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OCTOB
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THE ANTIQUITY OF THE IDEA OF CHAKRAVARTIN
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THE ANTIQUITY OF THE IDEA OF CHAKRAVARTIN
BY DR. BHANDARKAR, M.A., Ph.D. KAUTALYA in his Arthasastra defines the extent of a Chakravartin's domain. The text published in Dr. Shama Sastri's edition runs as follows: "deśaḥ prithivi; tasyam Himavat. samudr-ântaram-udîchinam yojana-sahasra-parimânam-atiryak chakravanti-kshetram " (p. 340). The passage ocours in precisely the same form in Prof. Jolly's edition (p. 205). The late Mahamahopadhyâya T. Ganapati Sastri's cdition also presents the same text(pt. III, p. 45), with only one short difference, namely, that it has the word tiryak instead of atiryak of the preceding editions. Curiously enough, practically the same passage is met with in Sam kararya's commentary of Kamandaklya-Nitisára so as to leave no doubt that it is a quotation from Kautalya's Arthasástra. It occurs in his gloss on Canto I. v. 39 and runs as follows: "tasyam Himavat-samundr antaram-udîchînain nava-yojana-sahasra-pramånam tiryak Chakravarti-kshetram." This text differs from that of the Mysore edition in two important respects. First it has nava-yojana-sahasra-pramánam instead of yojana-sahasra. parimanam and tiryak instead of atiryak. Samkarârya must have taken this text from the manuscript of Kautalya's Arthasastra that was before him. And the question arises : which of the two variants represents the correct text?
Scholars probably do not know that what Kautalya states about the sphere of the Chakravartin is set forth in greater detail in the Puranas. The passage in question occurs in no less than two Puranas, -the Vayu and the Matsya. The first Purana (chap. 45, v. 72 & ff.) has the following:
atra vô varnayishyámi varshê-smin Bharaté prajah idam tu madhyamam chitram subhasubha-phal-odayam uttaram yat samudrasya Himavad-dakshinam cha yat varsham yatBharatam nama yatr-êyam Bharati praja bharanach-cha prajánåm vai Manur-Bharata uchyatê nirukta-vachanach-ch-aiva varsham tad-Bharatam smritam tatab svargas-cha mākshas-cha madhyas-ch-antas-cha gamyatê na khalv-anyatra martyanam bhūmau karma vidhiyatê Bharatasy-asya varshagya nava bhêdah prakirtitah samudr-antarita jñêyks-tê tv-agamyah parasparam Indradvipah Kaserus-cha Tamravarni Gabhastiman Någadvipastatha Saumy Gandharvas-tv-atha Varunah ayam tu navamas-têshăm dvipaḥ sågara-sam. vfitab yojananam sahasram tu dvîpô-yam dakshin-ottaram ayato hy-&Kumariky&d. A Ganga-prabhavach-cha vai tiryag-uttara-vistîrnah sahasrani nav-aiva tu dvipô hy. upanivisht0-yam Mléchchhair-antêshu nityasah purve Kirat& hy-asy Anté paschimê Yavanah smpitah brahmanah kehatriya vaiấya madhyê sûdras cha bhagasah ijyd-yuddhavanijyabhir varttayantô vyavasthitah têpham samvyavahåro-yam varttaté tu parasparam dharm-Artha-kama-samyukto varnånam tu sva-karmasu samkalpa-pafchamanam tu asramanam yatha-vidhi iha svarg-&pavarg-Artham pravfittir-yeshu manushi yas-tv-ayam navamo dvipas-tiryag-ayata uchyatê kritenam jayati yo hy-ênam sa sam. råd-iha kirtyaté ayam lokas-tu vai samråd-antariksho virat smțitah svarad-anyah smpito lokaḥ punar-vakshyami vistaram.
Practically the same passage as the above is met with in the Matsya Purana (chap. 114, v. 5 & ff.). It runs as follows:
ath-Aham varņayishy&mi varsh-smin Bharatê prajab bharanat-prajanach-ch-aiva Manur-Bharata uchyatê Nirukta-vachanais-ch-aiva Varsham tad-Bharatam smritam yatab gvargas-cha mökshas-cha madhyamas-ch-&pi hi smritah na khalv-anyatra mar
anAm bhūmau karma-vidhin emritah Bharatasy-Asya varshagyá nava bhêdan-nibodhata Indradvipah Kaserus-cha Tamraparnô Gabhastiman Nagadvipas-tatha Saumyo Gandharvas-tv-atha Varunah ayam tu navamas-têsham dvipah segara-samvritaḥ yojananam sahasram tu dvipo-yam dakshiņ-6ttarah ayatas-tu Kumari to Gangayab pravahAvadhih tiryag-Ardhvam tu vistirnah sahasrani das-aiva tu dvipo hy-upanivishtô-yam Mléchohhair-antêshu sarvasah Yavanas-cha KirâtAs-cha tasy-Antê pärva-paschimê Brahmanah Kshatriya Vaisya madhye Sadras-cha bhagasah ijyl-yuta-vanijyadi vartayanto
