Nitiprakasika (Critical Analysis)
by S. Anusha | 2016 | 34,012 words
This page relates ‘Contents of Nitiprakashika and Tattvavivriti’ of the study on the Nitiprakasika by Vaisampayana which deals primarily with with Dhanurveda, i.e., the science of war, weapons and military strategies of ancient Indian society. It further contains details on Niti-shastra, i.e., the science of politics and state administration but most verses of the Nitiprakashika deal with the classification and description of different varieties of weapons, based on the four groups of Mukta, Amukta, Muktamukta and Mantramukta.
Contents of Nītiprakāśikā and Tattvavivṛti
The name (Nītiprakāśika) (Nītiprakāśikā) of the text itself tells us that it is a work, which illuminates polity. The text unfolds as a conversation between the Sage Vaiśampāyana and the great grandson of Arjuna, King Janamejaya.
As on date, only three editions of the text, Nītiprakāśikā are available. They are:
(i) The first edition by Dr. Gustav Oppert in 1882 based on manuscripts in Telugu and Grantha scripts. This edited text was published in Devanāgari script. This publication begins with a preamble of the contents of the text in English by Dr. Oppert.
(ii) Another edition of the text along with its commentary by name Tattvavivṛti, of Sitārāma was brought out in 1953, by Sri. T. Chandrasekaran based on the manuscripts available in the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library (GOML), Chennai.
(iii) Recently in 2014, a critical edition of the text by Dr. Urmi S Shah titled the Nītiprakāśikā of Vaiśampāyana has been published. This critical edition is based on the four manuscripts collected from GOML., Chennai, three from Oriental Research Institute, Mysore and one from Oriental Institute, Vadodara along with the above mentioned two editions. Dr. Shah has provided, details of the critical edition, a study of the text focusing on Rājadharma, the critically edited version of Nītiprakāśikā and the translation of the text in full.
Its commentary, Tattvavivṛti, (Tattvavivṛti) elaborates on the different tenets of Nītiśāstra. It gives profuse quotations from other literary sources, it is helpful in understanding the textual content in the right perspective. Citations from epics, nīti texts and kośas substantiate the author‘s viewpoint. At some places, it elaborates certain doctrines and in several instances furnishes absorbing facts. It approaches the entire gamut of war science to thoroughly engage the reader.