Chanakya Explored in Jaina Literature

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: Firodaya Prakashan

Page 19

9
brahmanic sources, the landmark-treatise of Kamandaka i.e. the Kamandakīya Nītisāra carries utmost importance. From the traditional information about Kāmandaka, we know that he was the disciple of Caṇakya and presented a short version of the Kauțiliya Arthaśāstra in poetrical form. Putting aside the controversy of Kamandaka's date we have to admit that he is an sncient authority on polity and is more explicit in giving us an account of the Arthaśāstra and its author. He says
यस्याभिचारवज्रेण वज्रज्वलनचेतसः । पपात मूलतः श्रीमान् सुपर्वा नन्दपर्वतः ।। 1.4 ॥ एकाकी मन्त्रशक्त्या यः शक्त्या शक्तिधरोपमः । आजहार नृचन्द्राय चन्द्रगुप्ताय मेदिनीम् ।। 1.5 ।। नीतिशास्त्रामृतं धीमानर्थशास्त्रमहोदधेः ।
समुद्दध्रे नमस्तस्मै विष्णुगुप्ताय वेधसे ।। 1.6 ।। "Salutation to Viṣṇugupta, the veritable providence, powerful like thunderous fire, by whose thunder-like rites, fell root and branch the mountain like Nanda dynasty firm in all its political strata ; who like Karttikeya in valour, single-handed, procured by dint of his statesmanship the whole earth for Candragupta; who from the ocean-like science of polity churned out, so to say, the nectar of polity."
When we observe the legacy of Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra we find a compact and neat version of the Arthaśāstra i.e. the Nītivākyāmṛta of Somadevasūri, a Digambara Jaina monk of the 10th century A.D. The details are given in a separate chapter of the present book. [6] Decreasing popularity of the Arthaśāstra in the brahmanic literature:
Now we will see the impact of the Kauțiliya Arthaśāstra and