Part 3 - Niti-shastras mentioned in the Yasastilaka

In Book III Somadeva describes Yasodhara as having studied the Nitisastras of Brhaspati, Sukra, Visalaksa, Pariksit, Parasara, Bhima, Bhisma, Bharadvaja and others. None of these ancient works is now extant, but there is no doubt that they were available in the 10 th century. 1 Early History of the Deccan, Third edition, p. 102. 2 See introduction to Benares edition, and Winternitz (op. cit.), p. 400. 3 'pujyapada iva sabdaitihyesu ', 'akalankadeva iva pramanasastresu ' 4. jainasilalekhasamgrahah, pp. 62, 119, 202 (manikacandradigambara jaina granthamala ). 5 See Pathak in Annals of the B. O. R. I, Vol XIII, p. 32. 6 gurusukravisalaksa '' 'bharadvajadipranita nitisastrasravanasanatham srutipatham P. 471

The opinions of the followers of the schools of Brhaspati (Barhaspatyah) and Sukra (Ausanasah) are cited several times in Kautilya's Arthasastra, and these two ancient writers on statecraft are often quoted in the Mahabharata and other texts.¹ A large number of quotations from Brhaspati in verse occurs in Laksmidhara's Krtyakalpataru (Rajadharmakanda) composed in the twelfth century; and as late as the fourteenth century, Candesvara quotes Brhaspati, Barhaspatya, and the Niti or Rajaniti of Sukra in his Rajanitiratnakara, but the work of Sukra quoted therein is not the same as the extant Sukranitisara, which is believed to be a later compilation. 3 Another reference to Sukra occurs in Book II. The young prince Yasodhara is described as proficient as Sukra in political science and the disposition of troops on the battlefield. The Nitisastra of Sukra seems to have paid special attention to the latter topic, as the Mahabharata (Asramavasikaparva 7. 15) refers to the Vyuhas known as Sakata, Padma, Vajra and mentions in this connection the sastra of Usanas. hotimet athopapattya sakatam padmavajram ca bharata | usana veda yacchastram tatraitadvihitam vibho || The subject is treated in detail in Kautilya's Arthasastra 10. 6, wherein the discussion opens with a reference to the classification of vyuhas according to Usanas and Brhaspati.. We know very little about the Nitisastras of Pariksit, Bhima and Bhisma. With regard to the latter, the opinions of an old writer on politics named Kaupapadanta are cited several times in Kautilya's Arthasastra (1. 8. etc.), and as Kaunapadanta is an epithet of Bhisma, the two names might refer to the same author. The Nitisastra of Parasara seems to be different from the Dharmasamhita of the same author. The opinions of Parasara and the school of Parasara are quoted several times in Kautilya's Arthasastra (1. 8, 15 etc.). An opinion of Parasara is cited also in Kamandaka's Nitisara 8. 39.5 An early reference to the Nitisastra of Parasara occurs in the Tantrakhyayika, the oldest recension of the Pancatantra, which mentions the Nitisastra of Manu, Brhaspati, Bhrgu, Parasara, Salankayana and Canakya (Book III). We know a bit more about Bharadvaja. The Nitisastra of Bharadvaja has to be distinguished from the Smrti work attributed to the same 1 See Kane: History of Dharmasastra, Vol. I, sections 17 and 16. 2 Ed. J. Sastri. Lahore. 3 'kaviriva rajaraddhantesu ', 'kavya iva vyuharacanasu 4 'paksavarasyam pratigraha iyausanaso vyuhavibhagah | paksau kaksavurasyam pratigraha iti barhaspatyah | ' 5 dve eva prakrti nyayye ityuvaca parasarah| abhiyoktrpradhanatvat tathanyo yo'bhiyujyate ||

author or possibly some other author of the same name. Most of the available data about Bharadvaja have been collected by Kane, who points out that he is mentioned as one of the writers on Rajasastra in the Mahabharata (Santiparva 58. 3) and that his opinions are cited several times in Kautilya's Arthasastra. It may be added that the opinion of a Bharadvaja is cited in Kamandaka's Nitisara 9. 57.2 The following verses are quoted by Somadeva in Book IV from a work of Bharadvaja, called Sadgunyaprastava. avaksepena hi satamasatam pragrahena ca | tatha sattvesvabhidrohadadharmasya ca karanat || vimananacca manyanam visvastanam ca ghatanat | prajanam jayate lopo nrpatescayusah ksayah || kathamidamabhasata sadgunyaprastave bharadvajah | (p. 100 ). The purport of these lines is that the king and the citizens of a state go to ruin if the good are dishonoured and the wicked held in esteem, if living beings are injured and injustice prevails, if those worthy of respect are insulted and the faithful killed. The influence of these ideas can be seen from the fact that they are amplified in the following verses of Kautilya's Arthasastra (7. 5): avaksepena hi satamasatam pragrahena ca | abhutanam ca himsanamadharmyanam pravartanaih || ...... adandanaisca dandyanam dandyanam candadandanaih | agrahyanamupagrahairgrahyanam canabhigrahaih || ...... upaghataih pradhananam manyanam cavamananaih | prakrtinam ksayo lobho vairagyam copajayate || ksinah prakrtayo lobham lubdha yanti viragatam | virakta yantyamitram va bhartaram nanti va svayam || Bharadvaja seems to have advocated the rule of concord and harmony in the relations of a king and his subjects, and the verses in question are cited by Somadeva in support of the doctrine of ahimsa. The principle of non-violence is in fact enunciated in another verse of Bharadvaja quoted in the anonymous commentary on Somadeva's Nitivakyamrta (Vyasana-samuddesa). tatha ca bharadvajah - trnacchedo'pi no karyo vina karyena sadhubhih | yena no sidhyate kimcit kim punarmanusam saham (?) || We know nothing about the contents of Bharadvaja's Sadgunyaprastava, but the name suggests that it dealt with the six gunas or principles of foreign policy. It is possible that this was the name of Bharadvaja's work on politics or dandaniti, of which sadgunya, according to the Mahabharata, formed the quintessence (Santiparva 59. 78, 79).³ 1 Journal of the University of Bombay, September, 1942, p. 81. 2 svasaktyutsahamudviksya vigrhniyanmahattaram | kesariva dvipamiti bharadvajah prabhasate || 3 sadgunyagunasaraisa sthasyatyagre mahatmasu |

9113 18. QUOTATIONS AND REFERENCES 447 Somadeva seems to have utilized another verse of Bharadvaja. Both in Nitivakyamrta and Yasastilaka (3. 23) he tells us that to confide the care of a kingdom to officials is to entrust cats with the guarding of milk. niyuktahastarpitarajyabharastisthanti ye svairaviharasarah | bidalavrndahi tadugdhamudrah svapanti te mudhadhiyah ksitindrah || In Nitivakcyamrta we have : marjaresu dugdharaksanamiva niyogisu visvasakaranam | . There is no doubt that the idea is based on the following verse of Bharadvaja quoted in the anoymous commentary on Nitivakyamrta (Amatyasamuddesa). bharadvajah - marjaresviva visvaso yatha no dugdharaksane | niyoginam niyogesu tatha karyo na bhubhuja || tatha ca We shall now speak a few words about Visalaksa. He and Bharadvaja are mentioned among the writers on Rajasastra in the Mahabharata (Santiparva 58. 2, 3). The Mahabharata (ibid. 59. 80-82) relates a legend, according to which Siva, otherwise known as Visalaksa, abridged a lengthy Nitisastra composed by Brahman, and this shorter version containing ten thousand chapters was known as Vaisalaksa after Siva. What is certain is that Visalaksa was an ancient writer on state-craft whose opinions are quoted several times in Kautilya's Arthasastra (1. 8, 17 etc.), Kamandaka's Nitisara 8. 28, and Visvarupa's commentary on Yajnavalkya 1. 328. He is also mentioned in Candesvara's Rajanitiratnakara. The following quotation from Visalaksa occurs in Yasastilaka, Book III. fer: (p. 453). The maxim is incorporated by Somadeva in his Nitivakyamrta, chap. 18, without acknowledgment. It is quoted also in Kautilya's Arthasastra 1. 15 with a slight variation: naikasya mantrasiddhirasti ' iti visalaksah | . A similar idea occurs in a quotation from Yama found in Laksmidhara's Krtyakalpataru (Rajadharmakanda 15. 70): : yah kuryat so'tyantam pati medinim || The opinions of Visalaksa sometimes run counter to those of Bharadvaja, to judge from the statements preserved in Kautilya. Bharadvaja, for example, contrary to the above maxim, opines that the king should deliberate alone on secret matters of policy: : 1. Further, while Bharadvaja recommends submission in the face of a superior enemy, Visalaksa recommends fighting with the combined strength of all one's forces, regardless of victory or defeat.³ 'baliyasabhiyukto durbalah sarvatranupranato vetasadharma tisthet | indrasya hi sa pranamati yo baliyaso namati ' iti bharadvajah| 'sarvasamdohena balanam yudhyeta | parakramo hi vyasanamapahanti | svadharmascaisa ksatriyasya yuddhe jayah parajayo va ' iti visalaksah | Kautilya 12. 1. 1 ete'stadasa caitesam satrumitre prthak prthaku | catuspancasatkamiti visalaksah prabhasate || 2 evam ca visalaksah - vanyan vanagatairnityam mandalasthastathavidhaih | carairalocya satatkuryajjigisudirghaduradrk || - 3 See also Kane's paper in Journal of the University of Bombay (op. cit.)

There is another quotation from Visalaksa in Book IV: ' caturmasyesvardhama- sikam, darsapaiाrnamasayoscaturatrikam, rajanaksatre guruparvani ca trairatrikam, evamanyasu copahatasu tithisu dviratramekara va sarvesamaghatam ghosayedayurbalavrddhayartham ' iti kathamupanisadi vadati sma visalaksah | . The purport of these lines is that non-injury to all creatures should be proclaimed (by the king) during the four months of rains for a fortnight, during the New and the Full Moon for four nights, on days related to the constellation under which the king was born and on Samkranti days for three nights, and similarly on certain inauspicious lunar days for one or two nights. Visalaksa is reported as making this statement in an Upanisad, The word seems to be used in its wider sense of 'secret doctrine' and Upanisad might simply refer to Visalaksa's Nitisastra. We know, for example, that the Mahabharata (Santiparva 103. 40) uses the expression dandopanisad in the sense of 'secret application of force'; and Somadeva himself uses the word upanisad in the sense of 'secret' or 'mystery' in relation to the teachings of the Arthasastra. He says, for instance, - vicarapallavakalokaprakasitopanisatsu parisatsu ' (Book III ) ' in assemblies where scholars expert in the discussion of the Arthasastra revealed the mysteries (of that science)'. The passage from Visalaksa's Upanisad cited above occurs in Kautilya's Arthasastra 13. 5 with slight modifications and omissions in connection with the restoration of peace in a conquered country : caturmasyesvardhamasika- maghatam paurnamasisu ca caturatrikam rajadesanaksatresvekaratrikam | It is possible that the passage is adapted from the work of Visalaksa, just as certain verses of Bharadvaja have also been amplified and incorporated in the text of the Arthasastra. In face of this, it is impossible to accept Srutasagara's identification of Visalaksa with the sage Prabhakara and explanation of Upanisad as Vedantasastra. Somadeva seems to borrow an idea from another old writer whom he does not mention, but who is cited in the anonymous commentary on his Nitivakyamrta. Both in Yasastilaka (3. 25) and Nitivakyamrta he expresses the opinion that the troubles of the master are the opportunity of the servants, and says that just as physicians try to aggravate the illness of wealthy patients, similarly the officials of a king try to add to his troubles. vyadhivrddhau yatha vaidyah srimatamahitodyamah | vyasanesu tatha rajnah krtayatta niyoginah || He says in Nitivalyamyta: vaidyesu srimatam vyadhivarddhanadiva niyogisu bhartrvyasanadaparo nasti jivanopayah . There is no doubt that the above idea is based on the following verse quoted 1 Nilakantha says : 2 See above,

from an ancient writer named Raibhya in the commentary on Nitivakyamrta (Svamisamuddesa), isvaranam yatha vyadhirvaidyanam nidhiruttamah | niyoginam tatha jneyah svamivyasana sambhavah || Similarly, Somadeva seems to have adapted another idea from the ancient writer Atri, well-known as an author of Smrti works. Somadeva says in Yasastilaka 3. 230: ekamatye mahipale nalam laksmirvijrmbhate | latayastatra ka vrddhih sakhaika yatra sakhini || In Nitivakyamrta (10. 82) he says: 1. The idea is based on the following verse quoted from Atri in the commentary on the above work. tatha catrih- yathaikasakhavrksasya naiva cchaya prajayate | tathaikamamtrina rajnah siddhih krtyesu no bhavet || The following verse is cited by Somadeva in Book IV without mentioning the source. uktam ca- rajni dharmini dharmisthah pape papah same samah | rajanamanuvartante yatha raja tatha prajah || The verse is quoted in the commentary on Nitivakyamrta (Svamisamuddesa) and attributed to Vyasa. It is cited from Vrddha Canakya in Bohtlingk's Indische Spruche. The following two verses are also cited in Yasastilaka (3.258-9) without mentioning the source. nemimekantaran rajnah krtva canantarasaran | nabhimatmanamayacchenneta prakrtimandale || astasakham caturmulam sastipatram dvaye sthitam | satpuspam triphalam vrksam yo janati sa nitivit || The purport of the first verse is that a king desirous of supremacy should make himself the centre of the Circle of States, making the neighbouring kings and those living beyond his immediate neighbours the circumference of the Circle. Yasodhara says that while considering the verse in an assembly of learned men, he discussed also the second verse which has a bearing on the composition of the Circle of States, and dealt with the entire system of arrangement and distribution of alien states. The second verse is a sort of synopsis of the various topics of the Nitisastras, and from the nature of the reference we should expect to find both the verses in the same text, but actually we find the first verse in Kautilya's Arthasastra and the second in Kamandaka's Nitisara. The Arthasastra 6. 2 cites the first verse with an important variant, reading aran for naran. The reading (spokes) completes the metaphor of the wheel, but does not materially alter the sense of the verse. As regards the second verse, it occurs in Kamandaka 8.42, but we cannot be certain that Somadeva took the verse from the latter work, as Samkararya in his commentary on Kamandaka cites the verse independently from Ausanas, that is, the Nitisastra of Sukra. 57

The following verses quoted anonymously in Yasastilaka 3.77 and Book VI, section 13, are found in Kautilya's Arthasastra 10.6 and 3.1 respectively. tadaha- ekam hanyanna va hanyadisuh ksipto dhanusmata | prajnena tu matih ksipta hanyadurbhagatanapi || dando hi kevalo lokam param cemam ca raksati | rajna satrau ca putre ca yathadosam samam dhrtah || The first verse occurs also in the Pancatantra ( Tantrakhyayika) 3.123. It occurs in a somewhat different form in the Mahabharata (Udyogaparva 33.47). ekam hanyanna va hanyadisurmukto dhanusmata | buddhirbuddhimatotsrsta hanyadvastram sarajakam || The following verse occurring in Yasastilaka (towards the end of Book IV) is found in Kautilya 5.6 : kalasca sakrdabhyeti yam naram kalakanksinam | durlabhah sa punah kalastasya karma cikirsatah || The verse is found also in the Pancatantra (Tantrakhyayika) 3.74, the latter text reading tena for tasya and cikirsata for cikirsatah. The Pancatantra seems to have borrowed the verse from Kautilya, as the preceding sentence svayamupagata sristyajyamanabhisapatiti lokapravadah is a variation of Kautilya's khayamarudha hi stri tyajyamanabhisapatiti lokapravadah . The real author of the verse seems to be Bharadvaja, as both the verse and the sentence preceding it form part of certain opinions of Bharadvaja which Kautilya here cites and subjects to criticism, There are also a few verses in our romance which are clearly based on Kautilya's Arthasastra. The following verse is one of three (3.106-108) which Somadeva represents as containing the essence of all the Arthasastras. He says: svasmannijah paro'nyasmat svah parasmat paro nijat | raksyah svasmat parasmacca nityamamaya jigisuna || The verse is obviously based on the following verse found in Kautilya 9. 3; pare parebhyah sve svebhyah stre parebhyah svatah pare | raksyah svebhyah parebhyasca nityamatma vipascita || The following Niti verse on the risks of hunting is cited in Book V: stena dvisadvisanyalasvapadaprabhavam bhayam | sarmadharmaviramasca mrgayayam mahipateh || The verse seems to be based on Kautilya 8.3: 'stenamitravya ladavapraskhalanabhayadiyohah ksutpipase ca pranabadhastasyam | '. The references of Somadeva to the Arthasastra are of a general character, and he does not seem to refer to any particular Arthasastra. Two such references have been mentioned above. Another occurs in the following Niti verse cited in Book IV, which sums up a leading idea of the Arthasastra: to outwit one's enemies and not to be outwitted by them (p. 152): etadevarthasastrasya nityamadhyayane phalam | yat paranabhisamdhatte nabhisamghiyate paraih || A similar summing up occurs also in Manu 7. 180 : yathainam nabhisamdadhyurmitrodasinasatravah | tatha sarvam samvidadhyadesa samasiko namah ||

The rise of Candragupta to power, though resourceless, through the efforts of a good minister is mentioned in a traditional verse (sruti) cited by Somadeva ( 3.242). tathaca srutih - duryodhanah samartho'pi durmantri pralayam gatah | rajyamekasaro'dhyapa sanmatri candraguptakah || The tradition is also mentioned by Somadeva in his Nitivakyamrta 10. 4, wherein Visnugupta or Canakya is referred to by name : tatha canusruyate visnuguptanugraha- danadhikrto'pi kila candraguptah samrajyapadamavapeti | The anonymous commentary on the above work quotes a verse from Sukra which contains the same allusion, vrhala (vrsala?) apparently referring to Candragupta. tatha ca sukrah- mahamatyam varo raja nirvikalpam karoti yah | ekaso'pi mahim lebhe hino'pi vrhalo yatha || Somadeva says in the course of a discussion in Yasastilaka 3. 86 : puspairapi na yoddhavyam kim punarnisitaih saraih | tamavastham gatanam tu na vidmah kim bhavisyati || He says also in Nitivakyamyta 32. 30 : puspayuddhamapi nitivedino necchanti kim punah sastrayuddham | The anonymous commentary cites here the following verse from Vidura . tatha ca vidurah- puspairapi na yoddhavyam kim punarnisitaih saraih | upaya purvam tasmadyuddham samacaret || The verse is not found in the Viduraniti incorporated in Viramitrodaya ( Rajanitiprakasa). There is, however, no doubt that the verse adapted by Somadeva is an old one. Sriharsa's Naisadhacarita 4. 81 refers to the idea thus : ahaha nitiravaptabhaya tato na kusumairapi vigrahamicchati | Narayana in his commentary quotes the line puspairapi na yoddhavyam etc. and adds : iti nitih • The following verse is quoted in Yasastilaka, Book III, without mentioning the source. tatha coktam sastrantare- caro yasya vicarasca rajno nastiksanadvayam | tasyandhadugdhavadrajyam mantrimarjaragocaram || A reference to the Nitisastras in general occurs in Book I : nitisastrairiva prakasitasamayogatirthodyogaih . The Tirthas are the eighteen agencies with whose help a king governs the state. srutasagara says-uktam ca- 'senapatirganako rajasrestha dandadhipo mantri mahattaro balavattarasvatvaro varnascaturangabalam purohito'matyo mahamatyascetyastadasa rajnam tirtha bhavanti | '.