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In the collection of the Prakrit stories called 'Prāksta-vijñānakathā' Shri Vijaykastura-sūri mentions the story titled 'FIRHAMAT air fhaal', in which it is depicted that three persons are punished in three different ways though their crime is the same.
The content of the 87th chapter of Arthaśāstra is as if transformed into a story-form in this Jaina narrative. It is noteworthy that the Jaina model of dravya-kşetra-kāla-bhāva is also very much suitable to develop such type of stories. [H] The Jaina writers have given utmost importance what is told in the 92nd adhyāya of Arthaśāstra dedicated to the emergency devices used to gather wealth for the royal treasury. The chapter viz. ‘kośasaṁgraha' has inspired the writers to develop Cāņakya-episodes right from the Āvaśyaka-cūrņi up to the Parisista-parva of Hemacandra. The most attractive and classic story is presented in the Dharmopadeśamālā-vivaraṇa.
Kautilya notes, “In the case of emergency, the king should ask the citizens to donate. The wealth of heretics, the deva-dravya gathered by people other than śrotriyas, the wealth of a widow and naval merchants can be snatched away in a particular situation. The political persons should declare their wealth and should compell the rich persons (merchants etc.) to declare their wealth by hook or crook. Then the treasurer should ask certain legitimate amount from them. But this device should be applied once (adhyāya 92)”. We find the exact reflection of this content in the Dharmopadeśamālā.
The Avaśyaka-cūrņi presents a story titled 'parapāşandaprasaṁsā' [ĀvCū (II) p.281] in which it is told that Cāņakya snatched away the maintenance-amount of the heretics. It is evident that the cūrņikāra has literally quoted it from the text of Arthaśāstra. The
