics in Jaina Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit. We do not find any direct reference of Caṇakya in this small poem (khanda-kavya) but it is worth-seeing how Haribhadra describes Khaṇḍapānā, 'the lady don' among the five hundred rogues. He says
अह भणइ खंडवाणा विहसंती अत्थसत्थणिम्माया ।
बुद्धी अहिअबुद्धी धुत्ते तुल्लेउं वयणमिमं ।। Dhūrtākhyāna 5.1 (p.24) "Taking into consideration all the narrations of the rogues (dhūrtas), Khaṇḍapānā, the creator of the Arthaśāstra, the most intelligent lady-rogue started her narration with a cunning smile on her face."
