5.3. Political Philosophy of Arthashastra Traditio
5.3. Political Philosophy of Arthashastra Traditio
5.3. Political Philosophy of Arthashastra Traditio
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5
- Ashok Chousalkar
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POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ARTHASHASTRA TRADITION 55
for them the world was full of sorrow. Buddha did preach c
tive moral principles and wanted to evolve universal religion
deeply influenced by pessimism which had negative influenc
and practice of his religion. It is true that Buddha was
philosopher and personality India had produced, and his teach
had revolutionary potential, but due to lack of positive unde
the new age, he too indulged in discovering illusions of epoch
and renunciation.
As against these two schools, arthashastra teachers understood the
causes of new change and advocated that the forces of change should
be strengthened with the help of institution of state. Thus, the artha-
shastra teachers put forward a positive alternative before the people.
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56 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
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POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ARTHASHASTRA TRADITION 57
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58 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
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POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ARTHASHASTRA TRADITION 59
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60 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
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POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ARTHASHASTRA TRADITION 61
of it, men will prowl like wolves (12.132). Therefore, the king
get swayed by moral considerations because for a kshatriya
his job, dharma and artha ought to be clear outright issues
which there can be no subterfuge or camouflage as the current
ing of dharma does not admit of direct proof.20
Bhishma advises Yudhishthira that there is nothing like
friendship in this world as human relations are based on self-in
protect his self-interest the king can forge alliances with his
cause there does not exist separate order of friends and foes.
securing the desired end he should not repose any trust becau
of their friendship is over (12.136).
The most vicious advice is given by sage Bharadvaja - an
arthashastra teacher who declared that the king should always
datida ready to crush his enemies. He should not trust his
try to find out ways and means to kill them. When situation d
should carry his enemy on the shoulders but as soon as an opp
comes he should break him like an earthen pot. He should b
like a lion, conceal himself like a tortoise, think about financ
like a crane, sleep alertly at night like a wild beast, be suspici
crow, be far-sighted like a vulture and enter the enemy
like a'snake with ease and poise. He should sever the head of en
own hand and shed tears for him. He should take help of a
cherous means to kill his enemy. He must see that his enemy i
destroyed as remnants of fire, debt and foe always increase. I
son, brother, teacher or a friend come in his way, they shoul
There is no separate order of friends and foes as friendship d
one's strength. Bharadvaja declares that the king should first
his position and then behave according to norms of dharma (12
ma argues that this type of policy, which is stained with sin, sh
followed during the normal time but should be resorted to
emergency.
The teaching of Bharadvaja represents some extreme tendencies of the
early arthashastra teachers as he parades his unbriddled selfishness and
lacks saving grace of appeal to the necessity of state.21 But it must be
said that even in Kautilya's arthashastra several immoral and vicious
methods are suggested to exterminate the enemy. Brihaspati also tells his
king to clandestinely adopt different mechanism to kill his enemy (12.104).
Therefore, Prof. Kangle has rightly argued that we can find echoes of
this type of teaching in most of the books on politics and law in ancient
India.22
The preceding discussion makes it clear that for arthashastra teachers
preservation of state was more important than anything else, therefore,
Brihaspati declared that the king should kill a person, be he a teacher or a
friend, if he is working against seven elements of state (12.57. 5-6) The
state's interests were considered very important, therefore, it is argued that
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62 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
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POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ARTHASHASTRA TRADITION 63
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64 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
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POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ARTHASHASTRA TRADITION 65
2. Mishra, K.C. Genesis of Janapada, pp. 204-314, Journal of Bihar Research Society ,
Vol. 44, 1958.
3. Kosambi, D.D. An Introduction to the Study of Ancient Indian History (second edi-
tion), Popular, Bombay, 1973, 155-56.
4. Kangle R.P. The Kautilya Arthashastra - a Critical Study , Vol. Ill, University of
Bombay, Bombay, 1965, p. 11.
8. Kane P.V. A history of dhar mashast ras, Vol III, Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute, Pune, 1931, pp. 7-8.
9. Ghoshal U.N. A History of Indian Political ideas , Oxford University Press, Bombay,
1959, p. 82.
10. Drekmeier C. Kingship and Community in Early India , Oxford University Press,
Bombay 1962, p. 90.
11. Agrawala V.S. Bharat-Savitri Vol. II (in Hindi) Sasta Sahitya Mandai, New Delhi,
1977, p. 60.
14. Mittal K.K. Materialism in Ancient India , Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi
1975, pp. 57-58.
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66 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
28. See for detailed discussion, a paper by B.S. Rawat raison ďetre in Kautilya
read at All India Political Science Conference , Jodhpur, Dec. 1976.
32. Chousalkar A.S. 'Development and political thought of early arthashastra thinkers'
Journal of University of Bombay , Vol. 46, 1976-77, pp. 31-44.
33. Pant, A.D. in Introduction to Beni Prasad's, Theory of Government in Ancient India
(second edition), Central Book Depot, Allahabad, 1968, p. 39. Dr Pant's is the
first detailed study of arthashastra tradition which is yet to be published. Only
abridged version of his findings is published in the above introduction.
34. Kosambi, D.D. Ancient Indian Culture and Civilisation - A historical outline (second
edition), Vikas, New Delhi, p. 127.
35. Zimmer, H. ibid . He describes the behaviour of nations during the Second World
War with the help of beast fables from Mbh. pp. 87-127.
(1) All the references of Mahabharata are drawn from the critical edition of
Mahabharata published by Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune.
(2) The Kautilya arthashastra text and translation by R.P. Kangle is followed,
published by University of Bombay, Bombay 1962-66.
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