Chanakya’s 20 maxims
Shammi Kumar

THERE is no aspect of learning which was left untouched by Chanakya. This is clear from the maxims attributed to him. He discussed a variety of subjects from sex to scholastics, ethics to economics, politics to philosophy, psychology to sociology and even dietetics.

He gave tips to kings for ruling conscientiously and for the public, he provided maxims for leading a happy life full of moral values.

Kautilya was very practical in his outlook. He blended theory with practice. Unlike his predecessors, he desired that the king should have a social outlook and be responsible for material and moral welfare of his subjects. It was with this end in view that he suggested that rigours of caste system should be considerably weakened. Kautilya suggested that there should be an army of Vaishyas and Shudras which could be used in emergencies. Their numerical strength in the country should not be ignored, he opined.

Kautilya had a practical outlook towards the institution of slavery also. While expounding his philosophy on slavery, he was of the view that it should not be hereditary in nature. Aristotle, on the other hand, was of the view that it had to be hereditary and a person who had once been enslaved could never think of shedding those bonds. According to Aristotle, a slave was the possession of his master. Kautilya, however, felt that a slave had his own rights even though he was under the control of his master.

He was a keen observer of the natural phenomenon from which he drew ethical and moral conclusions. He suggested that human beings should learn about 20 good qualities from animals and birds. One good trait each from the lion and the crane, six from the dog, five from the crow, four from the cock and three from the donkey.

According to him, the lion invariably attacks the person who hunts it, hence one should learn from the lion to pre-empt an attack.

A learned man should control his senses and he should accomplish all tasks keeping in mind the importance of time and place. He should be like a crane which while hunting always concentrates on its prey and does not let it slip away.

A donkey has three virtues which should be adopted to make our life righteous. Donkey, because of its perseverance and fortitude, carries loads even when tired. It is also not fussy regarding its food habits. It always trudges on a path with patience.

From a cock, one should acquire four good traits. Firstly, a cock is an early riser. Secondly, it never surrenders while having a fight with another cock. It rather enjoys being attacked. And it shares both its food and responsibilities with its allies.

A crow has five virtues, according to Chanakya. One of the important characteristics of the crow is its secretive behaviour. It undertakes all the activities secretly. During mating season, it mates with its mate in a covert manner. It always guards against the enemy and does not trust its enemy. Its behaviour is calm even when it is mistreated.

The six qualities possessed by a dog should be followed by human beings. By nature, a dog has an enormous capacity to eat but is always satisfied with a little food. It always enjoys deep slumber but at the same time it wakes up instantly. This implies that it has control over hunger and sleep. It is highly devoted to its master and sacrifices its life as and when the situation arises.

According to Chanakya, any person who practises these 20 virtues conquers all enemies and himself remains unconquered.