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INTRODUCTION
 
43
 
18. All the texts available to the author contain
two thousand four hundred and thirty-eight different.
maxims. Not all of them have been incorporated in
the six versions mentioned above. Far from it! Only
maxims which appeared in at least three texts of the
same version and were clearly not interpolations were
included in one or other of these six versions.
 
In this study, however, all the 2438 different
maxims and aphorisms were analysed and those having
a raja-niti background have been included. Not all of
them are rāja-nīti stanzas; the Cāṇakya maxims are
mostly ethical and moral and include kavya aphorisms
dealing at the same time with several 'similar' pro--
blems; sometimes one part, often very small, deals.
with raja-nīti; sometimes a moral stanza is of a general
character and does not refer exclusively to kings;
however, where it was felt that such a maxim or
maxims, though in a small way, may contribute to
the understanding of raja-niti, they have been included.
in this study. On the other hand stanzas though found.
in one or more collections of Canakya aphorisms, but
which were considered as interpolations have not been
included.
 
The texts used for the preparation of this study
are referred to in the Abbreviations'. The full
 
C
 
the editorship of Prof. Vishva Bandhu Shastri and the first part
containing the CV and Cv versions will appear shortly. For
details see Abbreviations under Cr.