War in Ancient India c5.s5.38

c5.s5.38

Intimately connected with this subject are two further methods of warfare explained in the Kauṭalīya, the asura and the lobhavijaya, to which we have already referred. In distinguishing a threefold warfare and classifying the adharma war into two kinds—asura and lobhavijaya—Kauṭalya draws a distinction between the two. But it may be noted that this was a peculiar division of Kauṭalya’s. For the asura form of war is mentioned in the *Rāmāyaṇa*.¹⁵⁴ A feature of this was the employment of the diplomatic instrument *māyā*. Guile is chiefly used to overcome the enemy. We know that Indrajit produced a *māyā Sītā* before Rāma's army and killed her so that the army might become dejected and lose all enthusiasm. In the *Śukranīti* again the *asurayuddha* is among the traditionally accepted kinds of war.¹⁵⁵ We have seen according to the precepts of fair fighting the kingdom of the enemy should not be annexed, nor his women treated unchivalrously. Again, no bodily punishment should be inflicted on the person of the king or his commander. But the asura war, which is the most heinous of all the three, approves of all these illegal and forbidden methods in scoring a victory. Even in actual battle there was no straight fight in this form of war; but victory was sought through wily means. On this account Kauṭalya advises an inferior power to keep such a demon-like conqueror at a distance by offering him land and wealth. Otherwise he would be wiped out of existence altogether. One example of asura war in the Mauryan period was the war with Kalinga fought by Aśoka.¹⁵⁶ Its salutary effect was to inaugurate a policy of *dharmavijaya* in his foreign politics.