Chanakya Explored in Jaina Literature

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: Firodaya Prakashan

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[2] The Avaśyaka-niryukti of Bhadrabāhu (2nd) is an old Jaina Māhārāstrī text which belongs to the 3rd or 4th century A.D. Bhadrabāhu
says -
खवगे अमच्चपुत्ते चाणक्के चेव थूलभद्दे अ ।
पारिणामिअ-बुद्धीए एवमाई उदाहरणा
Niryukti-samgraha, gā.51 (p.93) Here Cāņakya is mentioned as an example of PāriņāmikiBuddhi, i.e. the intellectual capacity or wisdom acquired by experi
ence.
The examples and stories connected with pāriņāmiki-buddhi are explained at length in the later texts. Many of the texts present a lot of Cāņakya-episodes as the examples of pāriņāmiki-buddhi. The sense of appreciation and regards towards Cāņakya is quite evident in these examples.
We know that the Kauțilīya Arthaśāstra is really a treasurebook which illuminates various aspects of human life in general and a miraculous blend of contemporary political thoughts, economy and socio-moral values in particular. We can easily conjucture that it is the essence of Cāņakya's life-long experience of good governance. It is sure that Bhadrabāhu (II) had appreciated his text i.e. Kauțilīya Arthaśāstra by including him in the examples of pāriņāmiki-buddhi.
It seems that Arya Rakṣita had a little hesitation to quote the text of Kautilya, but Bhadrabāhu appreciates his wisdom wholeheartedly along with the revered Jaina monk Sthūlabhadra, a contemporary of Cāņakya. [3] The Piņda-niryukti of Bhadrabāhu (2nd) is an old Jaina Māhārāștrī text written in the 3rd 4th century A.D. The gāthā runs as