Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c5.72

c5.72

A similar comment on strategy is also contained in the Jain work, *Pariśishtaparvan*, which states: "Like a child burning his finger which he greedily puts in the middle of the dish, instead of eating from the outer part which was cool, Chāṇakya had been defeated, because he had not secured the surrounding country before attacking the stronghold of the enemy. Profiting by this advice, Chāṇakya went to Himavatkūṭa and entered into alliance with Parvataka the king of that place ... They opened the campaign by reducing the provinces" [VIII. 291-301]. The same text further relates that at the very opening of this campaign, Chāṇakya and Chandragupta suffered a reverse by failing to reduce a town, until Chāṇakya reduced it by a ruse, throwing its defenders off their guard. Then they devastated the country (*Nandadeśaṁ*), besieged Pāṭaliputra, and forced Nanda to capitulate, with his reduced wealth (*kshīṇa-kośa*), army (*bala*), capacity (*dhīḥ*), and prowess (*vikrama*) [*Ib.* 301-313]. Nanda, however, was spared his life and permitted by Chāṇakya to leave Pāṭaliputra with his two wives and one daughter and as much luggage as he could carry off in a single chariot [*Ib.* 301-317].