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texts can be interpreted as a region around the river Godāvarī. We can locate the word 'adde' mentioned in the Kuvalayamālā in Tamil language. It is a very supportive fact that the old manuscripts of the Kauțilīya Arthaśāstra are in the Tamil and Telugu scripts. The Digambara writers hold the view that Cāņakya came to the southern region in his last days. So, for conjucturing the south-Indian origin of Cāņakya, Hemacandra's present citation is favourable.
A peculiar physical feature of Cāņakya is noted in the name ‘aṁgula’. The citation can be interpreted in two ways -
(i) One, who is benefit of one fingure. OR (ii) One, having deformity in one of the fingures.
The myth about the teeth of Cāņakya is repeated in many of the Svetāmbara texts. But the deformity of his fingers is noted only in the present citation. If we generalize the myths into Cāņakya's ugly appearance, it contradicts the reference of Kāmandaka where he says that Cāņakya was 'darśanīya'. Thus the riddle of Cāņakya's physical appearance remains unsolved.
Hemacandra uses the word ‘Kauțalya’ (not Kautilya) and mentions -
कुटो घटस्तं लान्ति कुटला: कुम्भीधान्या: तेषां अपत्यं कौटल्यः ।
In this etymology, he follows the Kāmandakīya Nītisāra. Some scholars think that it is a ficticious etymology. If we suppose the ficticiousness for a time being, still one fact remains that Hemacandra is totally against the word ‘Kautilya' which indicates the crookedness of Cāņakya. It seems that Viśākhadatta's famous terminology color: gofessura:' was not acceptable to Hemacandra.
While explaining the word Caņakātmaja, Hemacandra introduces Cāņakya's father as a ‘rși'. The peculiar word underliness the brahminhood of Cāņakya's father and raises question-mark on his
