Jain Journal 1986 07

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

Page 12

JULY, 1986
Nayacandra views distraction to be the better part of valour. If, what is sought to be achieved by prowess can be had through expedience or stratagem, the former should be shunned. His moral overtones are again prominent in holding the futility of digvijaya without subduing the inner foes that are more intractable than the most hostile enemies.5
Nayacandra is acutely conscious of the worth of political parleys, as a means to formulate policies and resolve tricky problems. To him prudence lies in conferring with one minister and in maintaining the secrecy of confabulations. The king should seek advice of the minister after carefully forming his views on the issue. In case of concurrence he should act accordingly. If, however, he sees merit in the advice tendered to him, he should ungrudgingly effect changes in his views. Once the policies are adopted, it is the responsibility of the ministers and other functionaries to implement them in the best interest of the state to ensure which Nayacandra advocates the appointment of trusted and faithful persons to the various posts. Restoration of a dismissed or sentenced officer to his original post tantamounts to signing one's death warrant. He continues to nurture enmity to the king thereafter and strikes with deadly strength at the earliest available opportunity.
Nayachandra is unsparing in pouring abhorrence on the state functionaries. He advises the ruler to exercise strict control on them and to extirpate forthwith such of them as thrive through illegal methods like bribary, to the neglect of state and its people. In his political ethos the king plays mother to the people while the officers compare with Co-wives to her. It is suicidal to hand over the baby to the step-mother. Ambitous functionaries, unless weeded out are a permanent hazard to the security of the state and its ruler.?
Taxation, in Nayacandra's view, forms the basis of economic stability and prosperity of the state. Taxation to be successful has to be fair and undiscriminatory. The people should be taxed in a manner that does not bruise them physically or mentally.8 It is as heinous to swell the state's belly with harshly extorted money as to feed oneself
• Ibid., VIII. 79-83, XI. 21. 5 Ibid., VIII. 39. 6 Ibid., VII. 96-102. 7 Ibid., VIII. 92-95. 8 Ibid., VII. 87.