Indian Antiquary Vol 47

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 209

JULY, 1918]
ON THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE KAUȚILİYA
"Kautilya has composed this manual easy to understand and to study; exact as regards subject, ideas and words; free from prolixity." These appear to be the words of the author of a book intended for self-instruction. A text-book intended for the use of schools does not need to be sukhagrahaṇavijñeya: the teacher, the school is concerned with its exposition.
The second verse runs:
sarvasástrany anu kramya prayogam upalabhya ca | Kautilyena narendrârthe śâsanasya vidhiḥ kṛtaḥ ||
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"After scrutinising all Sastras and with due regard to practice, Kautilya has formulated these instructions concerning documents for the benefit of kings." This verse refers only to the particular chapter sasanadhikâra; Kautilya claims special credit for it, probably as this subject was either not dealt with at all before him or at any rate not dealt with sufficiently well. The personal note is here unmistakable. Would a school compiler boast of having provided for the wants of a king?
The verses at the end of the work read:
evam sastram idam yuktam etâbhis tantrayuktibhiḥ | avâptau pâlane co'ktam lokasya'sya parasya ca|| dharmam artham ca kamam ca pravartayati pâti ca | [847] adharmânarthavidve an idam sastram nihanti ca ||
yena sastram ca sastram ca Nandaraja-gatâ ca bhúḥ | amarṣeno'ddhṛtâny âsu tena iâstram idam kṛtam ||
Thus has this Sastra that leads to the acquisition and preservation of this and the other world been set forth along with these methodic concepts. This Sastra brings about and protects Justice, Prosperity and Enjoyment and also dispels Injustice, Detriment and Displeasure. This manual has been composed by him who quickly and angrily rescued at once the Science, the Art of War and the Earth that had passed to the Nanda King."
The first of these three verses refers to the last chapter (concerning methodic concepts) and to the first words of the book: prthivya labhe palane ca. The second verse promises the attainment of the trivarga to him who knows this Sastra, as is done in a similar way, in partly identical words in the Kâmasûtra, p. 370: dharmam artham ca kaman c, etc. Lastly, the end verse tells us, with surpassing conciseness, who the author is, not through the specification of his name, which had occurred already twice, but through the recounting of his distinguished services. That is not self-praise: they are the words of a man who stands at the pinnacle of his fame. But in spite of his self-consciousness, which is not veiled by any sham modesty, one does feel in the words of the Chancellor of Candragupta a certain amount of courteous consideration in so far that he does not specify the name of the master whom he has raised to the throne; for, it might in this connection have called forth his disfavour. Kâmandaki, on the other hand, who could glorify the great master irrespective of any such consideration, praises as his work the overthrow of the Nand as and the raising to the throne of Candragupta, each in one stanza (I 4. 5). If some one in later times had added a prasasti to the book, it would surely have been a lengthy eulogium like Kamandaki's.-What the words amarseno 'ddhṛtány déu in the last verse referred to the Arthasástra imply, deserves to be discussed more fully. Amarsa is, taking