Chanakya Nu Ek Dakshini Kathank - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Chanakya nu Ek Dakshini Kathank" by Shilchandrasuri, based on the provided pages:

The article introduces a unique account of Chanakya found in the 18th story, "Chanakya," from the Kannada text 'Vaddaradhana' (meaning "Elder's Worship" or "Great Worship"), composed by the Digambar Jain monk Shri Shivakoti-Acharya in the 10th century CE. The author notes that this Jain narrative of Chanakya differs significantly not only from the version presented in the "Mudrarakshasa" but also from other prevalent Jain accounts of Chanakya.

The article highlights the research by S. Jagannath, who translated this story from its original Kannada into Sanskrit. Jagannath's key observations include:

Significant Differences: The Chanakya story in "Vaddaradhana" is vastly different from the one in "Mudrarakshasa" and also from the story found in the "Brihatkatha Kosha" by another Digambar Acharya, Harisena.
Folklore Basis: It is likely that Shivakoti-Acharya based his narrative on a local folk tale.
Name Etymology: The name 'Chanakya' is directly used in this story. The Kannada word 'Chanaaksha' might be a remnant of 'Chanakya,' and the common Kannada word 'Chaalak' (clever) could also be related to this Chanakya.
"Mudrarakshasa" Perspective: The "Mudrarakshasa" focuses only on the later part of Chanakya's life. It's possible that a narrative depicting his early life existed, and Vishakhadatta, in composing "Mudrarakshasa," might have ignored the earlier events and used the later ones as the basis for his drama.
Need for Comparative Study: Jagannath believes that a comparative study of Chanakya's stories in other literature, particularly with the "Mudrarakshasa" tradition, has not been sufficiently undertaken. This Sanskrit translation of the "Vaddaradhana" story is presented as a foundation for such studies.

The Story of Chanakya as Presented in "Vaddaradhana":

The narrative begins in the Magadha kingdom, in the city of Pataliputra, ruled by King Padm, belonging to the Nanda dynasty. The king's minister, Kapin or Vishwasen, becomes involved with Queen Sundari. The minister murders the king by luring him to a garden under the pretense of showing him a hidden treasure and throwing him into a well. A gardener named Vasantak witnesses this and flees in fear.

The minister and the queen enjoy their illicit relationship, while the succession is managed by Mahapadma (presumably the king's son). However, Mahapadma soon discovers the truth and imprisons the minister and his family in a tunnel, providing them with minimal sustenance. The minister suggests that only the most capable among them, who can defeat the enemies of the Nanda dynasty, should live. His son, Subandhu, accepts this challenge, while the others forgo food and water.

After three years, when enemies attack, the king remembers Subandhu. Subandhu is released, honored, and made minister. He skillfully repels the invaders, pleasing the king. Subandhu later marries Nandavati, the daughter of another minister, Shatal.

Meanwhile, in the Agrahar (a special village) named Shalmalin in Magadha, lived a Brahmin couple, Somsharma and Kapila. They had a son named Chanakya, distinguished by having four teeth at birth. A fortuneteller, Vasantak, predicted that this child would destroy the Nanda dynasty and become either a king or a king's minister. Enraged, Chanakya's father broke his teeth, but Chanakya grew up to be a learned and righteous householder (Shravak). He married Yashomati, the younger daughter of Minister Shatal.

One day, a thorn from a darbha grass pricked Chanakya's foot, drawing blood. In anger, he uprooted and burned the darbha grass, declaring he would destroy his enemies. Minister Subandhu witnessed this and, after questioning Chanakya and assessing his intellect, befriended him and secured him a grant of 60 villages as a Brahmin livelihood.

Subandhu then instigated the rightful owners of these 60 villages to request their ancestral rights from the king, with Subandhu's support. The king proposed that if Chanakya were removed, this would be possible. Subandhu went to Chanakya and claimed the king had ordered his expulsion due to his association with a courtesan and disreputable company, and had Chanakya forcibly dragged out by the guards. Enraged, Chanakya vowed to destroy Mahapadma within 12 years and vowed not to wear anything below his waist ('ardharuk') until his vow was fulfilled. He then donned a saffron robe and settled in Mahodakpur.

In Mahodakpur, ruled by King Kumud of the Mayura dynasty, Queen Manda became pregnant and had a craving to drink the moon. Chanakya, learning of this, fulfilled her craving through trickery, with the condition that the unborn child be handed over to him. The king agreed. When the son was born, he was named Chandrabhukta and given to Chanakya. Chanakya began raising him by mixing a small amount of poison in his milk.

When Chandrabhukta turned 16, Chanakya gathered the king's relatives and declared that Chandrabhukta possessed all the signs of becoming an emperor and that he would make him king, increasing their stipends tenfold. He then prepared Chandrabhukta's army and stationed them on the peak of Shriparvata. Chanakya himself went in search of a "gold-producing well" (Suvarnasiddhi). Finding such a well with the help of someone, he obtained the essence. He then tricked people into bringing mounds of earth to Shriparvata, built a fort, established a new city, and marched on Mahapadma with his large army. He was defeated and returned. He continued to attack year after year, being defeated each time. After one such defeat, he sent Chandrabhukta and others away but, unable to escape himself, jumped into a pond to save his life. After the enemy army left, he secretly entered Pataliputra.

He sought refuge with an old woman living with a carpenter. The woman served him hot 'yavagu' (a rice gruel). Chanakya, impatient, thrust his hand into the hot yavagu and burned himself. The old woman remarked, "I have seen three fools in this world." Chanakya asked who they were. She replied: "The first fool is you, because you don't take yavagu from the edge, which is cooler, and thus get burned. The second is King Nanda, who was capable but let his enemy, who had vowed to kill him, live. The third fool is Chanakya himself; what does he have besides anger? He is not a general, nor a Kshatriya, yet he fights against the king. If he had wisdom, he would ruin the king's kingdom, win over his enemies, divide his officials, and use diplomacy to isolate and defeat the king. But he doesn't have the patience for that!"

Chanakya immediately left and returned to Shriparvata, taking his army and laying siege to Pataliputra. He successfully implemented the strategies suggested by the old woman. As a result, the king fled, and Subandhu was captured. Chanakya then made Chandrabhukta the king and installed Mahapadma's queen, Chandramati, as his chief queen. Finding the royal treasury empty, he invited the citizens, entertained them with food and drink, and in their intoxicated state, learned where they had hidden their wealth. He recovered this wealth, refilled the treasury, celebrated the completion of his 12-year vow to destroy the Nanda dynasty, and danced with the people. He maintained his ascetic's guise and called for Yashomati. He appeased the nobles and began ruling the Magadha country.

On one occasion, when Chandramati was riding in a chariot, ten spokes of the chariot fell to the ground. Observing this, Chanakya predicted that the Mayura (Maurya) dynasty would rule for ten generations.

On another occasion, the king was eating his food, which was mixed with poison. The queen, feeling faint, took a morsel from the same dish. She was pregnant at the time. Chanakya, who was present, immediately cut off her head with his sword and extracted the fetus from her womb. Seeing only a speck of poison on the fetus, he named him Bindusagara. However, the king could not bear the manner of his queen's death and immediately took his own life. Chanakya then crowned Bindusagara.

When Bindusagara grew up, Chanakya decided to embrace ascetic life, inspired by detachment. He released Subandhu from prison, appointed him as minister with his original faculties, and forgave him. Chanakya then took initiation from the Jain Acharya named Mativar. He studied the scriptures, performed austerities, and became an Acharya. Traveling everywhere with his disciples, he once stayed in a cow-shed near the Son river flowing near Pataliputra. Subandhu came to meet him, but his old animosity resurfaced. Under the guise of protecting the monks from the cold, Subandhu's men piled dung cakes around the cow-shed and then set them on fire. The cow-shed and the monks, including Chanakya, were engulfed in flames. The monks attained peaceful death through auspicious meditation and attained good destinies. Chanakya Muni attained the Sanatkumara heaven.

Concluding Remarks:

The article concludes by stating that the narrative is very interesting. However, it points out some discrepancies and novelties:

Chandragupta's name is Chandrabhukta.
Chanakya takes a 12-year vow, but its completion takes much longer, yet it is declared completed in 12 years.
Contrary to Digambar beliefs that Chandragupta took initiation in his old age and meditated on the Gommateshwara hill in Karnataka, this story shows Chandrabhukta dying prematurely.

The author believes that scholars will find this narrative engaging due to these unique and potentially inconsistent elements.