Political Concepts in Ancient India /68

not politics as such. Kauṭilya says that
Artha means avocations of men; the word
also means the land filled with men. Hence,
the term Arthaśāstra means the science,
which deals with the acquisition and protection or governance of the land inhabited by the people. manuṣyāṇaṁ vṛttirarthaḥ. manuṣyavatī bhūmi-rarthaḥ; tasyah pṛthivyā lābhapālanopāyah s'āstram arthas'śāstram arthaśāstram iti. (AS'Ś XV. 1). The variant reading manuṣyavatī bhūmiritiyarthah (AS'Ś Basak, Vol. II. p. 159) is not suitable. Kauṭilya also applies the term Arthas'śāstra to all the earlier treaties on politics. Cf. pṛthivyā lābhe pālane ca yāvantyarthas'śāstrāṇi pūrvācāryaih
prasthāpitāni (AS'Ś the first sentence).
(3) According to S'Śukranītisāra (IV. 5. 56)
Arthaśāstra discusses instructions about
the government as well as the acquisition
of wealth.
(4) Kauṭilya uses the term Daṇḍanīti also in
the sense of Arthasastra. cf. ānvīkṣikītrayī
vārtā daṇḍanītiśceti vidyāḥ (AS'Ś I. 1) etc.
(5) In Daṇḍin's Das'śakumāracrita, the science
of politics is called Daṇḍanītī cf. adhīṣva
tāvaddaṇḍanītim. iyamidānimācaryaviṣṇu-
guptena mauryārthe ṣaḍbhiḥ ṣlokasahasraiḥ
saṁkṣiptā. (BK. I.)
(6) In Mudrārāksasa of Visakhadatta the
term Arthas'śāstra itself is used. Cf... iha
khalvarthasastrakārā strividhāṁ siddhimu-
paṛāvanayanti, (Act. III).
(7) In Amarakoṣa, Daṇḍanīti is given as a
synonym of Arthas'śāstra. Cf. ānvikṣīkī daṇ-