Kautilya's Arthashastra 1.18: Chapter 18 (Sections 14; 15): Conduct of the Prince in Disfavour; Behaviour towards a Prince in Disfavour

1.18.1

vinīto rājaputraḥ kṛcchravṛttir asadṛśe karmaṇi niyuktaḥ pitaram anuvarteta, anyatra prāṇābādhakaprakṛtikopakapātakebhyaḥ //

A PRINCE, though put to troubles and employed in an unequal task, shall yet faithfully follow his father unless that task costs his life, enrages the people, or causes any other serious calamities. If he is employed in a good or meritorious work, he shall try to win the good graces of the superintendent of that work, carry the work to a profitable end beyond expectation, and present his father with the proportional profit derived from that work as well as with the excessive profit due to his skill. If the king is not still pleased with him and shows undue partiality to another prince and other wives, he may request the king to permit him for a forest-life.

1.18.2

puṇye karmaṇi niyuktaḥ puruṣam adhiṣṭhātāraṃ yācet //

1.18.3

puruṣādhiṣṭhitaś ca saviśeṣam ādeśam anutiṣṭhet //

1.18.4

abhirūpaṃ ca karmaphalam aupāyanikaṃ ca lābhaṃ pitur upanāyayet //

1.18.5

tathāpy atuṣyantam anyasmin putre dāreṣu vā snihyantam araṇyāyāpṛccheta //

1.18.6

bandhavadhabhayād vā yaḥ sāmanto nyāyavṛttir dhārmikaḥ satyavāgavisaṃvādakaḥ pratigrahītā mānayitā cābhipannānāṃ tam āśrayeta //

Or if he apprehends imprisonment or death, he may seek refuge under a neighbouring king who is known to be righteous, charitable, truthful, and not given to cunning, but also welcomes and respects guests of good character. Residing therein he may provide himself with men and money, contract marriage-connection with influential personages, and not only make alliance with wild tribes, but win over the parties (in his father's state).

1.18.7

tatrasthaḥ kośadaṇḍasampannaḥ pravīrapuruṣakanyāsambandham aṭavīsambandhaṃ kṛtyapakṣopagrahaṃ ca kuryāt //

1.18.8

ekacaraḥ suvarṇapākamaṇirāgahemarūpyapaṇyākara.karmāntān ājīvet //

Or moving alone, he may earn his livelihood by working in gold mines or ruby mines or by manufacturing gold and silver ornaments or any other commercial commodities. Having acquired close intimacy with heretics (páshanda), rich widows, or merchants carrying on ocean traffic he may, by making use of poison (madanarasa), rob them of their wealth as well as the wealth of gods unless the latter is enjoyable by Bráhmans learned in the Vedas. Or he may adopt such measures as are employed to capture the villages of a foreign king. Or he may proceed (against his father) with the help of the servants of his mother.

1.18.9

pāṣaṇḍasaṃghadravyam aśrotriyopabhogyaṃ vā devadravyam āḍhyavidhavādravyaṃ vā gūḍham anupraviśya sārthayānapātrāṇi ca madanarasayogenātisaṃdhāyāpaharet //

1.18.10

pāragrāmikaṃ vā yogam ātiṣṭhet //

1.18.11

mātuḥ parijanopagraheṇa vā ceṣṭeta //

1.18.12

kāruśilpikuśīlavacikitsakavāgjīvanapāṣaṇḍacchadmabhir vā naṣṭarūpas tadvyañjanasakhaśchidreṣu praviśya rājñaḥ śastrarasābhyāṃ prahṛtya brūyāt - "aham asau kumāraḥ, sahabhogyam idaṃ rājyam, eko nārhati bhoktum, ye kāmayante māṃ bhartuṃ tān ahaṃ dviguṇena bhaktavetanenopasthāsyāmi" iti // ity aparuddhavṛttam /

Or having disguised himself as a painter, a carpenter, court-bard, a physician, a buffoon, or a heretic, and assisted by spies under similar disguise, he may, when opportunity affords itself, present himself armed with weapons and poison before the king, and address him:--

"I am the heir-apparent; it does not become thee to enjoy the state alone when it is enjoyable by both of us, or when others justly desire such enjoyment; I ought not to be kept away by awarding an allowance of double the subsistence and salary."

These are the measures that a prince kept under restraint has to take.

1.18.13

aparuddhaṃ tu mukhyaputrāpasarpāḥ pratipādyānayeyuḥ, mātā vā pratigṛhītā //

Spies or his mother, natural or adoptive, may reconcile an heir-apparent under restraint and bring him to the court.

1.18.14

tyaktaṃ gūḍhapuruṣāḥ śastrarasābhyāṃ hanyuḥ //

Or secret emissaries armed with weapons and poison may kill an abandoned prince. If he is not abandoned, he may be caught hold of at night by employing women equal to the occasion, or by making use of liquor, or on the occasion of hunting, and brought back (to the court).

1.18.15

atyaktaṃ tulyaśīlābhiḥ strībhiḥ pānena mṛgayayā vā prasañjayitvā rātrāv upagṛhyānayeyuḥ //

1.18.16

upasthitaṃ ca rājyena madūrdhvam iti sāntvayet /
ekastham atha samrundhyāt putravāṃs tu pravāsayet //E

When thus brought back, he shall be conciliated by the king with promise of sovereignty ‘after me’ (i.e., after the king's death), and kept under guard, in a definite locality. Or if the king has many sons, an unruly prince may be banished.