History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s14.2

v1.c6.s14.2

The Kauṭilīya is the oldest extant work on Arthaśāstra. Though Arthaśāstra and Dharmaśāstra are often contradistinguished on account of the difference of the two śāstras in ideals and in the methods adopted to reach them, Arthaśāstra is really a branch of Dharmaśāstra as the former deals with the responsibilities of kings for whom rules are laid down in many treatises on *dharma*.¹⁵¹ For this reason and the further reason that the Kauṭilīya contains two sections (called dharmasthīya and kaṇṭakaśodhana) on the administration of justice, the Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya deserves careful consideration in this work. According to the Caraṇavyūha of Śaunaka, Arthaśāstra is an Upaveda of Atharvaveda. The purpose of this Śāstra as stated in the Kauṭilīya itself is ‘to prescribe means for securing and preserving (power over) the earth’.¹⁵² Yājñavalkya distinctly states (II. 21) that in case of conflict between Dharmaśāstra and Arthaśāstra, the rule is that the former prevails ¹⁵³. Nārada also (I. 39) says the same thing.¹⁵⁴ From comparatively ancient times Cāṇakya *alias* Kauṭilya or Viṣṇugupta has been credited with the composition of a work on Arthaśāstra. The Kāmandakīyanītisāra ¹⁵⁵ pays a glowing tribute of praise to Viṣṇugupta, who, singlehanded, brought about the downfall of Nanda, bestowed the earth on Candragupta and distilled from the ocean of Arthśāstra the quintessence, his work on politics. Kāmandaka further tells us that he looked upon Viṣṇugupta as his *guru*.¹⁵⁶ The Tantrākhyāyikā (H. O. S. vol. 14) which is certainly not later than 300 A. D. pays homage to Cāṇakya the Great as one of the authors of treatises on Politics.¹⁵⁷ Daṇḍin in his Daśakumāracarita (section VIII, p. 131, 2nd edition B. S. Series) says that the teacher Viṣṇugupta compressed Daṇḍanīti for the sake of the Maurya king into six thousand ślokas and quotes passages from Cāṇakya.¹⁵⁸ Bāṇa associates the work of Kauṭilya with harsh and cruel expedients.¹⁵⁹ The Pañcatantra identifies Cāṇakya and Viṣṇugupta and speaks of Cāṇakya as the author of Arthaśāstra (*vide* part I. p. 2 ed. by Kielhorn part II. p. 65 and part III. 50 ed. by Bühler). Kauṭilya figures very largely in the Purāṇas (*vide* Pargiter's 'dynasties of the Kali age' pp. 69-70 and Viṣṇupurāṇa 4. 24. 26-28). He has a prominent place in the Bṛhatkathā of Guṇāḍhya, as appears from the works of Kṣemendra and Somadeva. The Mṛcchakaṭika (I. 39 B. S. series) refers to Cāṇakya. The Mudrārākṣasa identified Cāṇakya and Kauṭilya and suggests the derivation of the latter name from 'Kuṭila' (crooked).¹⁶⁰ Some of the above items of information are supported by the personal references contained in the Arthaśāstra itself. At the end of the first chapter of the first *adhikaraṇa*, Kauṭilya is said to be the author of the Śāstra and at the end of the 10th chapter of the second *adhikaraṇa* Kauṭilya is said to have laid down the rules for royal edicts for the sake of the king.¹⁶¹ The last verse¹⁶² tells us that he who impatiently wrested the earth from the Nanda king composed the work and after the colophon a verse tell us that seeing the differing interpretations of bhāṣyakāras on the Arthaśāstra, Viṣṇugupta himself composed the sūtra and the bhāṣya.