History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.382

v4.c62.382

An important doctrine of the writers on Arthaśāstra is more or less based on the necessity of *utsāha*, viz. the doctrine of three *śaktis*, i. e. of *utsāha*, *prabhu* (or *prabhāva*) and *mantra*. These three occur in the Mahābhārata (Āśramavāsika 7. 6). The S. V. p. 46 quotes a sūtra of Gautama (not found in the printed Dh. S.) 'the three śaktis, viz. prabhu, mantra and utsāha are based on that (kośa)'.216a In VI. 2 Kauṭilya defines *mantra-śakti* as the power of the knowledge (of statecraft), *prabhuśakti* as the power of treasury and army and *utsāhaśakti* as the force of the king's bravery.²¹⁷ Kauṭilya (IX. 1) holds a discussion about the relative superiority of these three and gives it as his opinion (as against that of the ācāryas) that prabhuśakti is superior to utsāhaśakti and that mantraśakti is superior to prabhuśakti. Kām. XV. 32 defines²¹⁸ the three thus: 'the employment of the proper line of policy out of the six *upāyas* (sandhi, vigraha &c.) is called mantraśakti; a full treasury and army constitute prabhuśakti and activity of the strong is called utsāhaśakti; the king possessed of all these three becomes the conqueror.' The Nītivākyāmṛta (ṣāḍguṇyasamuddeśa) p. 322 defines them in the same way.²¹⁹ According to the Daśakumāracarita²²⁰ VIII the goal (or purpose) of a king is determined by mantra (consultation with ministers about policy), commencement of actions (for securing the goal) is due to prabhāva and the successful termination of undertakings is brought about by energy. The Paraśurāmapratāpa (folio 15a) quotes a verse which defines 'prabhuśakti' differently viz. as the power to command. Vide also Agnipurāṇa 241. 1, Mānasollāsa II. 8-10 pp. 91-94. Kām. (XIII. 41-58) brings together the numerous activities of the king.