Chanakya - Identity
Identity
Chānakya (Sanskrit: चाणक्य Cāṇakya) (c. 370–283 BCE) was a teacher to the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta (c. 340–293 BCE), and the first Indian emperor generally considered to be the architect of his rise to power. Traditionally, Chanakya is also identified by the names Kautilya and Vishnugupta Mishra, who authored the ancient Indian political treatise called Arthaśāstra.In brief: Chanakya was one of the most intelligent and genius. It was he, who brought a common man's boy, Chandraguptha and sculptured him as the finest and first emperor of India.
His actual name was Vishnuguptha, as named by his father, Chanak. Chanak was a stalwart in Vedic culture and medicine as side works apart from his astrology. The Chanaks belong to Iyers; a superior class of community of the then India, who worship the lord Shiva. Iyers are the sub-divisions of Brahmins, the top class groups. But, Chanak, in personal, worshipped lord Vishnu. In paying respect to the deity, Chanak named his son Vishnuguptha, the servant of lord Vishnu. Chanakya, as well worshipped the lord Vishnu, which is unveiled from his works. Grammatically (Sanskrit grammar: apathyaartha prathyaya; similar to one of those figures of speech in English language), son of Chanak is Chanakya (like son of Anjana is Anjaneya; Hanuman - worshipper of lord Rama, son of Vasudev is Vasudeva; lord Krishna, daughter of Janak is Jaanaki; Goddess Sita - wife of lord Rama et-cetera). Later, people started calling him Kautilya, one, who is intelligent and witty. Thus, Vishnuguptha came to be popularly known as Kautilya and Chanakya. The Chanaks are basically from the region of present Kerala state of India. Chanakya was sent to Taxashila (Sanskrit: hard stone - meaning that it was a place to learn difficulties as a student in childhood) later corrupted as Taxila, a place in the present southern Pakistan. Taxila was the capital city of Gaandhaar kingdom (presently the regions in West parts of India). Chanakya was good at studies, well sharp brain as his bright eyes. He excelled in studies and was interested in Economics (Arthashashtra) and Political Science. That he was also good at Mathematics, astrology and Medicine are evident from the incidents during his battles against his eminent and cruel enemies. He later turned out to be the best professor of the same Taxashila University.
Chanakya was no beauty in the physical sence. The detractors had no hesitation in proclaiming that he was ugly. But the beauty is only skin deep. Down below, he was a solid mass of intellect, brains, creativity, originality, thinking prowess, learning, statesmanship and masterly over-skills in planning and diplomacy, never seen before in one person. His brilliance brought light to the darkness of the hopeless medieval India.
Some accuse him of being a ruthless political manipulator. But, the same, today, are the civilized actions as clever diplomatic moves. May be, he was too ahead of times he existed in. He possessed awesome administrative capabilities and economic planning skills. Probably, if Chanakya was not there, India had to suffer the darkness for some more decades or centuries either, for, three generations after Chandraguptha ruled whole of India successfully with his conditions, rules and terms as to how a nation has to be run, how a king must be and how must the subjects be. Of course, his tactics and strategies are used even today in business management and fields of such kind.
From a source, it is mentioned that Mahanandh was a barber in Pataliputra (presently, Patna in the state of Bihar), the capital of Magadh kingdom. He killed cunningly the king of Magadh and assumed the power. Anyhow, he could control the uncontrollable people. However, he gradually went shrewd and started forgetting his duty. He started to pass time in long termed entertaining programs and luxurious life. In the meanwhile, strong, dedicated and powerful king; Uttunga Narasimha from the south regions of present Mysore had planned to attack Magadh. Chanak got everything what Mahanandh doing was and what the south king was about to. Chanak came to Mahanandh and insisted to get to proper ruling. Enraged Mahanandh killed off Chanak. Narasimha killed Mahanandh and took him over.
Mahanandh had nine sons to one of his wives; Sunanda Devi called the Navanandhas (Nava implies to nine and nandhas means offsprings of Nandha; Mahanandh), who were imprisoned by the southern king. It was then Chanakya's turn to take over and come as the most brilliant in the East. It is mentioned somewhere faintly that he came to the king Uttunga Narasimha, convinced him and replaced the Navanandhas to divided Magadh and went to Taxila.
One of the nine was Dhananandh; a son as cruel as his father. He killed all his eight brothers and became the king to the whole of Magadh all by himself.
During this time, Alexander the great (Sikandar mahaan) from Mesatonia in Greece had conquered the west and dreamt of conquring India. Chanakya knew that if the strong kingdoms of Gaandhaar and Magadh united, Alexander could do nothing against India. In this connexion, Chanakya met Dhananandh and told him about Alexander and his future attacks. But, Dhananandh got disgusted with the fore-thoughts of Chanakya and his appearances. Dhananandh lashed out on Chanakya in the open royal palace. He ironically ill treated Chanakya in front of ministers and dignitaries. He shouted that Chanakya's limits and intelligence were in his head and ordered his soldiers to hold his hair (shikha) and put him out of the palace. On being ill treated, Chanakya cleared the knot in his hair (a formal procedure of Brahmins to tie hair as a knot at the end of long hair) remembering Dhananandh's words and made an invective swearword that until he would not destroy the manner less, cruel and strong king and that he would not dethrone him from the Magadh kingdom and not place such a king that he would unite the whole of India and would face Alexander the great, he would not tie the knot of his hair (Hair signifies many more than what we think of, in Indian culture). With this challenge being thrown at Dhananandh, Chanakya went back to Taxila, and in search of the person, who he mentioned to Dhananandh.
Two of Chanakya's students were Bhaddrabhatt and Purushdatt. It is misinformed, misunderstood or rumored that they acted as his spies. But, they were his close students, who gathered information of what was going all around him and his country, which is why it is misunderstood that they were his spies.
Another king of the Nandha brothers, who was killed too by Dhananandh, was looking over a small forest region. The kind married the daughter of person, who were tribal people looking after peacocks (Sanskrit: mura), hence the daughter named as Mura Devi (the name Devi did not last for long. Devi is a queen). They had got Chandragupta as their only son. Since Dhananandh was afraid if heirs of his brothers would rise against him, he killed the families of his brothers and some were taken captive to the royal palace as workers. Mura was the only one, who could escape from the red eyes of Dhananandh along with her son Chandraguptha and his uncle (maternal uncle). They started living in huts in Lokhandi (present Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh). Mahanandh's second wife's son, Karvinath was the king at Lokhandi and subordinate under Dhananandh.
During the course, Dhananandh came to know who these people at Lokhandi were, and ordered Karvinath to take them captive and present them before him. Chandraguptha's uncle was one of those who were taken captive. Chandraguptha sought the help of an uneducated villager to get his uncle out of the soldiers, in return to which Chandraguptha was to present himself as his servant. Anyhow, the villager corrupted the soldiers with some money (from a source, 15 paad; a small unit of currency) and took with him Chandraguptha to work as servant. Every moment,he missed his mother.
Chanakya was in serious search of the would-be Indian emperor. He searched for the king in everyone he saw. He could not find the person with credentials to become the loyal king. It was a fine summer morning, promising a good day. India got its king! The extra class king of times; the best student of a high class teacher; the one, who would make dream of the ultra modern thinker of the time come true: The same one, who, legally speaking, had to become the king of the same Magadh - Chandraguptha.
Chandraguptha had met with some friction against his master - the villager, who had bought him in return to his favour. Chanakya saw the small boy, who spoke raising his head against his cruel master, who was wrong in treating many of his child - servants. Chanakya tested the boy, learned as to how affectionate he was, how reliable was and what extent his goodness was up to. He bought Chandraguptha for the same amount from the villager and got him released. He took Chandraguptha to his mother, made them meet and speak. That evening, Chanakya went with Chandraguptha's mother, Mura nearthe close by Dhananandh's palace, showing her the Palace, where her son would be placed if she let her son go to Taxila with Chanakya for studies. After having her convinced, young Chandraguptha was forcefully seperated from his mother. In the way to Taxila, that night, while Chanakya and his student Bhadrabatt were sleeping, Chandraguptha, who did not like to go with them, gave the knowledge of where Chanakya was to Dhananandh soldiers, who were already in search of the trait (from Dhananandh's point of view); Chanakya. Chanakya and Bhadrabhatt were imprisoned and Dhananandh sentenced them to death; public killing. Chandraguptha was awarded for helping the king to capture Chanaakya. But, on hearing the news of killing those, who helped him get out of the clutches of the villager, Chandraguptha felt immensely sorry and helped Chanakya and Bhadrabatt escape with him, which Chanakya had long ago predicted, when taken captive. With this development, Dhananandh got enraged and imposed tax on water, salt, stones and showed his cruelty. He ordered to fire the huts at Lokhandi, kill all the Kshtriyas (Kings or race of kings) and take the ladies to his palace as servants. His mother was one of them. Chanakya, Bhadrabatt and Chandragupth, while going to Taxila, came to know what had happened. Chandraguptha jumped everything upon Chanakya, for whatever had happened was because of him. Chanakya taught Chandraguptha what actually was behind the scene; that the fear of Dhananandh from his brother's race. Chanakya taught Chandraguptha the way to success and insisted him that they were going to fight against Dhananandh for whatever had happened in their cases from cruel Dhananandh. They headed to Taxila, where, for about 14 years, Chandraguptha was taught by great stalwarts.
Mudrarakshas, the prime minister of Dhananandh, was equally talented and as equal to Chanakya in intelligence. He was little worried about Chanakya. Chandraguptha, as earlies, escaped from Chanakya when he was sleeping, but this time, not with enmity with Chanakya, but the memories of his mother pulled him towards her. But, Karvinath, the subordinate, was however instructed to imprison Chanakya and Chandraguptha, if found. Chandraguptha came to his place at Lokhandi. Karvinath took him captive.But, Chanakya wrote a message and saw that it reached Dhananandh somehow. The message read that Karvinath and Chanakya are tied up against Dhananandh, the root cause for the starting of flaw in the brotherhood relationship. Chandraguptha escaped from Karvinath by the teachings he got from his teacher Chanakya. He looted Dhanandh's treasury in name of Karvinath, as directed by Chanakya. This enraged Dhananandh to go against Karvi. But, before Dhananandh could kill his brother Karvinath, Chandraguptha killed Karvinath because of the his plans of attacking Chanakya - Chandraguptha bond. But, Dhananandh had Chandraguptha's mother with him. He asked the captivated Chandraguptha to choose one; either his mother or his teacher, the other would be killed. But before he could choose, Chandraguptha's mother Mura suicides with a thought that the great Chanakya would bring her son as the emperor as promised. Both Chanakya and Chandraguptha once again escaped and went back to Taxila, a safer place for them. Because Dhananandh could not enter simply the kingdom of Gaandhaar from the kingdom of Magadh. Chandraguptha grew up. When he was 18, Alexander was about to attack India and conquer. Chanakya united the Kings, who had lost their regions, the imprisoned and soldiers, whose families were ruined and formed an army. Chanakya knew that this army could not stop Alexander. But his intension was to make heavy loss to Alexander and bring his confidence down. Everything went as Chanakya had thought. It was Chanakyas first big triumph in international level. The whole world recognized him with his brilliant witty intelligence and acumen of cleverness. Chanakya showed a clean pair of toes to Alexander - the great and made him eat a dust.
Dhananandh remembered the oath Chanakya had taken in their first meeting and got confirmed that he was a person who would do as said and got highly tensed if what what more losses waiting for him from Chanakya were and ordered to capture him at the earliest.
References
His role in the formation of the Mauryan Empire is the essence of a historical/spiritual novel The Courtesan and the Sadhu by Dr. Mysore N. Prakash.
Two books are attributed to Chanakya: Arthashastra and Neetishastra which is also known as Chanakya Niti. The Arthashastra discusses monetary and fiscal policies, welfare, international relations, and war strategies in detail. Neetishastra is a treatise on the ideal way of life, and shows Chanakya's deep study of the Indian way of life. Chanakya also developed Neeti-Sutras (aphorisms - pithy sentences) that tell people how they should behave. Of these well-known 455 sutras, about 216 refer to raaja-neeti (the do's and don'ts of running a kingdom). Apparently, Chanakya used these sutras to groom Chandragupta and other selected disciples in the art of ruling a kingdom.
