Arthashastra (Treatise on Statecraft)
- Language:
- English
- Translation:
- R. Shamasastry
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- No scanning noise detected (automatic measure over the whole text, not checked by hand)
- Extent:
- ~210,000 words · 995 passages
Cite this work
- APAKautilya. (n.d.). Arthashastra (Treatise on Statecraft) (R. Shamasastry, Trans.). Digital reproduction: SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/kautilya/arthashastra-treatise-on-statecraft
- MLAKautilya. Arthashastra (Treatise on Statecraft). Translated by R. Shamasastry. Digital reproduction, SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/kautilya/arthashastra-treatise-on-statecraft.
- ChicagoKautilya. Arthashastra (Treatise on Statecraft). Translated by R. Shamasastry. Digital reproduction, SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/kautilya/arthashastra-treatise-on-statecraft.
Reference to the edition that SigPhi reproduces: SigPhi is its digital reproduction, not its publisher. The edition's year is not in the metadata (hence "n.d."), and the translator appears only when recorded.
What it is about
The manual of government attributed to Kautilya: administration, revenue, law, agriculture, mines, espionage, diplomacy and war, all with the coldness of a man writing for whoever rules.
Context and history
This text was lost for centuries and known only by name. In 1905 a pandit handed a palm-leaf manuscript to the Oriental Library at Mysore, and R. Shamasastry identified and edited it: until then nobody in modern times had read it. The attribution to Kautilya, the minister of Chandragupta Maurya, is traditional, but specialists date the text as we have it considerably later and regard it as an accumulated work.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
The school of Manu (Manava) hold that there are only three sciences: the triple Vedas, Varta and the science of government, Kautilya's Arthashastra inasmuch as the science of Anvikshaki is nothing but a special branch of the Vedas. The school of Brihaspati say that there are only two sciences: Varta and the science of government, inasmuch as the Triple Vedas are merely an abridgment (Samvarana, pretext?) for a man experienced in affairs temporal (Lokayatravidah). The school of Usanas declare that there is only one science, and that the science of government; for, they say, it is in that science that all other sciences have their origin and end. But Kautilya holds that four and only four are the sciences; wherefore it is from these sciences that all that concerns righteousness and wealth is learnt, therefore they are so called. Anvikshaki comprises the Philosophy of Sankhya, Yoga, and Lokayata (Atheism ?). Righteous and unrighteous acts (Dharmadharmau) are learnt from the triple Vedas; wealth and non- wealth from Varta; the expedient and the inexpedient (Nayanayau), as well as potency and impotency (Balabale) from the science of government. When seen in the light of these sciences, the science of Anvikshaki is most beneficial to the world, keeps the mind steady and firm in weal and woe alike, and bestows excellence of foresight, speech and action. Light to all kinds of knowledge, easy means to accomplish all kinds of acts and receptacle of all kinds of virtues, is the Science of Anvikshaki ever held to be. [Thus ends Chapter II, "Determination of the place of Anvikshaki" among Sciences in Book I, "Concerning Discipline" of the Kautilya's Arthashastra Arthasastra of Kautilya.] CHAPTER III.…