Knowledge of Arthaśāstra in the Śiśupālavadha

Māgha is well versed in the Arthaśāstra also. In the second canto of the Śiśupālavadha the Arthaśāstra is fully described by the poet.

Māgha was well aware of different branchas (aṅgas) of politics. Six qualities, three powers, three udayas, vijigīṣu, twelve group of kings etc. technical terms of the Arthaśāstra are used properly. The political discussion between Uddhava and Balarāma is made beautifully. After the sacrificial ceremony politial discussion between yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīma took place. An image of Indian politics is reflected in Māghas epic. Such discussion of politics is not seen in any other epic.

In the eighty first verse of the second canto the twelve group of kings were described beautifully.

“udetumatyajannīhāṃ rājasu dvādaśasvapi |
jigīṣureko dinakṛdādityesviva kalpate ||” 2.81 ||^[1]

Beside this in “uttiṣṭamunastu paro” in the 2/10, “ṣaḍaguṇāḥ śaktyastisra” in the 2/26, ‘sarvakāryaśaṣarīraṣa’] in the 2/28, ‘vipakṣamakhilīkṛtya pratiṣṭā’ in the 2/34 ‘svaśakr yupacaye kecit’ in the 2/57, ‘prajñotsāhāvataḥ svāmī’ in the 2/76 ‘vuddhiśastraḥ prakṛtyaṅgo’ ‘tantrāvāpavidā’ ‘vibhidāmanayanta kṛtya pakṣaṃ’ ‘sakhā, garīyān śatruśca’ in the 2/36 etc., verses the full development of Māghas political knowledge is seen.

“utriṣṭhamānastu paro nopekṣyaḥ pathyamicchatā |
samo hi śiṣṭairāmtātau vatsyantāvāmayaḥ sa ca || 2.10 ||^[2]

“ṣaḍaguṇāḥ śakkayastistraḥ siddhayaścodayāstrayaḥ |
granthānadhotya vyākartumiti durmedhaso'ṇyalam || 2.26 ||^[3]

“sarvakāryaśarīreṣu muktāṅgaskandhapañcakam |
saugatānāmivātmānyo nāsti mantro mahībhṛtām ||” 2.28 ||^[4]

“vipakṣamakhilīkṛtya pratiṣṭhā khalu durlabhā |
anītvā paṅkatāṃ dhūlimudakaṃ nāvatiṣṭhate ||”2.34 ||^[5]

“svaśaktyupacaye kecit parasya vyasane'pare |
yānamāhastadāsīnaṃ tvāmutthāpayati dvayam ||” 2.57 |^[6]

“prajñotsāhāvataḥ svāmī yatetā dhātumātmani |
tau hi mūlamudeṣyantyā jigīṣorātmasampadaḥ ||”2.76 ||^[7]

“vuddhiśastra prakṛtyaṅgo ghanasaṃvṛttiñcukaḥ |
cārekṣaṇo dūtamukhaḥ puruṣaḥ ko'pi pārthivaḥ ||”2. 82 ||^[8]

“tantrāvāpavidā yogairmaṇḍalānyadhitiṣṭhatā |
sunigrahā narendreṇa phaṇīndrā iva śatravaḥ ||” 2.88 ||^[9]

“tamakuṣḍhamukhāḥ suparṇaketoriṣavaḥ kṣiptamiṣuvrajaṃ pareṇa |
vibhidāmanayanta kṛtyapakṣaṃ nṛpaterneturivāyathārthavarṇāḥ ||” 20.23 ||^[10]

“sakhā garīyāñcchatruśca kṛtrimastau hi kāryataḥ |
syātāmamitrau mitre ca sahajaprākṛtāvapi ||” 2.36 ||^[11]

Māgha’s knowledge of rules of war is clear from the descriptions of the division of soldiers, fort making, time of marching, proper application of weapons.

In the twenty fourth verse of the eighteenth canto, Māgha said that hill fort is the best way of self defence.

“nagrarūḍhāḥ pārvatāni śrayanto durganīva trāsahīnāstrasāni |” 313

Different types of forts are found in the Manusaṃhitā.

“dhanvadurgaṃ mahīdurgaṃmandurgaṃ vākṣameva vā |
nṛdurgaṃ jiridurgaṃ ca samāśritya vaset puramḥ |
sarveṇa tu prayatnona giridurgaṃ samāśrayet |
teṣāṃ hi vāhuguṇyena giridurgaṃ viśiṣyate ||”7.70-71 ||^[12]

Before marching of soldiers for war a ceremony for victory named nirājanā (nīrājanā) was performed which is used by Māgha.

Mallinātha explained nirājanā in his commentary, of the Sixth verse of the seventh canto—

“nīrājanāsyādvijaye” (Commentary of verse no 7/6).

The Poet discussed the appropriate time of marching in the sixteenth verse of the seventeenth canto.

“pratikṣaṇaṃ vidhuvati śāraṇe śiraḥ śikhidyutaḥ kanakakirīṭaraśmayaḥ |
āśaṅkitaṃ yudhamadhunā viśantvamī kṣamāpatīniti nirarājayanniva ||”

The poet described in the eighteenth canto about the distribution of weapons and their functions.

“yātaiścāturvidhyamastrādibhedādavyāsarṅgeḥ sauṣḍhavāllāghavācca |
śikṣāśaktiṃ prāharan darśayanto muktāmuktairāyudhairāyudhīyāḥ ||” 18.11 ||^[13]

Making of array is discussed in the following verse—

viṣayaṃ sarvātobhadracakragomūtrikādibhiḥ ślīkairiva mahākāvyaṃ vyūhestadabhavadvalam ||” 19.41 ||^[14]

He was also well versed in Dhanurveda (science of archery).

“aniloḍitakāryasya vāgjālaṃ vāgmino vṛthā |
nimittādaparāddheṣordhānuṣkasyeva valgitam |” 2.27 ||^[15]

Like Kālidāsa, Māgha also acquired knowledge of Geography proved from his description of the borders of India.

“vyomaspṛśaḥ prathayatā kaladhautabhittīrunnidrapuṣpa caṇacampakapiṅgabhāsaḥ |
saumeravīmadhigatena nītamvaśobhāmetena bhāratamilāvṛtavadvibhāti ||” 4.31 ||^[16]

Mallinātha explained this verse nicely in his commentary.

“navakhaṇḍasya ñamvudvīpasya himādrerdakṣiṇabhūkhaṇḍaṃ haimavatāparanāmakaṃ bhāratavarṣaṃ sumeruyogāt saumeravāpārākhyaṃ madhyamakhaṇḍamilāvṛtavarṣam | ataeva ‘namnedaṃ bhārataṃ varṣaṃ himādrestaccadakṣiṇe | tena haimavataṃnāma pareṣvapyevamunneyat | ilāvṛtaṃ saumeravaṃ sumeroḥ parito hi tat |” (4/31)

Māgha was well aware of India’s business skill. During his time international merchants came through the see-route using the vessels. In this way import and export were done.

This information is seen in the seventy sixth verse of the third canto.

“vikriya diśyāni dhanānyuruṇi dvaipānyasāvuttamalābhalājaḥ |
tarīṣu tatratyamabhalgu bhāṇḍaṃ sāṃyāttikānāvapato'bhya nandat ||” 3. 76 ||^[17]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ibid., p. 84.

[2]:

ibid., p. 50.

[3]:

ibid., p. 58.

[4]:

ibid., p. 59.

[5]:

ibid., p. 62.

[6]:

ibid., p. 72.

[7]:

ibid., p. 82.

[8]:

ibid., p. 85.

[9]:

ibid., p. 89.

[10]:

ibid., p. 843.

[11]:

ibid., p. 63.

[12]:

Manabendu Bandyopadhaya: Manusaṃhitā, pp. 663-664.

[13]:

Haridasa Siddhantavagisha: Op.cit., p. 745.

[14]:

ibid., p. 397.

[15]:

ibid., p. 59.

[16]:

ibid., p. 164.

[17]:

ibid., p. 144.