Jain Thought and Culture

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 48

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lair: 71.nuphori Corunc
cra The posteriorili of kaulilia to Bhosa in most conclusions proved by luo verses (Nalum saratom clc.) of the Pralirayauman. dharayana of llic latter which are given. quotation in the Arthasastra (a 3) of the former No calisfactory esplanation of this fact has been offered by Those who place Kaulilya in the colly Mauryat period
ris pointed out by Jolly and many others thic Arthasastra of Kautilya resembles llie kamasutra oi Velisas na very closely in plan.language, stuc and basic attitude towards life Lilic thclatics the former is written in the surratule In both the works ierses from ancient texts have been quolcd Both the trcaliscs are divided into adlukaranas which are subdivided into prakaranas Lacii of them is, on the one hand, based on the floating mass of traditional material on its subject and, on the other, bcars a dislinct slamp of the original thinking of its author further, cach of them cites the opia nion of its author in the third personi (t1 Kauhlyal and oft l'atsyayanali) a style which is only rere found in ancient Indian lilcrature In the Kamasutra there is a short adlııkarana named Supanishadiha which deals with artificial means of increasing youth and beauti, recipes for fascinating and nahing the desired inan or woman submmissive, as well as for increasing sedal vigour Similarly, kanlilja has given an adhikarana of the same name in vfuch he has described various mantras and recipes for producing illusiic appearances, spreading diseases and killing people on a mass scalc, remaining without food for days together, making others sicep etc The attitude of both these masters is completely amoral, both of them proceed on the assumption that everything is fair inlove and war The facile attitude of Kautilya in his inculcating the benefits of descating an opponent by guile, in his recommending unscrupulous methods for getting rid of inconvenient ministers and princes or in his formulating ingenious means of exorting taxes to fil the treasury are comparable to the indifference of Vatsyayana to uprightness, as we see, for 1075tance, in his complacent instruclion regarding the ways of deceiving maidens, of making shameless use of other peoples' wives for profil as well as for pleasure or in his teaching of calculated and sordid tricks to the harlot for winning love and lucre 15 These facts suggest that Kautilya and Vatsj ayana were the products of the same cultural milieu In the words of Jolly "no long interval can have passed
15
De s K, Ancient Indian Crotics and Erotic Litcrature, p 95