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that it becomes an ethical-value-based text, ideal for day-to-day guidence.
Its uniqueness is evident from the very beginning. The initial benediction is dedicated to the kingdom or nation. He says अथ धर्मार्थकामफलाय राज्याय नमः ।
In spite of being a Jaina monk, he written three chapters on the three puruṣārthas, viz. dharma, artha and kāma. He has woven the chief Jaina tenets of samatā and ahimsa so beautifully in the sūtras that the general appeal becomes universal. He says, ‘udurdy fề u4a1 सर्वाचरणानां परमाचरणं' ie equality to all living beings is the best way of conduct. About non-violence, his sūtra runs like this 'न खलु
भूतगुहां कापि क्रिया प्रसूते श्रेयांसि' i.e. one who harms the living beings, his
actions do not create any good or merit for him.
Although he has treated the topics like swāmī, amātya, janapada, durga, kośa etc. on the lines of Kautilya, the brilliance of his genius is seen in the topics like - divasānuṣṭhāna, sadācāra and vyavahāra. With this explanatory background we will scrutinize the specific references of the Arthaśāstra and Cāṇakya, imbibed in the Nītivākyāmṛta and its commentary. The observations can be enumerated in the following manner -
* Neither Somadeva nor his commentator have expressed the debt of Caṇakya or Kautilya directly.
At the very outset, Somadeva mentions that for acquiring the jitendriyatā (control over one's senses) one should study the Arthaśāstra i.e Nītiśāstra (Ethical science). Though in this aphorism, direct reference of Kauțilīya Arthaśāstra is not given, Somadeva certainly intends to highlight the ethical side of the Arthaśāstra.3
* In the third aphorism of mantrisamuddeśa, Somadeva says, "If a
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