Arthashāstra, Rājdharma & the Indian Constitution of 1950 CE

Modern India adopted its current constitution on 26 January 1950. But this Constitution is inspired by the Western model that began with the Nation States concept of the 1800s. Bhārat, however, has always had a plethora of Shāstrās that were typically consulted by the rulers to ensure just rule over the (प्रजा) prajā. This was usually with a combination of Smritis such as Yājnyavalkya smriti, (the much wrongfully maligned) Manusmriti, Vidura Niti, Chānakya Niti, Shukra Niti and yes, the Arthashāstra. Ultimately, the decision was taken on the basis of these documents, not applied word for word like modern day “rights” ascribed by a Constitution. This meant nuances could be taken into consideration before decisions were taken by a wise counsel.

This Republic Day. lets take a moment to reflect on whether the Indian Polity is able to live up to the expectations of Rājdharma as laid out by our Indian ancestors.

In 1905, a Sanskrit scholar, Rudrapatnam Shama Sastry (The man featured in the image above) stumbled upon a complete copy of Arthashāstra while cataloging a heap of palm leaf manuscripts donated to the Mysore Oriental Library . Its text was written in Grantha script (an ancient South Indian script used to write Sanskrit used around the 6th Century CE) and then published it in 1909, with the first English version made available in 1915. We must thank this happy coincidence that allows us to study Arthashāstra today.

Arthashāstra coves all aspects of Political statecraft, economic policy, international relations, hence covering more dimensions than a modern Constitution. The Arthashāstra is a playbook for Kings, Amātya (ministers) [including selecting the right ministers and the 35 qualities they must uphold].

Thus, in many ways, it goes beyond the modern constitution since Arthashāstra has guidelines for what kind of qualities an elected minister holding a position of power should have. It also does not hesitate to apply Danda Niti to ensure Justice and not pander to selfish interests.

Danda Niti is applied to resolve conflicts and prescribes साम , दान, भेद, दण्ड as various resolution techniques or strategies that are equally applicable in Geopolitics and group management to this day.
Arthashāstra recognizes that punishments that are too harsh or too lenient can cause harm to society. It asks the leadership to strive for Yukti or balance to prevent Matsya Nyāya or “big fish eats small fish”.

तीक्ष्ण दण्ड - Harsh, punitive action.
मृदु दण्ड - Lenient punishment.
युक्ति - Balance between Teekshna and Mrudu Danda.

The Republic of India today suffers from the inability to achieve Yukti with the poor pace of Judiciary court proceedings, people of influence being able to escape Teekshna Danda, or certain social groups or individuals being able to create chaos without facing consequences leading to a sense of a weak state.
India also suffers from the absence of a rigorous Dhārmic check before ministers are elected to positions of power which in turn paralyzes administration and contributes to Matsya Nyāya.

The Preamble presented to the Constituent Assembly in 1949 and eventually adopted in 1950 summarizes the essence of our current Constitution, so let’s revisit what it says –

Note that after the 42nd amendment during the Emergency rule, three new terms “Socialist, Secular, and Integrity” were added to the Preamble not originally intended by the Constituent Assembly.

Today we are no longer ruled by kings since we are a “Republic”, then does Rājdharma still apply? Absolutely!
Arthashāstra says Manu was elected by the people to be King. So Rājdharma equally applies to the elected leaders of today. Artha in the context of Arthashāstra means to go, to attain, to move towards.

Dharma encompasses both universal and personal duties and is the guiding principle defined by the purpose of existence. By adhering to Dharma based outlook as espoused in the Arthashāstra rather than a “rights” based outlook (an imported perspective from Europe), individuals contribute to the overall well-being of themselves and the community. Unlike a modern-day constitution, a recent phenomenon of the Nation-state era that began merely 200 years ago, the Arthashāstra’s millennia-old approach invites us to reflect on our daily actions, urging us to live a harmonious life.

Chānakya Sutra 1.2 defines Artha as the foundation of Dharma – धर्मस्य मूलं अर्थ

This is because only when you have wealth, then it can be channeled for other acts of Dharma. Thus, according to Kautilya, the State should not impede or deny its prajā (people) access to wealth creation (legal means and not those that cause harm or Adharma to society).

यस्यार्थस्तस्य मित्राणि यस्यार्थस्तस्य बान्धवाः । यस्यार्थः स पुमान् लोके यस्यार्थः स च जीवति ।।
Chānakyanīti Darpana (चाणक्यनीति दर्पणः,3.20)

Meaning: One who who has Artha has friends, one who has Artha has well-wishers, one who has Artha is indeed a human and one who has Artha indeed lives.

Chānakya says that the outcome of त्रयी or three fold knowledge (The three Vedas*) is स्वधर्मः स्वर्गाय आनन्त्याय च

Meaning: following one’s Svadharma ensures Moksha Prāpti.
Rājdharma dictates that a king or in the modern sense, elected representatives adhere to their duty appropriate to their role and position in society.

*The Atharva Veda or Atharvana Veda was collated after Arthashāstra was composed. This does not mean Atharva Veda hymns were later. Rather, the consolidation of the texts had not occurred yet. In fact, Arthashāstra is an Upaveda of Atharvana Veda. Upavedas are additional texts that are of Human origin but linked to a Veda due to their profound importance to Society.
Example – Dhanurveda deals with warcraft and is an Upaveda of Yajurveda. Gandharva Veda is an Upaveda of Sāma Veda, Āyurveda is Upaveda of Rigveda (some consider it associated with Atharva Veda also).

The seven components of the Saptānga Rājyam theory (7 limbs of Governance) in Arthashāstra

• Svāmi: The king (Modern day PM, CM)
• Amātya: The ministers (Modern day MLAs, MPs)
• Janapada: The territory and population of Rāshtra
• Durga: The fortified city (Modern sense – Defensive capabilities & Civil town-planning)
• Kosha: The treasury (Modern example – State fiscal deficit)
• Danda: Justice or force (Judiciary, Police, internal law and order) [damayati anena iti danda]
• Mitra: The ally (modern sense – Foreign policy)

Chānakya describes Vārta as consisting of Krishi (agriculture), Pāshupalya (animal husbandry), and Vānijya (trade) as the basis of wealth generation. Hence, an able administration should ensure these 3 pillars of production can flourish properly. It has 5 components – Dhānyam (grains), Pashu (animal products), Hiranyam (gold reserves), Kupyam (other metals such as Iron and Copper), and Vishti (labor).

Modern Indian politics continues to support farmers, but let’s focus on Vānijya which due to adoption of a socialistic Western perspective has taken a hit with respect to the recommendations of Arthashāstra. As India attempts to increase its gold reserves today due to the inflationary nature and misuse of Petrodollar where world economies are at the mercy of a foreign power, we are reminded of the wisdom of Arthashāstra which recommends even importing Gold if necessary for the treasury.

It is also important to address the concept of Ārya as a quality that is recommended for positions of administration. Here, Ārya is defined as – अर्तुम् आचरितुं योज्ञः इति आर्यः – One whose actions are worth being followed. Thus an Ārya is the one who upholds Rājdharma and inspires the (प्रजा) prajā to follow their own Svadharmās and keep society in a state of peace and prosperity focusing on duties. Focus is on what you can give to others rather than rights (what can be taken from others).

But, Rājdharma is not just a concept found in Arthashāstra. It is also found in Shanti Parva & Anushāsan Parva of Mahabhārata and other Dharma Shāstras.

The seventh chapter of Manusmriti covers Rājdharma. In Yājnavalkya Smriti, they can be found in three books, namely Āchāra-kanda (customs), Vyavahāra-kanda (judicial process), and Prāyaschitta-kanda (crime and punishment, penance).

Vidura Nīti (I.74) cautions that a powerful leader must not consult the following 4 kinds of people:

Learnings from Vidura Nīti (I.74) -Keep smart people in critical jobs, a strong call for meritocracy. Don’t appoint the lazy. Avoid impatient people who make poor decisions without analysis. Avoid sycophancy.

Closing thoughts…

मनुष्याणाम् वृत्तिरर्थः ।
मनुष्यवती भूमिरित्यर्थः।

Translation: Artha (from a statecraft perspective) is knowledge of how to acquire land (in modern sense, spread influence – soft and hard power) and how to protect it.

Vritti is the livelihood of the people. The duty of the State is to ensure the happiness and prosperity of its people. This must be achieved with Dharma at its core and an impartial application of Danda Niti to keep bad elements in check. Thus, Kautilya is likely to be shocked at terrorists or enemies of the unity of the country being given the freedom to live within its boundaries or to have reservations in positions of influence according to constitutional provisions. He may also be surprised to see the absence of Dharma as the selection criteria for administrative leaders today.

What do you think? Is the current Indian Polity able to live up to the guidelines laid down for Rājdharma? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Vediconcepts

भारत की गुरुकुल परम्परा

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