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Political Concepts in Ancient India
 
yaṇa, II. 100.25⁰ and Śukranītisāra,¹ refers to a
Minister of Diplomacy. It is further pointed
out by Jayaswal that in Gupta times, the term
Sandhivigrahika came to be used in place of
the term Dūta in the sense of a Minister of Diplo-
macy, for making a distinction between the
Minister of Diplomacy from the Ambassador.³
(4) A careful examination of the quotations
given here should show that the term means
either a simple messenger or, at best, an ambassa-
dor but not a Mantri or Minister at all. Rāmā-
yana clearly says that the Dūta should deliver
the message as it is (yathoktavādī), We need not
probably equate Dūta with the Sandhivigrahika,
because of the latter term's similarity with
Manu's words dute sandhi viparyayau. Manu
possibly means to say that treaty or conflict
depend on the proper delivery of the message or
proper diplo matic activities of the ambassador.
(5) According to Amara, Dūta is simply a
carrier of the message'.
 
DURGA—(1) A fort.5
 
92
 
9. kaccijjanapado vidvan dakṣiṇaḥ pratibhānavān yathoktavādī
dutaste krto bharata panditaḥ
 
1. Possibly Jayaswal has Sukranitisāra, II. 87 in mind, which
reads as follows-
ingitākāraceṣṭajñaḥ śrutiman deba-kalavit
şāḍgunyamantravidvāgmī vītabhirudua işyate.
 
2. Jayaswal, Hindu Polity, p. 285.
 
3. Jayaswal. Ibid, p. 307.
 
4. syāt sandesaharo dutaḥ (Amara, Ksatriya varga).
 
5. Cf. T. V. Mahalingam, Administration and Social Life
under Vijayanagara (Index).
 
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN