Kautilya's Arthashastra 1.17: Chapter 17 (Section 13): Guarding against Princes

1.17.1

rakṣito rājā rājyaṃ rakṣaty āsannebhyaḥ parebhyaś ca, pūrvaṃ dārebhyaḥ putrebhyaś ca //

HAVING secured his own personal safety first from his wives and sons, the king can be in a position to maintain the security of his kingdom against immediate enemies as well as foreign kings.

1.17.2

dārarakṣaṇaṃ niśāntapraṇidhau vakṣyāmaḥ //

We shall treat of "Protection of Wives" in connection with "Duties toward's the Harem."

1.17.3

"putrarakṣaṇaṃ tu //

Ever since the birth of princes, the king shall take special care of them.

1.17.4

"janmaprabhṛti rājaputrān rakṣet //

1.17.5

karkaṭakasadharmāṇo hi janakabhakṣā rājaputrāḥ //

“For,” says Bháradvája, “princes like crabs have a notorious tendency of eating up their begetter. When they are wanting in filial affection, they shall better be punished in secret (upámsudandah).”

1.17.6

teṣām ajātasnehe pitary upāṃśudaṇḍaḥ śreyān" iti bhāradvājaḥ //

1.17.7

"nṛśaṃsam aduṣṭavadhaḥ kṣatrabījavināśaś ca" iti viśālākṣaḥ //

"This is,” says Visáláksha, “cruelty, destruction of fortune, and extirpation of the seed of the race of Kshattriyas. Hence it is better to keep them under guard in a definite place.”

1.17.8

"tasmād ekasthānāvarodhaḥ śreyān" iti //

1.17.9

ahibhayam etad" iti pārāśarāḥ //

“This,” say the school of Parásara, “is akin to the fear from a lurking snake (ahibhayam); for a prince may think that apprehensive of danger, his father has locked him up, and may attempt to put his own father on his lap. Hence it is better to keep a prince under the custody of boundary guards or inside a fort."

1.17.10

"kumāro hi "vikramabhayān māṃ pitāvaruṇaddhi" iti jñātvā tam evāṅke kuryāt //

1.17.11

tasmād antapāladurge vāsaḥ śreyān" iti //

1.17.12

"aurabhraṃ bhayam etad" iti piśunaḥ //

"This," says Pisuna, “is akin to the fear (from a wolf in the midst) of a flock of sheep (aurabhrakam bhayam); for after understanding the cause of his rustication, he may avail himself of the opportunity to, make an alliance with the boundary guards (against his father). Hence it is better to throw him inside a fort belonging to a foreign king far away from his own state."

1.17.13

"pratyāpatter hi tad eva kāraṇaṃ jñātvāntapālasakhaḥ syāt //

1.17.14

tasmāt svaviṣayād apakṛṣṭe sāmantadurge vāsaḥ śreyān" iti //

1.17.15

"vatsasthānam etad" iti kauṇapadantaḥ //

“This,” says Kaunapadanta, “is akin to the position of a calf (vatsasthánam); for just as a man milks a cow with the help of its calf, so the foreign king may milk (reduce) the prince's father. Hence it is better to make a prince live with his maternal relations."

1.17.16

"vatseneva hi dhenuṃ pitaram asya sāmanto duhyāt //

1.17.17

tasmān mātṛbandhuṣu vāsaḥ śreyān" iti //

1.17.18

"dhvajasthānam etad" iti vātavyādhiḥ //

“This,” says Vátavyádhi “is akin to the position of a flag (dhvajasthánamétat): for as in the case of Aditi and Kausika, the prince's maternal relations may, unfurling this flag, go on begging. Hence princes may be suffered to dissipate their lives by sensual excesses (grámyadharma) inasmuch as revelling sons do not dislike their indulgent father."

1.17.19

"tena hi dhvajenāditikauśikavad asya mātṛbāndhavā bhikṣeran //

1.17.20

tasmād grāmya sukheṣv enam avasṛjet //

1.17.21

sukhoparuddhā hi putrāḥ pitaraṃ nābhidruhyanti" iti //

1.17.22

jīvanmaraṇam etad iti kauṭilyaḥ //

"This," says Kautilya, "is death in life; for no sooner is a royal family with a prince or princes given to dissipation attacked, than it perishes like a worm-eaten piece of wood. Hence when the queen attains the age favourable for procreation, priests shall offer to Indra and Brihaspati the requisite oblations. When she is big with a child, the king shall observe the instructions of midwifery with regard to gestation and delivery. After delivery, the priests shall perform the prescribed purificatory ceremonials. When the prince attains the necessary age, adepts shall train him under proper discipline."

1.17.23

kāṣṭham iva ghuṇajagdhaṃ rājakulam avinītaputram abhiyuktamātraṃ bhajyeta //

1.17.24

tasmād ṛtumatyāṃ mahiṣyām ṛtvijaś carum aindrābārhaspatyaṃ nirvapeyuḥ //

1.17.25

āpannasattvāyāḥ kaumārabhṛtyo garbhabharmaṇi prasave ca viyateta //

1.17.26

prajātāyāḥ putrasaṃskāraṃ purohitaḥ kuryāt //

1.17.27

samarthaṃ tadvido vinayeyuḥ //

1.17.28

"sattriṇām ekaś cainaṃ mṛgayādyūtamadyastrībhiḥ pralobhayet "pitari vikramya rājyaṃ gṛhāṇa" iti //

"Any one of the classmate spies," say (politicians known as) Ambhíyas, "may allure the prince towards hunting, gambling, liquor, and women, and instigate him to attack his own father and snatch the reins of government in his own hands. Another spy shall prevent him from such acts."

1.17.29

tam anyaḥ sattrī pratiṣedhayet" ity āmbhīyāḥ //

1.17.30

mahādoṣam abuddhabodhanam it kauṭilyaḥ //

"There can be," says Kautilya, "no greater crime or sin than making wicked impressions on an innocent mind; just as a fresh object is stained with whatever it is brought in close association, so a prince with fresh mind is apt to regard as scientific injunctions all that he is told of. Hence he shall be taught only of righteousness and of wealth (artha), but not of unrighteousness and of non-wealth. Classmate spies shall be so courteous towards him as to say "thine are we." When under the temptation of youth, he turns his eye towards women, impure women under the disguise of Aryas shall, at night and in lonely places, terrify him; when fond of liquor, he shall be terrified by making him drink such liquor as is adulterated with narcotics (yógapána); when fond of gambling, he shall be terrified by spies under the disguise of fraudulent persons; when fond of hunting, he shall be terrified by spies under the disguise of highway robbers; and when desirous of attacking his own father, he shall, under the pretence of compliance, be gradually persuaded of the evil consequences of such attempts, by telling: a king is not made by a mere wish; failure of thy attempt will bring about thy own death; success makes thee fall into hell and causes the people to lament (for thy father) and destroy the only clod (ekalóshtavadhascha, i.e., thyself)."

1.17.31

navaṃ hi dravyaṃ yena yenārthajātenopadihyate tat tad ācūṣati //

1.17.32

evam ayaṃ navabuddhir yad yad ucyate tat tatśāstropadeśam ivābhijānāti //

1.17.33

tasmād dharmyam arthyaṃ cāsyopadiśen nādharmyam anarthyaṃ ca //

1.17.34

sattriṇas tv enaṃ "tava smaḥ" iti vadantaḥ pālayeyuḥ //

1.17.35

yauvanotsekāt parastrīṣu manaḥ kurvāṇam āryāvyañjanābhiḥ strībhir amedhyābhiḥ śūnyāgāreṣu rātrāv udvejayeyuḥ //

1.17.36

madyakāmaṃ yogapānenodvejayeyuḥ //

1.17.37

dyūtakāmaṃ kāpaṭikair udvejayeyuḥ //

1.17.38

mṛgayākāmaṃ pratirodhakavyañjanais trāsayeyuḥ //

1.17.39

pitari vikramabuddhiṃ "tathā" ity anupraviśya bhedayeyuḥ - "aprārthanīyo rājā, vipanne ghātaḥ, sampanne narakapātaḥ, saṃkrośaḥ, prajābhir ekaloṣṭavadhaś ca" iti //

1.17.40

virāgaṃ vedayeyuḥ //

1.17.41

priyam ekaputraṃ badhnīyāt //

When a king has an only son who is either devoid of worldly pleasures or is a favourite child, the king may keep him under chains. If a king has many sons, he may send some of them to where there is no heir apparent, nor a child either just born or in the embryo.

1.17.42

bahuputraḥ pratyantam anyaviṣayaṃ vā preṣayed yatra garbhaḥ paṇyaṃ ḍimbo vā na bhavet //

1.17.43

ātmasampannaṃ saināpatye yauvarājye vā sthāpayet //

When a prince is possessed of good and amicable qualities, he may be made the commander-in-chief or installed as heir apparent.

1.17.44

buddhimānāhāryabuddhir durbuddhir iti putraviśeṣāḥ //

Sons are of three kinds: those of sharp intelligence; those of stagnant intelligence; and those of perverted mind.

1.17.45

śiṣyamāṇo dharmārthāv upalabhate cānutiṣṭhati ca buddhimān //

Whoever carries into practice whatever he is taught concerning righteousness and wealth is one of sharp intelligence; whoever never carries into practice the good instructions he has imbibed is one of stagnant intelligence; and whoever entangles himself in dangers and hates righteousness and wealth is one of perverted mind.

1.17.46

upalabhamāno nānutiṣṭhaty āhāryabuddhiḥ //

1.17.47

apāyanityo dharmārthadveṣī ceti durbuddhiḥ //

1.17.48

sa yady ekaputraḥ putrotpattāv asya prayateta //

If a king has an only son (of the last type), attempts shall be made to procreating a son to him; or sons may be begotten on his daughters.

1.17.49

putrikāputrān utpādayed vā //

1.17.50

vṛddhas tu vyādhito vā rājā mātṛbandhukulyaguṇavatsāmantānām anyatamena kṣetre bījam utpādayet //

When a king is too old or diseased (to beget sons), he may appoint a maternal relation or a blood relation (kulya) of his or any one of his neighbouring kings possessed of good and amicable qualities to sow the seed in his own field (kshétrebíjam, i.e., to beget a son on his wife.)

1.17.51

na caikaputram avinītaṃ rājye sthāpayet //

But never shall a wicked and an only son be installed on the royal throne.

1.17.52

bahūnām ekasamrodhaḥ pitā putrahito bhavet /
anyatrāpada aiśvaryaṃ jyeṣṭhabhāgi tu pūjyate //

A royal father who is the only prop for many (people) shall be favourably disposed towards his son. Except in dangers, sovereignty falling to the lot of the eldest (son) is always respected. Sovereignty may (sometimes) be the property of a clan; for the corporation of clans is invincible in its nature and being free from the calamities of anarchy, can have a permanent existence on earth.

1.17.53

kulasya vā bhaved rājyaṃ kulasaṃgho hi durjayaḥ /
arājavyasanābādhaḥ śaśvad āvasati kṣitim //E