The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.6

c2.s5.6

kindness or dissension, by bribery, force, or guile’ (kṣatriyo ‘si kṣatāt trātā bāhuviryopajīvitā, etc.). The five are here sāmnā bhedena dānena daṇḍenā ’tha nayena vā; and naya is political intrigue. But in vi. 3. 81 we find pacification, dissension among foes, and open war quoted as the ‘three means;’ where, since ‘numbers do not give victory,’ the two first should be tried before the third. The regular three appear in v. 82. 13, and seem implied in v. 33. 62, where we read: trayopāyāḥ . . . śrūyante . . . kanīyān madhyamaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ (iti vedavido viduḥ), if we permit the commentator to read upāyāḥ, and to resolve into war, dissension and bribery (as one), and conciliation; but apāyāḥ, referring to desire, duty, and greed, may be the meaning, or trayo nyāyāḥ may be read (N. 7). Three means appears the oldest form; four means is a later idea, as kept in xii. 356. 6 (conciliation, dissension, bribery, force), and M. vii. 107-109. The pseudo-Epic also employs the caturvidham or ‘four-fold means,’ in a loose way, for means to any accomplishment, and makes the group refer thus to doing anything ‘by sight, thought, voice, or act:’ xii. 291. 16, his; let him not use his arms when he can have a boat; let him not attempt the impossible, for it is no use trying to eat a cow’s horn; but when he can, let him go straight to killing men, destroying houses, spoiling roads, and ruining his foe as best he may. Let him corrupt his foe’s ministers, appeal to his own people’s weaknesses, win the confidence of the heads of guilds, and endear his ministers by favoring their families. Only a learned priest he had best avoid to quarrel with, for long are the arms of a wise man; but otherwise, whatever foe he has, for that foe’s destruction let him toil.’*