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Some observations on Harişeņa's Cāņakya-narrative : * As the Āvaśyaka-cūrņi is the main source of the Cāņakya-narra
tives in the Svetāmbara sect, likewise Harișena's Cāņakya-munikathānakam is regarded as the main source by all the later writers
of the Digambara sect. * Before Harişeņa, we find some passing references of Cāņakya in the
Digambara literature but Harișena's Cāņakya-kathā containing
85 Sanskrit verses is the first and foremost biography of Cāņakya. * Harişeņa, being a brahmin by birth, uses mostly the brahmanic
sources viz. the Skandapurāņa, Matsyapurāņa and Kathāsaritsāgara (probably the early version of the Kathāsaritsāgara) with some
changes. * Influence of the main theme of Višākhadatta's Mudrārāksasa is
not found in Harișeņa. * Harişeņa uses both the words Cāņakya and Cāņākya according to
the requirement of the metre. * The details of Cāņakya's mother, father and residence are differ
ent in Svetāmbara literature. The incidents of Cāņakya's childhood are completely dropped. His brahminhood and teachership is
highlighted * Cāņakya's śrāvakatva is not explicitly told by Harişeņa but sug
gested by using the word 'HEH:'. It is really startling that he abruptly became a Jaina muni in the last phase of his life. The Jainification of Cāņakya depicted in the Svetāmbara literature, though superimposed, is more logical and convincing because Cāņakya's laymanship is focused and described by creating three
or four stories. * Harisena always prefers the name 'Cāņakya' (or 'Cāņākya'). He
has never mentioned his name as 'Vişnugupta' or 'Kautilya’ and
