The Mauryan Polity c5.s2.t3.1

c5.s2.t3.1

Yet another argument is that the Mahābhāṣya nowhere mentions Kauṭalya or the *Arthaśāstra*, as also the Rājadharma sections of the *Mahābhārata*. In his introduction to the edition of the *Arthaśāstra* Jolly himself has pointed out the futility of an *argumentum ex silentium*.¹ Absence of notice of a certain person or book is no warrant to conclude the non-existence of the person or the book. Patañjali did not mention Kauṭalya because there was no occasion for him to do it. Has he mentioned the name of Aśoka? On that account could we relegate the ancient Emperor Aśoka to the realm of pure mythology? It has been well said that the author of the Mahābhāṣya was not writing a history of Sanskrit literature.²