The Mauryan Polity c12.45

c12.45

It is then obvious that the name is derived from the root Kuṭala. If it is granted that the patronymic is Kuṭala then we cannot grammatically derive Kauṭilya but only Kauṭalya.¹ Secondly, there is the testimony which bears to the fact that all the manuscripts of the text and the commentaries relating to the same invariably contain the expression Kauṭalya and not Kauṭilya. It is difficult to understand how Indian and European scholars have failed to notice this in handling the manuscripts when editing and publishing them. Apparently some have noted it but have not utilised it. For example in page 3 of Volume II of Jolly's edition (*Punjab Sanskrit Series*) it is mentioned thus: Title B. M. generally read: कौटलीयम् for कौटिलियम् and कौटलयः for कौटिल्यः. Evidently Jolly discarded the correct reading Kauṭalya. It may be that in his opinion it was a wrong reading.¹