Political Concepts in Ancient India /36

16
 
Political Concepts in Ancient India
 
these Smrṛiti works, we have chapters on both Prāyś-

citta (expiatory rituals) and Vyavahāra (legal pro-

cedure). The treatment of civil and criminal laws

and also an outline of the social order should in-

variably find a place in an ancient treatise on politics

because, "the Indian King was the custodian of

social order, and he was expected to see that every-

one in the Kingdom kept to the track laid down

for him by the śaāstras. He had therefore to be well

posted in the knowledge of everyone's duty, be-

sides knowing his own, both as a Kṣatriya and a

King". K. V. Rangaswami Aiyangar, Bṛhaspati Smṛti, Preface,
p. 14
 
1.
 
In the present survey mention should be made

also of Medhaātithi (825 to 900 A.C.) and Kulluka

(12th C.A.C.) for their very informative and intelli-

gent commentaries on the Manu Smrṛti. Likewise,

the Baālakrīḍā of Visṣvarūpa (9th C.A.C.) and the

Mitaākṣarā of Vijñāneśvara (12th C.A.C.) are very

useful for understanding the work of Yaājña valkya.
 

 
KamandakIya Nitisāra
 
The Kamandakiāmandakīya Nītisära is another technical
āra
 
The Kāmandakīya Nītisāra is another technical
work on the science of Politics. This work was

most probably composed in the Gupta age around

500 A.C. The title implies that the work contains

the principles of politics propounded by Kamanda,

an ancient master. But in fact, it is a compilation

of the theories laid down in the Mahābhārata and

the Arthasśāstra by some unknown scholar who was

posterior to Kautṭilya. This author has great
 
14. K. V. Rangaswami Aiyangar, Brhaspati Smrti, Preface,
 
p. 11.
 
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