Kautilya's Arthashastra 5.5: Chapter 5 (Section 93): Proper Behaviour of a Courtier

5.5.1

niyuktaḥ karmasu vyayaviśuddham udayaṃ darśayet //

WHEN employed as a minister, he (the courtier) shall show the net revenue that remains after all kinds of expenditure are met with. He shall also give the exact particulars--as this is thus--of whatever work is external, internal, secret, open, costly, or negligible. He shall follow the king in his pursuits after hunting, gambling, drinking, and sexual pleasures. Ever attending upon the king, he shall, by flattery, endeavour to arrest his fall into evil habits and save him from the intrigues, plots. and deceptions of enemies. He shall also endeavour to read the mind and appearance of the king.

5.5.2

ābhyantaraṃ bāhyaṃ guhyaṃ prakāśyam ātyayikam upekṣitavyaṃ vā kāryaṃ "idam evam" iti viśeṣayec ca //

5.5.3

mṛgayādyūtamadyastrīṣu prasaktaṃ nainam anuvarteta praśaṃsābhiḥ //

5.5.4

āsannaś cāsya vyasanopaghāte prayateta, paropajāpātisaṃdhānopadhibhyaś ca rakṣet //

5.5.5

iṅgitākārau cāsya lakṣayet //

5.5.6

kāmadveṣaharṣadainyavyavasāyabhayadvandvaviparyāsam iṅgitākārābhyāṃ hi mantrasaṃvaraṇārtham ācarati prājñaḥ //

By way of collecting his wandering thoughts into a resolve, the king exhibits in his appearance and movements his inclination, anger, pleasure, sorrow, determination, fear, and change in the pairs of opposite feelings.

5.5.7

darśane prasīdati, vākyaṃ pratigṛhṇāti, āsanaṃ dadāti, vivikto darśayate, śaṅkāsthāne nātiśaṅkate, kathāyāṃ ramate, parijñāpyeṣv avekṣate, pathyam uktaṃ sahate, smayamāno niyuṅkte, hastena spṛśati, ślāghye nopahasati, parokṣaṃ guṇaṃ bravīti, bhakṣyeṣu smarati, saha vihāraṃ yāti, vyasane 'bhyupapadyate, tadbhaktīn pūjayati, guhyam ācaṣṭe,
mānaṃ vardhayati, arthaṃ karoti, anarthaṃ pratihanti - iti tuṣṭajñānam //

"By cognising wisdom in others, he is pleased; he attends to the speech of others; he gives a seat; allows himself to be seen in private; does not suspect in places of suspicion; takes delight in conversation; spontaneously looks to things without being reminded; tolerates what is said agreeably to reason; orders with smiling face; touches with the hand; does not laugh at what is commendable; commends the qualities of another behind him; remembers (the courtier) while taking luncheon; engages himself in sports accompanied by (the courtier); consults (the courtier) when in trouble; honours the followers of the courtier; reveals the secret; honours the courtier more and more; gives him wealth; and averts his troubles;--these are the signs of the king's satisfaction (with the courtier)."

5.5.8

etad eva viparītam atuṣṭasya, bhūyaś ca vakṣyāmaḥ //

The reverse of the above indicates his (the king's) displeasure. Still, we shall describe them in plain terms:--

5.5.9

saṃdarśane kopaḥ, vākyasyāśravaṇapratiṣedhau, āsanacakṣuṣor adānam, varṇasvarabhedaḥ, ekākṣibhrukuṭyoṣṭhanirbhogaḥ, svedaśvāsasmitānām asthānotpattiḥ, paramantraṇam, akasmādvrajanam, vardhanam anyasya, bhūmigātravilekhanam, anyasyopatodanam, vidyāvarṇadeśakutsā, samadoṣanindā, pratidoṣanindā, pratilomastavaḥ,
sukṛtānavekṣaṇam, duṣkṛtānukīrtanam, pṛṣṭhāvadhānam, atityāgaḥ, mithyābhibhāṣaṇam, rājadarśināṃ ca tadvṛttānyatvam //

Angry appearance when the courtier is in sight; evading or refusal to hear his speech; no inclination to give him a seat or to see him; change in syllables and accents while talking to him; seeing with one eye; brow-beating; biting the lips; rise of sweat; hard breathing and smiling with no palpable cause; talking to himself; sudden bending or raising of the body; touching the body or the seat of another; molestation to another; contempt of learning, caste, and country (of the courtier); condemnation of a colleague of equal defects; condemnation of a man of opposite defects; condemnation of his opponent; failure to acknowledge his good deeds; enumeration of his bad deeds; attention to whoever enters into the chamber; too much gift; uttering falsehood; change in the conduct and attitude of visitors to the king; nay, the courtier shall also note the change in the life of animals other than men.

5.5.10

vṛttivikāraṃ cāvekṣetāpy amānuṣāṇām //

5.5.11

"ayam uccaiḥ siñcati" iti kātyāyanaḥ pravavrāja, "krauñco 'pasavyam" iti kaṇiṅko bhāradvājaḥ, "tṛṇam" iti dīrghaś cārāyaṇaḥ, "śītā śāṭī" iti ghoṭamukhaḥ, "hastī pratyaukṣīt" iti kiñjalkaḥ, "rathāśvaṃ prāśaṃsīt" iti piśunaḥ, pratiravaṇe śunaḥ piśunaputraḥ //

Kátyáyana holds that this (king) showers his favours broad-cast.

Kaninka Bháradvája says that Krauncha (a bird) has moved from right to left.

Dírgha Chárayana says that this (king) is (like) a grass.

Ghotamukha says that (he is like) a wet cloth.

Kinjalka says that (he is like) an elephant pouring over water.

Pisuna is of opinion that one should declare him to be a chariot-horse.

The son of Pisuna says that mortification ensues when his opponent is courted.

5.5.12

arthamānāvakṣepe ca parityāgaḥ //

When wealth and honour are discontinued, such a king may be abandoned; or by recognising the character of the king as well as his own defects, he may rectify himself; or he may seek the protection of one of the best friends of the king.

5.5.13

svāmiśīlam ātmanaś ca kilbiṣam upalabhya vā pratikurvīta //

5.5.14

mitram upakṛṣṭaṃ vāsya gacchet //

5.5.15

tatrastho doṣanirghātaṃ mitrair bhartari cācaret /
tato bhartari jīve vā mṛte vā punar āvrajet //E

Living with the king's friend, the courtier has to endeavour to remove, through the medium of his own friends, the defects of his master, and then come back to his original place, no matter whether the king is alive or dead.