Jain Journal 1974 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 27

JANUARY, 1974
111
government, they would come to no good. He firmly believed in protecting the king from all kinds of temptations, including that of women whom he unduly condemned as being source of evil and a bundle of craft and hypocrisy. The young princes were to be respectful to their parents even in thought, otherwise they would fall into misery.64
On certain fundamental problems like taxation, Somadeva was unequivocal. He warns the State against over-taxation. Taxation was to be adjusted to the resources of the people. Expenditure was never to exceed income. He followed the ancient Hindu theory of one-sixth of the produce being levied as taxes, which was to be paid only in return for the protection given by the king. The king received not merely the sixth of the produce of land but also a corresponding portion of the increase of the spiritual merit of his people, as a result of protection. He expressed it thus : paripālako hi rājā sarveșām dharmānām sastham āpnoti.65 It was clear that he had rejected the theory of guidance of Jinasena, and had fallen in line with the traditional theory of the ancient Indian writers about the rate and policy of taxation.
Somadeva's importance in the history of Indian political thought may be stated thus : Firstly, he re-enforced the Arthaśāstra of Kautilya in a manner which no other writer, excepting Kamandaka had done, thereby showing that Kautilya's theories had definitely come to stay centuries after the times of that great Mauryan Prime-minister.. Granting that, as has been shown by his commentator Haribala, 66 he followed closely Kautilya, yet it proves that there was complete agreement between the Brahmana Kautilya and the Jaina Somadeva in regard to the most vital question of the State. Secondly, we see here not so much as the repetition of ideas as the confirmation of the old ideas by a later writer, thereby proving the continuity in Indian political thought. Thirdly, Somadeva by departing from the idealistic stand of Jinasena, had shown the truly practical bent of mind which has always characterized the Jainas. Fourthly, Somadeva was in a sense modern, since he had eliminated all social privileges. Although he recognized caste and upheld the ancient Hindu view that people should follow their hereditary professions, and even looked upon the Brahmanas with some special regard, yet he maintained the equality of all before the law.67
64 Ibid., pp. 211-271. 65 Ibid., pp. 18, 250-271. See also Aiyangar, op. cit., p. 109. 66 Haribala's commentary is printed in the Digambara Jaina Granthamala. See
also Somadeva, Nitivak yamrtam, pp. 6-7 (Soni's ed. 1923); Aiyangar, op. cit., p. 17
and note (31) ; Beni Prasad, op. cit., p. 242. 67 Beni Prasad, ibid., pp. 241-242. Read also Ghoshal, op. cit., pp. 476-489 for an
elaborate account of Somadeva's theory.