History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.388.1

v4.c62.388.1

A king endowed with valour has to employ several means (upāyas) to extend his dominions and to keep his hold on his own people. According to the Rāmāyaṇa V. 41. 2-3, Manu VII. 109, Yāj. I. 346, Śukra IV. 1. 27 and others the upāyas are four viz. sāma (conciliation), dāna (giving gifts or presents), bheda (causing dissensions) and daṇḍa (punishment or depriving of property or causing bodily harm).²²¹ In the Hāthīgumphā Inscription, the king Khāravela (latter half of 2nd century B. C.) states that in the 10th year of his reign he sent, following the policy of daṇḍa, sandhi and sāma, an expedition against Bharatvarṣa, conquered that land and obtained jewels and precious things (E. I. vol. XX pp. 79, 88). This shows that the theory of the upāyas must have been evolved several centuries before the Christian era. Some others such as Kām. XVII. 3, Matsya 222. 2, Agnipurāṇa 226. 5-6, Bārhaspatyasūtra V. 1-3, Viṣṇudharmottara II. 146-149 add three more to the above four. Sabhā 5. 21 mentions the number seven and Vanaparva 150. 42 mentions sāma, dāna, bheda, daṇḍa and upekṣā. About the additional three there is some difference of opinion, most holding that the three are māyā, upekṣā and indrajāla (Kām., Agnipurāṇa), while the Bārhaspatyasūtra (V. 263) says they are māyā, upekṣā and vadha and others say they that are māyā, akṣa (dice) and indrajāla (Sarasvatīvilāsa p. 42). Māyā means 'deceitful trick'. The Viṣṇudharmottara II.