Studies in Ancient Hindu Polity (Based on the Arthashastra of Kautilya), Vol. I c3.21

c3.21

“The science of Daṇḍanīti (Politics) has been of late abridged into 6000 slokas by Achâryya Viṣṇu Gupta for the benefit of the Maurya.” The results of a study of that work, difficult as it is, requiring a knowledge of various other sciences, are ironically described by Vihârabhadra (to dissuade his king from its study) in a long passage which bristles with quotations from the *Arthaśâstra*. Thus one of the results is stated to be that the reader will have to gravely decide what quantity of rice will be required to satisfy his appetite¹ [“बालकुचेरपि हते तण्डुलैः इयद्भिः रयामोदनः सम्पद्यते”]; what quantity of fuel will cook a certain quantity of rice² [“इयत चोदनस्य पाकाय एतावत् इंधन पर्याप्तमिति मानोन्ना-गपूर्बकं देयम्।”]. Next follows a sarcastic enumeration and criticism of the king’s daily duties according to Châṇakya, which closely follows that of the text before us. Thus the following expressions have been borrowed from the *Arthaśâstra*³: