Chanakya Explored in Jaina Literature

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: Firodaya Prakashan

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After the death of Nanda, Śakațāla killed Nanda's son Hiranyagupta and made Candragupta the king, who was in true sense 'a son of a previous Nanda' (pūrvanandasuta). Sakațāla persuaded Cāņakya and made him Candragupta's chief-minister because he knew that Cāņakya is bright like Bịhaspati. Having completed this intended task, Sakatāla went to forest. Thus he overcome the grief of the death of his beloved sons and led a peaceful spiritual life.
Some Observations on the Kathāsaritsāgara : * The main focus of this story is on Sakațāla. Cāņakya’s appearance
is secondary. * It provides more data about Cāņakya, in comparison with the
purāņas. * Śakațāla and Subandhu are not mentioned in the purāņas. * The references of śrāddha and śikhā confirm the brāhmaṇatva of
Cāņakya. * In the Jaina narratives it is told that, Subandhu was revengeful to
Cāņakya, but the reason is not given. With the help of the Kathā
we find the missing link in the Jaina narratives. * The story of Sakațāla is very popular in the Jaina tales but the
relation between Sakatāla and Cāņakya is not established in the
Jaina tales.
* The impact of this story is evidently seen in the Cāņakya-muni
kathā of Harişeņa but he might have taken the story from the Prakrit version of the Kathā' because the date of Harisena is the
gth-9th century and the date of the Kathā' is the 11th century A.D. * The Śvetāmbara Jaina writers have told that Śakațāla was the
minister of the last Nanda and he had two sons named Sthūlabhadra