Chanakya Explored in Jaina Literature

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: Firodaya Prakashan

Page 17

7
was an administrator and a man of the world. His interest in India. was that of an administrator and a patriot. Yuan Chwang's account of India was partial and one-sided, that of Kautilya thorough and many-sided. (Magadhan Literature, Lecture III, p.49)
[5] Whether Kautilya is the author of the Arthaśāstra or not? :
The authorship of the Kauṭiliya Arthaśāstra can be confirmed from the text itself. It is noted in the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the book that Kautilya alias Viṣṇugupta has composed this śastric text. There is no valid reason for disbelieving the texual reference about it's authorship.
At the end of the first adhyāya of the first adhikaraṇa it is told that -
सुखग्रहणविज्ञेयं तत्त्वार्थपदनिश्चितम् । कौटिल्येन कृतं शास्त्रं विमुक्तग्रन्थविस्तरम् ।।
"Kautilya prepared this sastric treatise which is easy to understand, in which technical words are used with specific meanings and the lengthy details are avoided to make it concise."
At the end of the tenth adhyaya of the second adhikarana Kautilya says
सर्वशास्त्राण्यनुक्रम्य प्रयोगमुपलभ्य च । कौटिल्येन नरेन्द्रार्थे शासनस्य विधिः कृतः ।।
"Having followed all sciences and having observed practice also, the rules of drawing up writs are framed by Kautilya for the benefit of the king."
This ascribes the authorship to Kautilya but it does not name the king for whom it was intended. The remark of Kautilya suggests that this science of polity is useful for any king as such. The piece of information is given by Dandin (approximately the 6th century