The Arthashastra

913 Pages·2000·16.51 MB·English

KAUTILYA
T H E A R T H A S H A S T R A

EDITED, REARRANGED,
TRANSLATED AND INTRODUCED
BY
L.N. RANGARAJAN

PENGUIN BOOKS
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First published by Penguin Books India 1992
Copyright © L.N. Rangarajan 1987
All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-01-4044-603-6

This Digital Edition published 2010. e-ISBN: 978-81-8475-011-9
Digital conversion prepared by DK Digital Media, India.

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An extraordinary manual on statecraft and the science of living by
one of classical India’s greatest minds.

Kautilya, also known as Chanakya and Vishnugupta, wrote the Arthashastra in
the second century AD though the date has not been conclusively established. A
master stategist who was well-versed in the Vedas and adept at creating intrigues
and devising political stratagems, Kautilya was the man who destroyed the
Nanda dynasty and installed Chandragupta Maurya as the king of Magadha.

The Arthashastra contains fifteen books which cover numerous topics that are of
relevance even today: revolts and rebellions, structure of the state, consumer
protection, salaries of government servants, property laws, labour laws, criminal
investigations, the penal system, prevention of confederacies and oligarchies, the
duties of the king, and a complete code of law, among others.

Artha, literally wealth, is one of four supreme aims prescribed by Hindu
tradition. However, as the Arthashastra reveals, it has a much wider
significance, and the material well-being of individuals is just a part of it. A
remarkably comprehensive treatise of statecraft, the Arthashastra is testimony to
Kautilya’s genius and foresight.

Edited, Rearranged and Translated from the Sanskrit by L.N. RANGARAJAN
Cover: Illustrations of ancient coins from the Gupta period (circa AD
375-414)
PENGUIN CLASSICS
THE ARTHASHASTRA

L.N. Rangarajan graduated from the University of Madras with an M.Sc in
experimental physics. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1956 and has been
Ambassador to Greece, Sudan, Tunisia, Norway and Iceland.
A political economist with a special interest in conflict limitation and
negotiation, he has contributed articles on political economy to several journals.
His previous publications include: Commodity Conflict: The Political Economy
of International Commodity Negotiations and The Limitation of Conflict: A
Theory of Bargaining and Negotiation.
L.N. Rangarajan is married to a musician and has two sons.
DEDICATED WITH GRATITUDE TO

R. SHAMASASTRY
Who discovered the text and translated it first
and

R.P. KANGLE
whose critically edited Text, Translation and Study
are the basis for all later translations.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Arabic numerals indicate the number of the verse. For example, {1.1.1}
Book 1, Chapter 1, verse number 1. Verse numbers are as in Kangle, The
Kautiliya Arthashastra, Part I (text) and Part II (translation), second
edition; University of Bombay 1969.
Roman numerals indicate a reference to the Part and Section in this
translation. I (i)Part 1, Section 1.
Square brackets [] enclose translator’s additions and comments.
Double braces {} enclose verse numbers.
Parentheses () are used normally. In the translation, material within
parantheses is that found in the text.
Sanskrit words are in italics; diacritical marks are not used.
Contents
COPYRIGHT
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
THE KAUTILYAN STATE AND SOCIETY
Part I INTRODUCTORY SECTIONS
Part II THE STATE AND ITS CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS
Part III THE KING
Part IV THE WELL-ORGANIZED STATE
Part V TREASURY, SOURCES OF REVENUE, BUDGET,
ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT
Part VI CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS
Part VII THE DEPARTMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT
Part VIII LAW AND JUSTICE
Part IX COVERT OPERATIONS
Part X FOREIGN POLICY
Part XI DEFENCE AND WAR
NOTES
APPENDICES
PREFACE
Both Kautilya the preceptor and his masterwork the Arthashastra are much
misunderstood. Popularly known as Chanakya, he is maligned and often
ridiculed as a teacher of unethical, not to say immoral, practices and as an
advocate of the theory that ‘the ends justify the means’. ‘Chanakyan’ has entered
Indian vocabulary as the equivalent of ‘Machiavellian’. Most people know little
of what Kautilya actually said in the Arthashastra. The only thing they can recall
is the ‘mandala’ theory, based on the principles: ‘Every neighbouring state is an
enemy and the enemy’s enemy is a friend.’
This popular view is not only simplistic but untrue. Only scholars of ancient
Indian history are aware of the range and depth of the Arthashastra. It is a
pioneering work on statecraft in all its aspects, written at least one thousand five
hundred years ago. Unfortunately, the greatness of Kautilya remains
unappreciated for want of a modern translation. The main objective of this
translation is to make it as simple and modern as possible, avoiding intricate
constructions and archaisms, thereby making it easily understood by the
educated lay reader. For reasons explained in greater detail in the Introduction,
the order of verses in the original text is not strictly followed in this translation;
some rearrangement and regrouping by topic has been made. A lengthy
Introduction and a description of the Kautilyan state and society have become
necessary in order to satisfy scholars and provide the necessary background for
others.
This translation is made by a political economist in the belief that the precepts
of Kautilya on the social, political and economic structure of the ideal state are
relevant even today. It is not for me to say whether I have succeeded. I shall be
grateful for all corrections, comments and suggestions for improvement, from
scholars and laymen alike.
Dharma Kumar has been a source of constant encouragement to me in this
book, as she has been with all my other books. I am grateful to my wife, Joyce
and my son Gautam for carefully reading through the manuscript, correcting
infelicities of language, eliminating confusion in translation and, on the whole,
making it more comprehensible. They also proof-read the typeset manuscript. I
am also grateful to Gautam and my elder son, Vijay, for help in word processing,