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JULY, 1924 ]
ECONOMIC IDEAS FROM THE KAMA SUTRA
147
one's life ;1 dharma, artha and kama are really inter-dependent to bring about success in life-all these three have to be studied, after the manner of the great teachers who have propounded the principles of these three principal objects which a man should strive to attain in life. Evidently with this object in view, Vatsayana recommends that a man's lifetime is to be divided into three periods and each period is to be devoted to the pursuit of one of the Trivargis in such a manner as they may conduce to their harmonious combination with one another, so that the pursuit of any one of them is not detrimental to the interests of the other two. Although the Acharya suggested that of the three vargas-dharma is pre. ferable to any other coming next i.e., dharma to artha, or kûma, or to both, and artha to kama, he has opined that this order of preference is not to be strictly adhereci to. He mentions, in support of this suggestion, the case of a king, to whom artha is more important than the other two, inasmuch as the very existence of the state--its social order and the adminis. tration of the country, depend solely on wealth. And he, therefore, recommended that suit. able means of earning wealth have to be studied, not only by depending on the Sastras, but one should also learn from the Superintendents of Departments and from merchants and others well-versed in the art of commerce and trade and from persons experienced in agriculture and other vocations of life.
Vatsyayana, tries to treat of kama, but he does not forget that artha is more important. He discusses the arguments which are put forward against pur. suing artha. People are of opinion, he states, that." even if one exerts himself with all his strength, one sometimes does not succeed in getting wealth. On the other hand, one some. times gets wealth with no effort whatever, even by mere chance. All this is due to Fate." Vatayayana strongly opposes such dependence on Fate or Time. He says, “It is not so. All the gaining of all objects in this world chiefly depends on human enterprise ; a knowledge of the various means of securing these objects is as much the cause as Time. Even in the case of things that are predestined to happen, they can be realised only through manly efforts. No good comes to such as are inactive."
Indeed he goes further. He practically forbids recourse to kdma, for it is detrimental to the progress of the other two objects, viz., dharma and artha, which should not be neglected; and he goes on to suggest that a man may learn Kama-Satra and the arts, but he should do it in such a manner that the time spent on them may not conflict with that devoted to the study of dharma and artha sastras and the other branch of learning related thereto, a know. ledge of which he is bound to gain primarily. As we have already observed, he advises that the following verse may be studied with advantage "Man pursuing the Trivargas will secure an abundance of unmixed happiness in this as well as in the other world;8 one should not attach undue importance to only one of the vargas, but there should be the harmonious development of all of them."
Vatsyayana's definition of wealth is also very interesting. "Education, land, gold, domestic animals (cows, etc.) grain, domestic vessels and utensils; friends, and so forth, are artha, as also the means of securing and increasing the above. He has evidently improved upon the explanation of the term, and as we have said elsewhere it is indeed interesting to pote what wealth (artha) included then, and what a close resemblance there is in his defini. tion to what we mean by wealth now, being anything which has an exchange value.
1 1. 1. 3-4. 1 2 . 1. 2. 16-17.
31. 2. 18-21. 1. 2. 10. 5 1. 2. 38-39.
. 1. 2. 40-42. 11. 3. 1. 1 1. 2, 4ị.
1. 2. 1. • Leatures on the iconomic Condition of Ancient India, Oaloutta University, p. 87.
