History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.21

v4.c62.21

The words arthaśāstra and daṇḍanīti are applied to the science of government from two different points of view. Artha is defined in the Kāmasūtra (I. 20) as 'education, lands, gold, cattle, corn, domestic utensils and friends and the augmenting of what is acquired' (vide H. Dh. Vol. II part I. p. 9 note 22). Therefore when wealth and prosperity of all kinds is the spring and motive of giving a name the science treating of these is called arthaśāstra and when the government of the people and the punishment of offenders are the main ideas the same is called daṇḍanīti. Though works like Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra place a high value on dharma they are principally concerned with the treatment of central and local government, taxation, the employment of *sāma* and other upāyas, with alliances and wars, appointment of officers and punishment. Therefore Arthaśāstra is mainly what is called *dṛṣṭārtha smṛti*, as stated by the Bhaviṣyapurāṇa (quoted by Aparārka p. 626, the Smṛticandrikā p. 24, vyavahāra and Vīramitrodaya, *paribhāṣā* p. 19). Medhātithi on Manu VII. 1 explains that dharma in that verse means ‘duties’ (dharmaśabdaḥ kartavyatāvacanaḥ), that the duties of the king are either dṛṣṭārtha (i. e. the effects of which are worldly and visible) such as the employment of six *guṇas* (sandhi, vigraha &c.) or adṛṣṭārtha (that have no visible effect but have a spiritual result) such as Agnihotra; here (in chap. VII-IX of Manu) the remarks relate principally to dṛṣṭārtha matters since it is well-known that the word *rājādharma* is applicable to such matters (the six guṇas &c.) only.¹³ Medhātithi here declares that the rules of rājanīti are not based on the canonical books of dharmaśāstra but principally on the experience of worldly affairs.