Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 53
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Previous | Next

Page 154
________________ 146 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY [JULY, 1924 not how far these systems had received a literary treatment.41 The Grammar Vyakarana as the Vedâiga) was represented by Pânini's work. Besides this, there was Method or Rhetoric which treated of questions of syntax and style. The Jyotisa is mentioned as a Vedanga; the statements in II. 20 appear to have been taken therefrom. The oft-mentioned Mauhârtika (pp. 38, 245) proves the pre-existence of primitive astrology; the tithis and the nakṣatras (p. 349) play an important part in it; and the planets were already known, of which Venus and Jupiter are expressly mentioned (p. 116). Other branches of Divination are to be deduced from the names of their representatives, Kârtântika and Naimittika, who along with the Mauhûrtika were employed at the court on a fixed salary(V. 3. p 245 247 of the 1919 Edition). Among other sastras, there is also expressly mentioned the Dhâtusastra (II. 12, p. 81). This particular thing, in itself appearing petty enough, is however of general importance inasmuch as it shows, how much all conceivable subjects found at that time exposition in the form of sastras: all things worth knowing could be the subject of a sâstra. We have seen that Kautilya himself put into use all (pertinent) sâstras concerning his rules about the writs (Sasana) of the king, and that, he insists on the King's adviser (amâtya) having a thorough knowledge of the Sastras. He says (I. 9, p. 15): Samânavidyebhyaḥ silpam sastracakṣumattâm (amátyánám partkseta), i.e., the king should satisfy himself, with the help of specialists, whether the royal advisers know the arts, and possess the mastery of the sâstras. For those who are here implied by the word samânavidya (the same expression recurs at p. 246, 1. 10 = p. 248, 1. 11) and are called vidyavantaḥ on p. 246, 1. 7 (248, 1. 7), the epithets pandita and sastrin were usual in later times. (973) As is well-known, the classical period falls under the purview of the sastra, and the Pandit is characteristic of that period. From the Kautiliya, we see that at its time, the idstra had already attained a position dominating the intellectual life of India. Thus we arrive at the conviction that the fourth century B.C. should belong to the classical period, maturing to full development. The Vedic period was however at that time long concluded, and belonged to an antiquity lying very far behind. THE ECONOMIC IDEAS FROM THE KAMA-SUTRA. BY PROF. J. N. SAMADDAR, B.A., F.R.E.S., F.R. HIST.S., M.R.A.S VATSYAYANA'S Kama-Sutra has generally been viewed with aversion as being a book which deals with erotics only-a Vade-mecum for a gay lothario; but here and there we do get sufficient indications in the work giving prominence to economic topics and ideas, so that we may review many of the actions described from the economic point. It may be said indeed, that, even in this book which deals principally with Kama, there are questions treating of wealth and that sufficient importance is attached to the necessity for wealth, proving that the principles underlying production, distribution and consumption of wealth received due attention from the 'Acharyas in ancient India, who are generally considered to have oriented all their studies towards philosophy exclusively. The very beginning of the Kama-Sutra supports our contention. The author commences his book by saluting the three vargas-dharma, artha and kama. Though the last was the main theme of his discourse, he does not forget that there are three main purposes in 41 I have referred to the fact (these Sitzungsberichte, 1911, p. 741) that the later writers claimed for the anviksiki that it was an atmavidya. Kautilya does not theoretically put forward this claim, but practically; in so far as the education of the princes is concerned, he too is of the same view as his successore; since, according to I. 5, p. 10, the prince, after his Upanayana, should learn the tray? and anviksiki from the Sistas. The disfa must have been careful to see that the prince learnt no hetereduz philosophy.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392