Shishupala-vadha (Study)
by Shila Chakraborty | 2018 | 112,267 words
This page relates 鈥楰nowledge of Arthashastra in the Shishupalavadha鈥� of the study on the Shishupala-vadha (in English) in the light of Manusamhita (law and religious duties) and Arthashastra (science of politics and warfare). The Shishupalavadha is an epic poem (Mahakavya) written by Magha in the 7th century AD. It consists of 1800 Sanskrit verses spread over twenty chapters and narrates the details of the king of the Chedis.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Knowledge of 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 in the 艢颈艣耻辫腻濒补惫补诲丑补
惭腻驳丑补 is well versed in the 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 also. In the second canto of the 艢颈艣耻辫腻濒补惫补诲丑补 the 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 is fully described by the poet.
惭腻驳丑补 was well aware of different branchas (补峁単补蝉) of politics. Six qualities, three powers, three udayas, 惫颈箩颈驳墨峁, twelve group of kings etc. technical terms of the 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 are used properly. The political discussion between Uddhava and 叠补濒补谤腻尘补 is made beautifully. After the sacrificial ceremony politial discussion between 测耻诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑颈谤补 and 叠丑墨尘补 took place. An image of Indian politics is reflected in 惭腻驳丑补s epic. Such discussion of politics is not seen in any other epic.
In the eighty first verse of the second canto the twelve group of kings were described beautifully.
鈥渦detumatyajann墨h膩峁� r膩jasu dv膩da艣asvapi |
jig墨峁reko dinak峁沝膩dityesviva kalpate ||鈥� 2.81 ||[1]
Beside this in 鈥渦tti峁ａ弓amunastu paro鈥� in the 2/10, 鈥溼梗a岣峚gu峁嚹佱弗 艣aktyastisra鈥� in the 2/26, 鈥榮arvak膩rya艣a峁r墨ra峁鈥橾 in the 2/28, 鈥榲ipak峁makhil墨办峁泃测补 prati峁ａ弓膩鈥� in the 2/34 鈥榮va艣akr yupacaye kecit鈥� in the 2/57, 鈥榩raj帽ots膩h膩vata岣� 蝉惫腻尘墨鈥� in the 2/76 鈥榲uddhi艣astra岣� pra办峁泃测补峁単o鈥� 鈥榯antr膩v膩pavid膩鈥� 鈥榲ibhid膩manayanta 办峁泃测补 辫补办峁峁�鈥� 鈥�蝉补办丑腻, gar墨y膩n 艣atru艣ca鈥� in the 2/36 etc., verses the full development of 惭腻驳丑补s political knowledge is seen.
鈥渦tri峁ａ弓ham膩nastu paro nopek峁a岣� pathyamicchat膩 |
samo hi 艣i峁ａ弓air膩mt膩tau vatsyant膩v膩maya岣� sa ca || 2.10 ||[2]鈥溼梗a岣峚gu峁嚹佱弗 艣akkayastistra岣� siddhaya艣coday膩straya岣� |
granth膩nadhotya vy膩kartumiti durmedhaso'峁噛alam || 2.26 ||[3]鈥渟arvak膩rya艣ar墨re峁 mukt膩峁単askandhapa帽cakam |
蝉补耻驳补迟腻苍腻尘颈惫腻迟尘腻苍测辞 苍腻蝉迟颈 mantro mah墨bh峁泃膩m ||鈥� 2.28 ||[4]鈥渧ipak峁makhil墨办峁泃测补 辫谤补迟颈峁ａ弓丑腻 khalu 诲耻谤濒补产丑腻 |
an墨tv膩 pa峁卥at膩峁� dh奴limudaka峁� n膩vati峁ａ弓hate ||鈥�2.34 ||[5]鈥渟va艣aktyupacaye kecit parasya vyasane'pare |
y膩nam膩hastad膩s墨na峁� tv膩mutth膩payati dvayam ||鈥� 2.57 |[6]鈥減raj帽ots膩h膩vata岣� 蝉惫腻尘墨 yatet膩 dh膩tum膩tmani |
tau hi m奴lamude峁anty膩 jig墨峁r膩tmasampada岣� ||鈥�2.76 ||[7]鈥渧uddhi艣astra pra办峁泃测补峁単o ghanasa峁僾峁泃ti帽cuka岣� |
c膩rek峁峁噊 d奴tamukha岣� 辫耻谤耻峁岣� ko'pi 辫腻谤迟丑颈惫补岣� ||鈥�2. 82 ||[8]鈥渢antr膩v膩pavid膩 yogairma峁囜笉al膩nyadhiti峁ａ弓hat膩 |
sunigrah膩 narendre峁嘺 pha峁嚹玭dr膩 iva 艣atrava岣� ||鈥� 2.88 ||[9]鈥渢amaku峁ａ笉hamukh膩岣� supar峁嘺ketori峁va岣� k峁ptami峁vraja峁� pare峁嘺 |
vibhid膩manayanta 办峁泃测补辫补办峁峁� n峁沺aterneturiv膩yath膩rthavar峁嚹佱弗 ||鈥� 20.23 ||[10]鈥湶醪拱斐竽� gar墨y膩帽cchatru艣ca k峁泃rimastau hi k膩ryata岣� |
sy膩t膩mamitrau mitre ca sahajapr膩k峁泃膩vapi ||鈥� 2.36 ||[11]
惭腻驳丑补鈥檚 knowledge of rules of war is clear from the descriptions of the division of soldiers, fort making, time of marching, proper application of weapons.
In the twenty fourth verse of the eighteenth canto, 惭腻驳丑补 said that hill fort is the best way of self defence.
鈥渘agrar奴岣峢膩岣� p膩rvat膩ni 艣rayanto durgan墨va tr膩sah墨n膩stras膩ni |鈥� 313
Different types of forts are found in the 惭补苍耻蝉补峁僪颈迟腻.
鈥�诲丑补苍惫补诲耻谤驳补峁� mah墨durga峁僲andurga峁� v膩k峁meva v膩 |
苍峁沝耻谤驳补峁� jiridurga峁� ca 蝉补尘腻艣谤颈迟测补 vaset 辫耻谤补尘岣� |
sarve峁嘺 tu prayatnona 驳颈谤颈诲耻谤驳补峁� sam膩艣rayet |
te峁Ｄ佱箖 hi v膩hugu峁噛ena 驳颈谤颈诲耻谤驳补峁� vi艣i峁ate ||鈥�7.70-71 ||[12]
Before marching of soldiers for war a ceremony for victory named 苍颈谤腻箩补苍腻 (苍墨谤腻箩补苍腻) was performed which is used by 惭腻驳丑补.
惭补濒濒颈苍腻迟丑补 explained 苍颈谤腻箩补苍腻 in his commentary, of the Sixth verse of the seventh canto鈥�
鈥湶阅迓岵共阅錽y膩dvijaye鈥� (Commentary of verse no 7/6).
The Poet discussed the appropriate time of marching in the sixteenth verse of the seventeenth canto.
鈥減ratik峁峁嘺峁� vidhuvati 艣膩ra峁噀 艣颈谤补岣� 艣ikhidyuta岣� kanakakir墨峁璦ra艣maya岣� |
腻艣补峁卥颈迟补峁� yudhamadhun膩 vi艣antvam墨 k峁m膩pat墨niti nirar膩jayanniva ||鈥�
The poet described in the eighteenth canto about the distribution of weapons and their functions.
鈥測膩tai艣c膩turvidhyamastr膩dibhed膩davy膩sar峁単e岣� sau峁ａ笉hav膩ll膩ghav膩cca |
艣ik峁Ｄ伵沘kti峁� pr膩haran dar艣ayanto mukt膩muktair膩yudhair膩yudh墨y膩岣� ||鈥� 18.11 ||[13]
Making of array is discussed in the following verse鈥�
惫颈峁测补峁� sarv膩tobhadracakragom奴trik膩dibhi岣� 艣l墨kairiva 尘补丑腻办腻惫测补峁� vy奴hestadabhavadvalam ||鈥� 19.41 ||[14]
He was also well versed in Dhanurveda (science of archery).
鈥渁nilo岣峣tak膩ryasya v膩gj膩la峁� v膩gmino 惫峁泃丑腻 |
nimitt膩dapar膩ddhe峁rdh膩nu峁asyeva valgitam |鈥� 2.27 ||[15]
Like 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补, 惭腻驳丑补 also acquired knowledge of Geography proved from his description of the borders of India.
鈥渧yomasp峁浥沘岣� prathayat膩 kaladhautabhitt墨runnidrapu峁a ca峁嘺campakapi峁単abh膩sa岣� |
saumerav墨madhigatena n墨tamva艣obh膩metena bh膩ratamil膩v峁泃avadvibh膩ti ||鈥� 4.31 ||[16]
惭补濒濒颈苍腻迟丑补 explained this verse nicely in his commentary.
鈥渘avakha峁囜笉asya 帽amvudv墨pasya him膩drerdak峁峁嘺bh奴kha峁囜笉a峁� haimavat膩paran膩maka峁� 产丑腻谤补迟补惫补谤峁峁� sumeruyog膩t saumerav膩p膩r膩khya峁� madhyamakha峁囜笉amil膩v峁泃avar峁m | ataeva 鈥榥amneda峁� 产丑腻谤补迟补峁� 惫补谤峁峁� him膩drestaccadak峁峁噀 | tena haimavata峁僴膩ma pare峁apyevamunneyat | 颈濒腻惫峁泃补峁� saumerava峁� sumero岣� parito hi tat |鈥� (4/31)
惭腻驳丑补 was well aware of India鈥檚 business skill. During his time international merchants came through the see-route using the vessels. In this way import and export were done.
This information is seen in the seventy sixth verse of the third canto.
鈥�vikriya di艣y膩ni dhan膩nyuru峁噄 dvaip膩nyas膩vuttamal膩bhal膩ja岣� |
tar墨峁 tatratyamabhalgu 产丑腻峁囜笉补峁� s膩峁儁膩ttik膩n膩vapato'bhya nandat ||鈥� 3. 76 ||[17]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
ibid., p. 84.
[2]:
ibid., p. 50.
[3]:
ibid., p. 58.
[4]:
ibid., p. 59.
[5]:
ibid., p. 62.
[6]:
ibid., p. 72.
[7]:
ibid., p. 82.
[8]:
ibid., p. 85.
[9]:
ibid., p. 89.
[10]:
ibid., p. 843.
[11]:
ibid., p. 63.
[12]:
Manabendu Bandyopadhaya: 惭补苍耻蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, pp. 663-664.
[14]:
ibid., p. 397.
[15]:
ibid., p. 59.
[16]:
ibid., p. 164.
[17]:
ibid., p. 144.