Chanakya or Vishnugupta is one of the defining forces who shaped Indian history. A polymath of many abilities, he was a composer, a linguist and a medical man, apart from being a governor. He wrote several treatises, especially famous among which are the Arthashastra and the Chanakya Niti. All this of course, while he crafted the mauryan empire with his protege Chandra Gupta.
Chanakya writes the Arthashastra under the moniker Kautilya. It was quite common in those days to begin any work with an invocation, which Chanakya faithfully does.
'Having saluted Narayana and Nara, and also Sarasvati, let us cry "Success!"'
Then follows some mandatory comparisons with past poets to help establish his lineage. A few quotations from Chanakya's Arthashastra will serve to make this clear.
'The wonderful stories of the Mahabharata, composed by Krishna Dvaipayana (Vyasa), were recited by the sage Vaisampayana at the great Snake sacrifice held by Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit. The Mahabharata is composed in beautiful language, and it includes all other works. It is explained by all Sastras, and contains the essence of the four Vedas, and is a great source of knowledge in the three worlds.'
After comparing his work to the inimitable Mahabharat, a 100,000-verse masterpiece by Vyasa, Chanakya also speaks a bit about Vyasa's life story, and how he came to compose the Mahabharat.
'The son of Satyavati (Vyasa), after penance and meditation, having classified the four Vedas, com posed this holy history. When he had compiled it, he began to consider how lie could teach it to the people. Then Brahma, knowing the anxiety of the Rishi, appeared in person before him, and asked him to call upon Ganesa to write the poem. Vyasa thought of Ganesa and, as soon as he did so, Ganesa appeared before him. Vyasa requested him to become the writer of the Bharata, which he had composed in his mind.
Ganesa agreed on condition that his pen would not be made to stop even for a moment. Vyasa consented, and Ganesa proceeded to write to the dictation of Vyasa.'
Once these mandatory pieces are done, comes the almost expected paragraph on how this work in quite important and necessary for everyone's education.
'The wisdom of this work, like the stick used for applying collyrium, has opened the eyes of the world. The whole house of the womb of Nature is properly and completely lighted up by the lamp of this history which destroys the darkness of ignorance. From whom has been produced the non-existent and existent-non-existent universe with the principle of reproduction and progression, birth, death, and re-birth. That which is in it is elsewhere. That which does not occur here, occurs nowhere else. This history is known by the name of Jaya. It should be heard by every one desirous of liberation'
