Chapter 3 - The Aggregate of the Troubles of Men

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Ignorance and absence of discipline are the causes of a man’s troubles. An untrained man does not perceive the injuries arising from vices. We are going to treat of them (vices):

Vices due to anger form a triad: and those due to desire are fourfold. Of these two, anger is worse, for anger proceeds against all. In a majority of cases, kings given to anger are said to have fallen a prey to popular fury. But kings addicted to pleasures have perished in consequence of serious diseases brought about by deterioration and impoverishment.

No, says Bhāradvāja, anger is the characteristic of a righteous man. It is the foundation of bravery; it puts an end to despicable (persons); and it keeps the people under fear. Anger is always a necessary quality for the prevention of sin. But desire (accompanies) the enjoyment of results, reconciliation, generosity, and the act of endearing oneself to all. Possession of desire is always necessary for him who is inclined to enjoy the fruits of what he has accomplished.

No, says Kauṭilya, anger brings about enmity with, and troubles from, an enemy, and is always associated with pain. Addiction to pleasure (kāma) occasions contempt and loss of wealth, and throws the addicted person into the company of thieves, gamblers, hunters, singers, players on musical instruments, and other undesirable persons. Of these, enmity is more serious than contempt, for a despised person is caught hold of by his own people and by his enemies, whereas a hated person is destroyed. Troubles from an enemy are more serious than loss of wealth, for loss of wealth causes, financial troubles, whereas troubles from an enemy are injurious to life. Suffering on account of vices is more serious than keeping company with undesirable persons, for the company of undesirable persons can be got rid of in a moment, whereas suffering from vices causes injury for a long time. Hence, anger is a more serious evil.

Which is worse: abuse of language, or of money, or oppressive punishment?

Viśālākṣa says that, of abuse of language and of money, abuse of language is worse; for when harshly spoken to, a brave man retaliates; and bad language, like a nail piercing the heart, excites anger and gives pain to the senses.

No, says Kauṭilya, gift of money palliates the fury occasioned¹ by abusive language, whereas abuse of money causes the loss of livelihood itself. Abuse of money means gifts, exaction, loss, or abandonment of money.

The school of Parāśara say, that, of abuse of money and oppressive punishment, abuse of money is worse; for good deeds and enjoyments depend upon wealth; the world itself is bound by wealth. Hence, its abuse is a more serious evil.

No, says Kauṭilya, in preference to a large amount of wealth no man desires the loss of his own life. Owing to oppressive punishment, one is liable to the same punishment at the hands of one’s enemies.

Such is the nature of the triad of evils due to anger.

The fourfold vices due to desire are hunting, gambling, women and drinking.

Piśuna says that of hunting and gambling, hunting is a worse vice: for falling into the hand of robbers, enemies and elephants, getting into wild fire, fear, inability to distinguish between the cardinal points, hunger, thirst and loss of life are evils consequent upon hunting; whereas in gambling, the expert gambler wins a victory like Jayatsena and Duryodhana.

No, says Kauṭilya, of the two parties, one has to suffer from defeat, as is well known from the history of Nala and Yudhiṣṭhira; the same wealth that is won like a piece of flesh in gambling, causes enmity. Lack of recognition of wealth properly acquired, acquisition of ill-gotten wealth, loss of wealth without enjoyment, staying away from answering the calls of nature, and contracting diseases from not taking timely meals, are the evils of gambling; whereas in hunting exercise, the disappearance of phlegm, bile, fat, and sweat, the acquisition of skill in aiming at stationary and moving bodies, the ascertainment of the appearance of beasts when provoked, and occasional march (are its good characteristics).^[1]

Kauṇapadanta says, that of addiction to gambling and to women, gambling is a more serious evil; for gamblers always play, even at night by lamp light, and even when the mother (of one of the players) is dead; the gambler exhibits anger when spoken to in times of trouble; whereas in the case of addiction to women, it is possible to hold conversation about virtue and wealth at the time of bathing, dressing and eating. Also it is possible to make, by means of secret punishment, a woman to be so good as to secure the welfare of the king, or to get rid of her, or drive her out, under the plea of disease.

No, says Kauṭilya, it is possible to divert the attention from gambling, but not so from women. (The evils of the latter are) failure to see (what ought to be seen), violation of duty, the evil of postponing works that are to be immediately done, incapacity to deal with politics, and contracting the evil of drinking.

Vātavyādhi says, that of addiction to women and to drinking, addiction to women is a more serious evil; there are various kinds of childishness among women, as explained in the chapter on “The Harem,”^[2] whereas in drinking, enjoyment of sound and other objects of the senses, pleasing other people, honouring the followers, and relaxation from the fatigue of work (are the advantages).

No, says Kauṭilya, in the case of addiction to women, the consequences are the birth of children, self-protection, change of wives in the harem, and absence of such consequences in the case of unworthy outside women. Both the above consequences follow from drinking. The inauspicious effects of drinking are loss of money, lunacy in a sensate man, corpse-like appearance while living, nakedness, the loss of the knowledge of the Vedas, loss of life, wealth, and friends, disassociation with the good, suffering from pain, and indulgence in playing on musical instruments and in singing at the expense of wealth.

Of gambling and drinking, gambling causes gain or loss of the stakes to one party or other. Even among dumb animals it splits them into factions and causes provocation. It is specially due to gambling that assemblies and royal confederacies possessing the characteristics of assemblies are split into factions, and are consequently destroyed. The reception of what is condemned is the worst of all evils, since it causes incapacity to deal with politics.

* The reception of what is condemned is (due to) desire; and anger consists in oppressing the good: since both these are productive of many evils, both of them are held to be the worst evils.

* Hence he who is possessed of discretion should associate with the aged, and, after controlling his passions, abandon both anger and desire, which are productive of other evils and destructive of the very basis (of life).

[Thus ends Chapter III, “The Aggregate of the Troubles of Men,” in Book VIII, “Concerning Vices and Calamities” of the Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya. End of the hundred and nineteenth chapter from the beginning.]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Compare the description of hunting in the Śākuntala, Act II.

[2]:

Chapter XX, Book 1.