Kautilya's Arthashastra 1.15: Chapter 15 (Section 11): The Topic of Counsel

1.15.1

kṛtasvapakṣaparapakṣopagrahaḥ kāryārambhāṃś cintayet //

HAVING gained a firm hold on the affection of both local and foreign parties both in his own and enemy's state, the king shall proceed to think of administrative measures.

1.15.2

mantrapūrvāḥ sarvārambhāḥ //

All kinds of administrative measures are preceded by deliberations in a well-formed council. The subject matter of a council shall be entirely secret and deliberations in it shall be so carried that even birds cannot see them; for it is said that the secrecy of counsels was divulged by parrots, minas, dogs and other low creatures of mean birth. Hence without providing himself with sufficient safeguard against disclosure, he shall never enter into deliberations in a council.

1.15.3

taduddeśaḥ saṃvṛtaḥ kathānām anihśrāvī pakṣibhir apy anālokyaḥ syāt /

1.15.4

śrūyate hi śukasārikābhir mantro bhinnaḥ, śvabhir apy anyaiś ca tiryagyonibhir iti //

1.15.5

tasmān mantroddeśam anāyukto nopagacchet //

1.15.6

ucchidyeta mantrabhedī //

Whoever discloses counsels shall be torn to pieces. The disclosure of counsels may be detected by observing changes in the attitude and countenance of envoys, ministers, and masters. Change in conduct is change in attitude (ingitamanyathávrittih); and observation of physical appearance is countenance (ákritigrahanamákárah).

1.15.7

mantrabhedo hi dūtāmātyasvāminām iṅgitākārābhyām //

1.15.8

iṅgitam anyathāvṛttiḥ //

1.15.9

ākṛtigrahaṇam ākāraḥ //

1.15.10

tasya saṃvaraṇam āyuktapuruṣarakṣaṇam ākāryakālād iti //

Maintenance of the secrecy of a council-matter, and keeping guard over officers that have taken part in the deliberation over it (shall be strictly observed) till the time of starting the work so considered approaches.

1.15.11

teṣāṃ hi pramādamadasuptapralāpāḥ, kāmādir utsekaḥ, pracchanno 'vamato vā mantraṃ bhinatti //

Carelessness, intoxication, talking in sleep, love and other evil habits of councillors are the causes of the betrayal of counsels.

Whoever is of hidden nature or is disregarded will disclose counsels. Hence steps shall be taken to safeguard counsels against such dangers. Disclosure of counsels is advantageous to persons other than the king and his officers.

1.15.12

tasmād ādrakṣen mantram //

1.15.13

"mantrabhedo hy ayogakṣemakaro rājñas tadāyuktapuruṣāṇāṃ ca //

1.15.14

tasmād guhyam eko mantrayeta" iti bhāradvājaḥ //

"Hence," says Bháradvája, "the king shall singly deliberate over secret matters; for ministers have their own ministers, and these latter some of their own; this kind of successive line of ministers tends to the disclosure of counsels.

1.15.15

"mantriṇām api hi mantriṇo bhavanti, teṣām apy anye //

1.15.16

saiṣā mantriparamparā mantraṃ bhinatti //

1.15.17

"tasmān nāsya pare vidyuḥ karma kiṃcic cikīrṣitam /
ārabdhāras tu jānīyur ārabdhaṃ kṛtam eva vā //

"Hence no outside person shall know anything of the work which the king has in view. Only those who are employed to carry it out shall know it either when it is begun or when accomplished."

1.15.18

"naikasya mantrasiddhir asti" iti viśālākṣaḥ //

“No deliberation,” says Visáláksha, “made by a single person will be successful; the nature of the work which a sovereign has to do is to be inferred from the consideration of both the visible and invisible causes. The perception of what is not or cannot be seen, the conclusive decision of whatever is seen, the clearance of doubts as to whatever is susceptible of two opinions, and the inference of the whole when only a part is seen--all this is possible of decision only by ministers. Hence he shall sit at deliberation with persons of wide intellect.

1.15.19

"pratyakṣaparokṣānumeyā hi rājavṛttiḥ //

1.15.20

anupalabdhasya jñānam upalabdhasya niścitabalādhānam arthadvaidhasya saṃśayacchedanam ekadeśadṛṣṭasya śeṣopalabdhir iti mantrisādhyam etat //

1.15.21

tasmād buddhivṛddhaiḥ sārdham adhyāsīta mantram //

1.15.22

"na kaṃcid avamanyeta sarvasya śṛṇuyān matam /
bālasyāpy arthavadvākyam upayuñjīta paṇḍitaḥ //"

He shall despise none, but hear the opinions of all. A wise man shall make use of even a child's sensible utterance.

1.15.23

"etan mantrajñānam, naitan mantrarakṣaṇam" iti pārāśarāḥ //

"This is," says Parásara "ascertaining the opinions of others, but not keeping counsels. He shall ask his ministers for their opinion, on a work similar to the one he has in view, telling them that "this is the work; it happened thus; what is to be done if it will turn out thus"; and he shall do as they decide. If it is done thus, both the ascertainment of opinions and maintenance of secrecy can be attained."

1.15.24

"yad asya kāryam abhipretaṃ tatpratirūpakaṃ mantriṇaḥ pṛcchet - "kāryam idam evam āsīt, evaṃ vā yadi bhavet, tat kathaṃ kartavyam" iti //

1.15.25

te yathā brūyus tat kuryāt //

1.15.26

evaṃ mantropalabdhiḥ saṃvṛtiś ca bhavati" iti //

1.15.27

neti piśunaḥ //

“Not so,” says Pisuna, “for ministers, when called for their opinions regarding a distant undertaking, or an accomplished or an unaccomplished work, either approach the subject with indifference or give their opinions half-heartedly. This is a serious defect. Hence he shall consult such persons as are believed to be capable of giving decisive opinion regarding those works about which he seeks for advice. If he consults thus, he can secure good advice as well as secrecy of counsel."

1.15.28

"mantriṇo hi vyavahitam arthaṃ vṛttam avṛttaṃ vā pṛṣṭā anādareṇa bruvanti prakāśayanti vā //

1.15.29

sa doṣaḥ //

1.15.30

tasmāt karmasu ye yeṣv abhipretās taiḥ saha mantrayeta //

1.15.31

tair mantrayamāṇo hi mantrasiddhiṃ guptiṃ ca labhate" iti //

1.15.32

neti kauṭilyaḥ //

"Not so," says Kautilya, "for this (kind of seeking for advice) is infinite and endless. He shall consult three or four ministers. Consultation with a single (minister) may not lead to any definite conclusion in cases of complicated issues. A single minister proceeds willfully and without restraint. In deliberating with two ministers, the king may be overpowered by their combined action, or imperiled by their mutual dissension. But with three or four ministers he will not come to any serious grief, but will arrive at satisfactory results. With ministers more than four in number, he will have to come to a decision after a good deal of trouble; nor will secrecy of counsel be maintained without much trouble. In accordance with the requirements of place, time, and nature of the work in view, he may, as he deems it proper, deliberate with one or two ministers or by himself.

1.15.33

anavasthā hy eṣā //

1.15.34

mantribhis tribhiś caturbhir vā saha mantrayeta //

1.15.35

mantrayamāṇo hy ekenārthakṛcchreṣu niścayaṃ nādhigacchet //

1.15.36

ekaś ca mantrī yatheṣṭam anavagrahaś carati //

1.15.37

dvābhyāṃ mantrayamāṇo dvābhyāṃ saṃhatābhyām avagṛhyate, vigṛhītābhyāṃ vināśyate //

1.15.38

tat triṣu catuṣu vā kṛcchreṇopapadyate //

1.15.39

mahādoṣam upapannaṃ tu bhavati //

1.15.40

tataḥ pareṣu kṛcchreṇārthaniścayo gamyate, mantro vā rakṣyate //

1.15.41

deśakālakāryavaśena tv ekena saha dvābhyām eko vā yathāsāmarthyaṃ mantrayeta //(alterṇative views approved)

1.15.42

karmaṇām ārambhopāyaḥ puruṣadravyasampad deśakālavibhāgo vinipātapratīkāraḥ kāryasiddhir iti pañcāṅgo mantraḥ //

Means to carry out works, command of plenty of men and wealth, allotment of time and place, remedies against dangers, and final success are the five constituents of every council-deliberation.

1.15.43

tān ekaikaśaḥ pṛcchet samastāṃś ca //

The king may ask his ministers for their opinion either individually or collectively, and ascertain their ability by judging over the reasons they assign for their opinions.

1.15.44

hetubhiś caiṣāṃ matipravivekān vidyāt //

1.15.45

avāptārthaḥ kālaṃ nātikrāmayet //

He shall lose no time when the opportunity waited for arrives; nor shall he sit long at consultation with those whose parties he intends to hurt.

1.15.46

na dīrghakālaṃ mantrayeta, na teṣāṃ pakṣīyair yeṣām apakuryāt //

1.15.47

"mantripariṣadaṃ dvādaśāmātyān kurvīta" iti mānavāḥ //

The school of Manu say that the assembly of ministers (mantriparishad) shall be made to consist of twelve members.

1.15.48

"ṣoḍaśa" iti bārhaspatyāḥ //

The school of Brihaspathi say that it shall consist of sixteen members.

1.15.49

"viṃśatim" ity auśanasāḥ //

The school of Usanas say that it shall consist of twenty members.

1.15.50

yathāsāmarthyam iti kauṭilyaḥ //

But Kautilya holds that it shall consist of as many members as the needs of his dominion require (yathásámarthyam).

1.15.51

te hy asya svapakṣaṃ parapakṣaṃ ca cintayeyuḥ //

Those ministers shall have to consider all that concerns the parties of both the king and his enemy. They shall also set themselves to start the work that is not yet begun, to complete what has been begun, to improve what has been accomplished, and to enforce strict obedience to orders (niyogasampadam).

1.15.52

akṛtārambham ārabdhānuṣṭhānam anuṣṭhitaviśeṣaṃ niyogasampadaṃ ca karmaṇāṃ kuryuḥ //

1.15.53

āsannaiḥ saha karmāṇi paśyet //

He shall supervise works in company with his officers that are near (ásannaih); and consult by sending writs (patrasampreshanena) those that are (not) near (ásanna).

1.15.54

anāsannaiḥ saha pattrasampreṣaṇena mantrayeta //

1.15.55

indrasya hi mantripariṣadṛṣīṇāṃ sahasram //

One thousand sages form Indra's assembly of ministers (mantriparishad). They are his eyes. Hence he is called thousand-eyed though he possesses only two eyes.

1.15.56

sa tac cakṣuḥ //

1.15.57

tasmād imaṃ dvyakṣaṃ sahasrākṣam āhuḥ //

1.15.58

ātyayike kārye mantriṇo mantripariṣadaṃ cāhūya brūyāt //

In works of emergency, he shall call both his ministers and the assembly of ministers (mantrino mantriparishadam cha), and tell them of the same. He shall do whatever the majority (bhúyishtháh) of the members suggest or whatever course of action leading to success (káryasiddhikaram va) they point out. And while doing any work,

1.15.59

tatra yadbhūyiṣṭhā brūyuḥ kāryasiddhikaraṃ vā tat kuryāt //

1.15.60

kurvataś ca --
nāsya guhyaṃ pare vidyuś chidraṃ vidyāt parasya ca /
gūhet kūrmevāṅgāni yat syād vivṛtam ātmanaḥ //

None of his enemies (pare) shall know his secret, but he shall know the weak points of his enemy. Like a tortoise he shall draw in his limbs that are stretched out.

1.15.61

yathā hy aśrotriyaḥ śrāddhaṃ na satāṃ bhoktum arhati /
evam aśrutaśāstrārtho na mantraṃ śrotum arhati //E

Just as balls of meal offered to ancestors by a person not learned in the Vedas are unfit to be eaten by wise men, so whoever is not well versed in sciences shall be unfit to hear of council deliberations.