Kautilya's Arthashastra 1.8: Chapter 8 (Section 5): Appointment of Ministers

1.8.1

"sahādhyāyino amātyān kurvīta, dṛṣṭaśaucasāmarthyatvāt" iti bhāradvājaḥ //

"THE King," says Bháradvája, "shall employ his classmates as his ministers; for they can be trusted by him inasmuch as he has personal knowledge of their honesty and capacity."

1.8.2

"te hy asya viśvāsyā bhavanti" iti //

1.8.3

neti viśālākṣaḥ //

“No,” says Visáláksha, "for, as they have been his playmates as well, they would despise him. But he shall employ as ministers those whose secrets, possessed of in common, are well known to him. Possessed of habits and defects in common. with the king, they would never hurt him lest he would betray their secrets."

1.8.4

"sahakrīḍitatvāt paribhavanty enam //

1.8.5

ye hy asya guhyasadharmāṇas tān amātyān kurvīta, samānaśīlavyasanatvāt //

1.8.6

te hy asya marmajñabhayān nāparādhyanti" iti //

1.8.7

"sādhāraṇaiṣa doṣaḥ" iti pārāśarāḥ //

“Common is this fear,” says Parásara, “for under the fear of betrayal of his own secrets, the king may also follow them in their good and bad acts.

1.8.8

"teṣām api marmajñabhayāt kṛtākṛtāny anuvarteta //

1.8.9

yāvadbhyo guhyam ācaṣṭe janebhyaḥ puruṣādhipaḥ /
avaśaḥ karmaṇā tena vaśyo bhavati tāvatām //

"Under the control of as many persons as are made aware by the king of his own secrets, might he place himself in all humility by that disclosure. Hence he shall employ as ministers those who have proved faithful to him under difficulties fatal to life and are of tried devotion."

1.8.10

yainam āpatsu prāṇābādhayuktāsv anugṛhṇīyus tān amātyān kurvīta, dṛṣṭānurāgatvāt" iti //

1.8.11

neti piśunaḥ //

"No,” says Pisuna, “for this is devotion, but not intelligence (buddhigunah). He shall appoint as ministers those who, when employed as financial matters, show as much as, or more than, the fixed revenue, and are thus of tried ability.”

1.8.12

"bhaktir eṣā na buddhiguṇaḥ //

1.8.13

saṃkhyātārtheṣu karmasu niyuktā ye yathādiṣṭam arthaṃ saviśeṣaṃ vā kuryus tān amātyān kurvīta, dṛṣṭaguṇatvāt" iti //

1.8.14

neti kauṇapadantaḥ //

"No," says Kaunapadanta, "for such persons are devoid of other ministerial qualifications; he shall, therefore, employ as ministers those whose fathers and grandfathers had been ministers before; such persons, in virtue of their knowledge of past events and of an established relationship with the king, will, though offended, never desert him; for such faithfulness is seen even among dumb animals; cows, for example, stand aside from strange cows and ever keep company with accustomed herds."

1.8.15

"anyair amātyaguṇair ayuktā hy ete //

1.8.16

pitṛpaitāmahān amātyān kurvīta, dṛṣṭāvadānatvāt //

1.8.17

te hy enam apacarantam api na tyajanti, sagandhatvāt //

1.8.18

amānuṣeṣv api caitad dṛśyate //

1.8.19

gāvo hy asagandhaṃ gogaṇam atikramya sagandheṣv evāvatiṣṭhante" iti //

1.8.20

neti vātavyādhiḥ //

"No," says Vátavyádhi, "for such persons, having acquired complete dominion over the king, begin to play themselves as the king. Hence he shall employ as ministers such new persons as are proficient in the science of polity. It is such new persons who will regard the king as the real sceptre-bearer (dandadhara) and dare not offend him."

1.8.21

"te hy asya sarvam avagṛhya svāmivat pracaranti //

1.8.22

tasmān nītivido navān amātyān kurvīta //

1.8.23

navās tu yamasthāne daṇḍadharaṃ manyamānā nāparādhyanti" iti //

1.8.24

neti bāhudantī putraḥ //

"No," says the son of Báhudantí (a woman); "for a man possessed of only theoretical knowledge and having no experience of practical politics is likely to commit serious blunders when engaged in actual works. Hence he shall employ as ministers such as are born of high family and possessed of wisdom, purity of purpose, bravery and loyal feelings inasmuch as ministerial appointments shall purely depend on qualifications."

1.8.25

"śāstravid adṛṣṭakarmā karmasu viṣādaṃ gacchet //

1.8.26

tasmād abhijanaprajñāśaucaśauryānurāgayuktān amātyān kurvīta, guṇaprādhānyāt" iti //

1.8.27

sarvam upapannam iti kauṭilyaḥ //

"This," says Kautilya, "is satisfactory in all respects; for a man's ability is inferred from his capacity shown in work. And in accordance in difference in the working capacity,

1.8.28

kāryasāmarthyādd hi puruṣasāmarthyaṃ kalpyate //

1.8.29

sāmarthyaś ca -- vibhajyāmātyavibhavaṃ deśakālau ca karma ca /
amātyāḥ sarva evaite kāryāḥ syur na tu mantriṇaḥ //E

Having divided the spheres of their powers and having definitely taken into consideration the place and time where and when they have to work, such persons shall be employed not as councillors (mantrinah) but as ministerial officers (amátyah).