CHANAKYA-THE FIRST ARCHITECT OF MODERN INDIA

India in it's history of 5000 years has given to the world some of the best personalities ever born.People of any country can never match the charismatic persona that are provided by this land of diversities.One such character was Chanakya.It is almost impossible to believe that his theories found an important place in the following years with no amendments and are relevant even today as their original form.

Chanakya(c.350-283 B.C.) was an adviser and prime minister of the great Mauryan king Chandragupta Maurya(c. 340-293 BC).This was perhaps the toughest couple of power in the history of world.Infact,Chanakya was the main source of rise of power of Chandragupta Maurya.His other names were Vishnugupta and Kautilya as referred in his political saga Arthashastra.Some considered him Pioneer economist,others said him Indian Machiavelli,but truly he was the architect of the first Indian empire.

Chanakya was born with a complete set of teeth(an identification of kings) but due to his cast of Brahmin his teeth were broken,but rule was in his destiny,although he achieved it through Chandragupta Maurya.At a very early age little Chanakya started studying Vedas.He was proficient in religion,politics and economics. Chanakya had his education at a famous school in a city well known in those days as Takshashila (corrupted later into 'Taxila').

The Nanda king disrespected him and threw him out of his court,thus making a feel of revenge in the heart of Chanakya who met later a young Chandragupta and eventually formed a team with him and after some time dethroned the Nandas and made Amatya Rakshasa(a very intelligent minister of Nandas)the Prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya.

The great book 'Artha-shastra' written by Chanakya is world famous. Even European politicians, sociologists and economists study this book with interest. t begins with a narration of how to bring up royal princes and how their education should be. How to choose ambassadors and how to use spies is then explained. How to protect a king against dangers and risks is also dealt with. Law and order, the duties of the police, how to control the wealthy citizens and motivate them to make gifts for charitable purposes, methods of preventing wars, duties of the astrologer, the priest and others, tricks to be employed to eliminate enemy kings, ways of inducing sleep in human beings and animals-these and numerous other subjects are discussed by Chanakya in the treatise. The wide range and variety of the subjects is itself surprising.

Some of the quotes of his Niti shastra are

"A person should not be too honest.
Straight trees are cut first
And Honest people are screwed first."

"Even if a snake is not poisonous,
It should pretend to be venomous."


"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never
share your secrets with anybody. !
It will destroy you."

"There is some self-interest
behind every friendship.
There is no Friendship without
self-interests.This is a bitter truth."

"Before you start some work, always ask
yourself three questions - Why am I doing it,
What the results might be and Will I be
successful. Only when you think deeply
And find satisfactory answers
to these questions, go ahead."

"As soon as the fear approaches
near, attack and destroy it."

"Once you start a working on something,
Don't be afraid of failure and
Don't abandon it.
People who work sincerely are the happiest."


"The fragrance of flowers spreads
Only in the direction of the wind.
But the goodness of a person
spreads in all direction."


"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."


"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years.
For the next five years, scold them.
By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend.
Your grown up children are your best friends."


"Books are as useful to a stupid person
As a mirror is useful to a blind person."


"Education is the best friend.
An educated person is respected everywhere.
Education beats the beauty and the youth."