The man who taught the art of living

Chanakya was very intelligent from childhood. He had memorized all the four Vedas in his childhood. He had an immense interest in political science. He went to Taxila, which was the most prestigious university in the world at that time, to alleviate it. While studying there, he had a dream of building a happy, powerful, and prosperous India. Following that dream, his study of political science also went on. Chanakya in the same university after completing his studies became a professor of political science. At that time there was a riot in the Republic of Gandhara. Shaken by the invasion of the invader Porus, the citizens flocked to Taxila in thousands. Tell me Taxila is the capital of education. Who cares for the refugees there? A royal council was called at Taxila to decide how to resolve the issue. In that meeting, a decision was taken to provide shelter to the refugees on the outskirts of Taxila.

Later, the Greek king Alexander of Macedonia repeatedly attacked India. He wanted to conquer India and expand his empire. Chanakya, who was closely watching his invasions and refugee camps, felt that he could no longer sit idly by. He resolved to protect the country by using his political knowledge. But, he is a common man. A Brahmin who teaches in a university is just that. How can he protect the country? However, he had unparalleled intelligence and patriotism. He felt that by using his intelligence, he could make his dreams come true by arming another able king or brave man. So he stepped into Pataliputra in search of such a person.

Two other names associated with Chanakya throughout his life are Brahmadatta and Purushadatta. They are both his disciples. It is said to be important that their role is in the achievement of Guru's goal. It is said that they also worked as a spy for Chanakya, bringing information from the enemy camp.

When Chanakya came to Pataliputra, Mahananda, meaning Dhanananda, was ruling there. As the name suggests, he is more favorable towards money. His ruling is really a misrule. His luxury was everything to him, who was extorting people by taxing even stone and wood. There was no concern about the state. Nor was he worried about Alexander, the Greek king, was lying in wait to launch an attack at any moment. However, Chanakya was clearly aware of the internal and external dangers of the country. So he came to Mahananda vowing to protect the country.

Pataliputra was a wealthy state. Mahananda was a happy but sheltering king for geniuses. So Chanakya was welcomed there. Chanakya, persuading Mahananda by his influence, A committee was formed to establish good governance in Pataliputra and look after the welfare of the citizens. Mahananda made Chanakya himself the head of that committee, whose members were nobles, rich people, and scholars. That committee came to be known as 'Sangha'. And also did a lot of work for the good of the people.

Mahananda's trust in Chanakya gradually began to wane because of Chanakya's blunt nature of speaking directly and not saying parak to the king unnecessarily. One day he called Chanakya to him humiliated him and removed him from the presidency of the 'Sangha'. Chanakya was indignant about Mahananda, who was so inferior to him in knowledge, who treated him as a poor man out of mere desire for power. Then he took another oath there. 'I lost all respect for you when I saw your power. Not only have you removed me from the position of president of the association, who has done no wrong, I will dethrone you!' Chanakya met Chandragupta Maurya when he decided to take revenge on Mahananda and left in anger.

Chandragupta Maurya was the grandson of a king named Sarvarthasiddhi. Sarvarthasiddhi had two wives- Sunandadevi and Muradevi. Sunandadevi had nine sons. He is Navnanda. Muradevi had only one son. He is the father of Chandragupta. Navnanda killed Chandragupta's father and many of his sons. One Chandragupta somehow survived. He had a passion for life. He was currently ruling the state his mind was racing to take revenge on Navnanda. At that time Chanakya was also humiliated by Mahananda. The two disgraced became one. Chanakya made another vow. 'Untying his hair and swearing not to tie it back until he had accomplished his mission of overthrowing the Nanda king and installing Chandragupta Maurya as the new ruler'.

Chanakya taught politics and the art of war to Chandragupta, who was the prince of a small land. Even behind every step of Chandragupta Chanakya's brain was working. At that time Alexander again attacked India. Chanakya is said to have met Alexander once. Later, Alexander Chandragupta was arrested for political intrigues. Then Chanakya was just sitting there to test how skilled Chandragupta was in the political tactics he had taught him. Chandragupta seems to have successfully escaped from Alexander.

Alexander's power gradually declined due to his own failed policies. In the course of time his, that is, the attack of the Greeks also stopped.

If you look at it like that, Chanakya's real enemy was Mahananda. He was engrossed in the strategy of defeating him, but, he was defeated many times by Mahananda. Finally Porus II, with the help of his brother Vairochaka and his son Malaiketu, attacked Mahananda. Mahananda is also mighty. He had a minister named Amatya Rakshasa who was said to be as intelligent as Chanakya. Chanakya knew the weaknesses of his enemies. He decided to create a split in their camp and attack when the time was right. He achieved his goal with that strategy. After the fall of Mahananda, Chandragupta became the king of Pataliputra as per Chanakya's oath. Chanakya is a story of revenge. But it is not a personal vendetta. It is the revenge of the national interest on those who are looting the country, on those who are torturing the people, on those who are not paying the due price. Chanakya did not leave it unanswered.

After deposing Mahananda as he thought, Chanakya decided to do two more things to bring peace to the country. One is to make Amatya Rakshasa the minister of Chandragupta. Another one. What a king should be, how he should protect himself and his kingdom from enemies, maintenance of law and order in the country and how to make people's lives beautiful, how to make the country rich, etc. to write a guidebook that includes all aspects.

That is how Arthashastra and Niti Shastra were born. After making Chandragupta king, Chanakya wrote these two books, i.e. preached them. Many generations later his disciples recorded them in written form. These are the oldest scriptures of India and the world that teach the ethics of life. Arthasastra or Arthasagraha contains everything related to politics. In ethics or Chanakya's ethics, there are things that are applicable to the life of common people.

Chanakya's Arthasastra is in many ways an invaluable body of knowledge that is still relevant today. It is famous both at home and abroad and has many formulas that guide the politicians to rule the state. That work, containing hundreds of facts of all time, is very rare indeed. It describes in detail the army system, taxation measures, measures to be taken in the interest of the citizens, policies to be followed in view of the security of the state, etc. In particular, Chanakya explains the need and importance of espionage in great detail. Chanakya's intelligence and his intelligence astute played a very important role in giving Chandragupta the kingdom.

It is a wonderful thing that a traditional scholar acquired a strong mastery of politics and jurisprudence and applied it practically to build a great empire. Chanakya has demonstrated by his work that an educated scholar also has a great responsibility in the building of a nation, just like a warrior king. With a view to the welfare of all the citizens, he has formulated polity or political science. It is relevant for all times.