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8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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National Seminar on R.Shamasastry: New Dimensions in Indian
History(centenarary year of the discovery of Kautilyas Arthashastra)
November 8-10, 2011
Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology,
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
I am grateful to the organizers of this great Seminar, particularly to
Professor Sitaram Dube, to have invited me to deliver this inaugural
address. As the Organizers wish to appreciate his personality and
contributions to Indological studies including Arthashastra, they have
proposed to discuss the following aspects:
Life and Personality of R. Shamasastry.
Arthashastra-Text and Translation.
Further Studies on the Arhashastra.
His concept of History and Methodology
Jyotish and Eras.
Palaeography and Epigraphy.
Indian Epics.
Classical Sanskrit Literature.
Textual Crtiticism
Centenary of Arthasastras publicationR Shamasastry: Discoverer of Kautilya's ArthasastraBy Prof. AV Narasimha Murthy
The Maharaja of Mysore wanted to celebrate the golden jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen Victoria in 1891and built a little beauty and named it Victoria Jubilee Institute. The building is a rare blend of classicalEuropean, Gothic, Corinthian and Romanesque architectural elements. Subsequently, the walls of thisbuilding were adorned by Hoysala sculptures brought from a destroyed Hoysala temple. There are somebeautiful inscriptions in front of the building which give a heritage ambience to the structure.
The building used to house thousands of rare palm leaf manuscripts and was called Mysore Oriental Libraryand now it is called Oriental Research Institute (ORI) and is a part of Mysore University. Queen Victoria isforgotten but this Research Institute is famous all over the world because it was here the first manuscript ofKautilyas Arthasastra was discovered.
Around 1905 there was a librarian by name Rudrapatnam Shamasastry (1868-1944) who hailed from thecelebrated village Rudrapatna on the banks of Kaveri, famous for Karnatak music. He belonged to theSanketi Brahmin community and by 37 he had mastered Vedas, Vedanga, classical Sanskrit, Prakrit,English, Kannada, German, French and other languages. He had also learnt the various ancient scripts ofIndia.
As the librarian, he daily examinied each manuscript to know its contents. It was not an easy task either.Most of the palm leaf manuscripts were fragile and to handle them was a big problem. This routineexamination continued day-by-day, month-after-month and even after years, without great success. ButShamasastry was hopeful of finding out some new spectacular manuscript which was not known to the
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world. His assistants always taunted him but unmindful of all these, Sastry continued his work with alldevotion and sincerity.
One fine morning in 1905, he picked up a palm leaf manuscript from a heap. He examined this palm leaf andwas pleasantly surprised to know that it was a work on Arthasastra or administration written by an authorcalled Kautilya, Chanakya or Vishnugupta before the dawn of Christian era. Some people thought that itmust have been a hoax; others looked at this with suspicion. But the introduction written by Shamasastry in
1909 giving the details of the author and its authenticity convinced that it was a genuine literary wonder ofthe ancient world.
Fleet (London), Jolly (Germany), Winternitz (Germany), Thomas (London), Pelliot (France), Keith, StenKonow and a host of others congratulated Shamasastry for heralding a new era in Indian administration. RKMukherji, Ashutosh Mukherji, BC, Law, CR Reddy and other Indian scholars paid handsome tribute toShamasastry. Rabindranath Tagore specially expressed his happiness on this occasion. Thus Shamasastryovernight became a celebrity not only in India but all over the world in academic circles. The book wastranslated into French, German and many other languages.
Awards and recognitions followed immediately after its publication in 1909. Washington University (USA)awarded a doctorate; Royal Asiatic Society awarded its Fellowship. He was awarded Campbell gold medal.Calcutta University also gave him a doctorate and invited him to deliver a series of lectures on Arthasastra.Mysore University appointed him Professor of History.
Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV gave the title Arthasastra Visharada; the Government of India made him aMahamahopadhyaya. Varanasi Sanskrit Mandali gave him the title Vidyalankara and Panditaraja. Most ofthe Oriental institutes in and outside the country invited him to visit their institutions and accept their honour.Unmindful of all these encomiums, Sastry continued his research work on many knotty Indological problemsand as Director of Archaeology of Mysore State published many annual reports and discovered manyinscriptions on stone and copper plates.
A rare incident which throws light on his illustrious personality may be recounted here. Krishnaraja WadiyarIV once visited Germany and was invited to address a meeting in a club. The Maharaja was introduced tothe guests as His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore State. After the address by His Highness, a Germangentleman came near the Maharaja and asked, Your Majesty, are you the Maharaja of Mysore where livesDr. Shamasastry, the discoverer of Arthasastra? The Maharaja was pleasantly surprised that Shamasastryof Mysore was well known in the far-off Germany.
He felt proud of this great scholar and after his return he called Sastry and said, In Mysore we are the
Maharaja and you are our subject, but in Germany, you are the master and people recognise us by yourname and fame.
Highly religious and simple in habits, always ready to help the younger scholars, Shamasastry gave self-respect to Indians in the matter of Indian administration. European scholars had always argued that ancientIndians learnt the art of administration from the Greeks with the contact from Alexander. But Shamasastryhas falsified this idea and showed to the world the contributions of Kautilya which even the Mughals andBritish adopted in India. Today we salute Dr. Shamasastry on the centenary of the publication of KautilyasArthasastra.
(The writer is former Head, Department of Ancient History & Archaeology, University of Mysore.)
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The Oriental Research Institute (ORI), set up in 1891 by the then maharaja ofMysore, is a magnificent heritage building, blendingarchitectural styles such as Gothic, Corinthian andRomanesque, and housing nearly 60,000 palm-leaf
manuscripts from antiquity.
What brought fame to the institute, however, wasthe discovery among them ofKautilyasArthashastra some 100 years ago. Amanuscript of the treatise on politics andgovernance, believed to have been written circa 4thcentury BC, was found and identified byRudrapatna Shamashastry, a refined scholar of Sanskrit who was the librarian andlater the curator of the institute.
Shamashastry came across the work in a heap of manuscripts he was goingthrough. This was in 1905. But it was 1909 by the time he transcribed, edited and
published the Sanskrit edition, making the current year the centenary of hislandmark publication. He then painstakingly rendered the work into English,
publishing it to astounding ovation in 1915, by which time excerpts had already madeappearances in journals like Indian Antiquityand Mysore Review, preparing Indologists across theworld for the watershed appearance of the English edition.
All the fame of the work and its discovery, however, do not seem to have inspired enoughenthusiasm for careful preservation. Instead of a safe or a weatherproof glass case, themanuscript is brought out for viewing, after much persuasion, from an unlocked steel cupboard inthe directors office. A wrapping of red cloth, and a spray of preservative citronyl oil, is all theprotection the manuscript gets. Prof Jaganath, an expert in manuscriptology at the ORI, puts it allin perspective. Dont expect an autograph of Chanakya on these palm leaves, he says. This isperhaps only a recopy of a recopy made some 500-600 years ago. It was with a pandit in
Tanjore, who handed it over to the institute not knowing what was written on it. Other suchrecopies were found elsewhere in India, but that was later, after our discovery. He explains thatmanuscript is in Sanskrit, but written out in the Grantha script, not Devanagiri. Since the Tamilscript couldnt accommodate certain sounds from Sanskrit, Grantha was created to allow for therepresentation of those sounds in a script accessible to those who know Tamil.
At Asutosh, the house of Shamashastry in the Chamundipuram locality of Mysore, theres noelectricity supply, but his portrait is illuminated by torchlight and brought down enthusiastically byhis great grandson to be photographed. And the daughter-in-law explains that the house isnamed for the legendary Sir Asutosh Mookerjee of Calcutta University, who encouraged myfather-in-law a great deal and also visited our house when it was built. Family members bring outreprints of Shamashastrys other books and ask, Do you think the university or the governmentwill celebrate the centenary year?
Until it wasidentified from amanuscript byShamashastry,Chanakyas opuswas know only fromreferences.
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The manuscript is presrved using citronyl oil
F.W. Thomas, then the librarian of the India Office Library in London, had this to say about thework at the time of its English publication: I can testify to the great value of the work, whichsheds more light upon the realities of ancient India, especially as concerns administration, law,trade, war and peace, than any text we possess.... Vincent Smith, the author of the History of
Ancient India, in the preface to the second edition of his book, makes this acknowledgement in1913: The description of the Maurya empire and administration...has been revised with specialregard to the discovery and partial publication by Mr R. Shamashastry of the ancient treatise onthe art of government, ascribed to Chanakya or Kautilya, the minister of Chandragupta Maurya.Several such revisions of history writing followed. Indologist J.F. Fleet, who wrote an introductionto the English edition, was generous in his praise of Shamashastry: We are, and shall alwaysremain, under a great obligation to him for a most important addition to our means of studying thegeneral history of ancient India.
The fame ofArthashastra and Shamashastry was so widespread that Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV,the then maharaja of Mysore, had a strange encounter in Germany. At a party, he apparently raninto the vice-chancellor of a German university and introduced himself, whereupon he was askedif he was from the land of Shamashastry. M.S. Srinivas, Shamashastrys son, now in his eighties,says, The maharaja was so overwhelmed that on his return to Mysore, he invited my father andfelicitated him. He also had the large-heartedness to say, In Mysore, Im the king and you are mysubject, but in the rest of the world, Im known only through you. Accolades followed. In August1919, the Oriental University, Washington DC, conferred a honorary doctorate on Shamashastry.Calcutta University followed suit in 1921; the same year, he was admitted to the Royal Asiatic
Society and won the Campbell Memorial gold medal.
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Legend & legacy: Shamashastry's son M.S. Srinivas at the family home
There is also a record of Rabindranath Tagore complimenting Shamashastry. In 1927, MahatmaGandhi met him in Nandi Hills. Prof A.V. Narasimha Murthy, a retired professor of ancient history,paraphrases the conversation, as recorded by Mahadev Desai, the Mahatmas secretary:Shastry told Gandhiji, Sir, in the ancient days, there used to be guides like Patanjali,Hemachandra, Vidyaranya and others. Rulers today dont have such an advantage. You shouldlead the country towards morality. Gandhiji smiled and said, Who will bell the cat? My orientationis slightly different; the minds of our people have to be rectified first.
Asked how the ORI proposes to celebrate the centenary year of the publication ofArthashastra,Devaki says, We should do something and we will certainly do something, but then I am steppingdown as director soon. My successor will make all the plans. But Prof Jaganath says the bestway to commemorate the event is to study properly the several commentaries that have been
written on theArthashastra after the 12th century. The manuscript discovered by Shamashastryalso carried a commentary on a small part by a writer named Bhattasvamin.
The Mysore University, under whose jurisdiction the ORI comes, was given a Rs 100-crore grantin the 2008 Union budget. Perhaps it should set aside a small sum to commemorate thediscovery of this great work. At present, it is only the Kautilya Circle, a roundabout onRadhakrishnan Avenue, that serves as a reminder of Mysores great tryst with classicaldiscovery.
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Of Scholars and Kings
Of Scholars and Kings
Chanakya or Koutilya is credited with authorship of Arthashatra, an authoritative text on
polity and statecraft. Over centuries, smritis or codes on similar subjects quoted Koutilya
profusely, but the original text was long lost.
When R. Shamashastry who was the librarian of Oriental Library in Mysore found a copyof the sanskir text of Arthashatra in a palm-leaf book, edited, and brought out an English
version in 1909, it created waves in the western world. Till then Machiavelli's "Prince"
(15th century ) was considered a master-piece on state-craft. But here was a manual forrunning the state efficiently in all the branches, legislature, executive, and judiciary,
written hundreds of years earlier! Arthashastra also gave importance to military science.
Acquisition of wealth, and its management which we now call in narrow sense ofartha,had prime importance to include polity. Hence the work is called Arthashastra.
According to ancient Indian texts, among four human goals to be
achieved dharma, artha,kama, and moksha, artha is next only to dharma or virtuous
living the other two being desire, and liberation). It only shows that acquiring wealth andits efficient management was most important both for the individual and the state.
Arthashastra in wider sense includes niti (polity),danda (administration) and management
of resources and its constant seeking (anvikshana).
Kautilya was the prime-minister of emperorChandragupta Maurya who was the
grandfather ofAshoka the great. He rules in the fourth century B.C. Arthashatra asconceived by Kautilya thus stands for acquisition of state wealth, its protection besides
overall governance of a region or state. Considering that Mauryan empire included thevast Indian subcontinent including present day Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan,
Kautilya's vision of a welfare state is admirable. Such a vast region could be controlled
by only an efficiently run military force with central system of governance with due
powers to local self-governed agencies, suited contemporary India.
Very soon, Arthashastra was translated into French, German, and other European
languages. It began to be discussed avidly in learned assemblies. An interesting event
happened during the visit of Narasimharaja Wodeyar, the prince of Mysore in Western
Europe. At a party befitting the royal dignitary, several well known scholarsand indologists were invited. When the prince was introduced to a German scholar, he
exclaimed, "You are from Mysore? The great Shamashastry's kingdom?" The royal
member nodded with dignity, unaware of the immense popularity the discoverer ofArthashastra had enjoyed abroad.
http://www.kamat.com/glossary/?whoID=189http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/budhist/asoka.htmhttp://www.kamat.com/glossary/?whoID=189http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/budhist/asoka.htm8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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Upon his return to Mysore, the prince arranged for a public felicitation for
R.Shamasastry, and the great scholar was honored. The price rightly lived up to the
adage:
"Royalty and learning can never be compared. The king is revered only in his country.
The scholar is revered everywhere"
R. ShamasastryFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rudrapatnam Shamasastry (18681944) was a Sanskritscholar and librarian at
the Oriental Research Institute Mysorewho is known for discovering and publishing
the Arthashastra, an ancient Indiantreatiseon statecraft, economic policy
and military strategy.
Contents
[hide]
1 Early life
2 The discovery
3 Awards
4 Recognition in Germany
5 Later life
6 Notes
7 External links
[edit]Early life
Shamasastry was born in 1868 in Rudrapatna, a village on the banks of the Kaveri
riverin Karnataka, to a Sankethi Brahmin family. He "had mastered Vedas,
Vedanga, classical Sanskrit, Prakrit, English, Kannada, German, French and other
languages."[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Research_Institute_Mysorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Research_Institute_Mysorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthashastrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treatisehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treatisehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treatisehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_administrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_strategyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Early_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#The_discoveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Recognition_in_Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Later_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrapatnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrapatnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaveri_riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaveri_riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankethi_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Research_Institute_Mysorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthashastrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treatisehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_administrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_strategyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Early_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#The_discoveryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Recognition_in_Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Later_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrapatnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaveri_riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaveri_riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankethi_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-08/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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[edit]The discovery
The Oriental Research Institute was set up in 1891, as the Mysore Oriental Library. It
housed thousands ofSanskritpalm-leaf manuscripts. Shamasastry, the librarian,
examined these fragile manuscripts daily, to determine their contentsand cataloguethem.[1]
In 1905 he discovered the Arthashastra among a heap of manuscripts. He
transcribed, edited and published the Sanskrit edition in 1909. He proceeded to
translate it into English, publishing it in 1915.[2]
The manuscript was in the Grantha script. Other copies of the Arthashastra were
discovered later in other parts of India.
It was one of the manuscripts in the library that had been handed over by 'a pandit of
the Tanjore district' to the Oriental Library.[3]
Until this discovery, the Arthashastra was known only through references to it in
works byDandin, Bana, Vishnusarma, Mallinathasuri,Megasthenes, etc. This
discovery was "an epoch-making event in the history of the study of ancient
Indian polity".[4]It altered the perception of ancient India and changed the course of
history studies, notably the false belief of European scholars at the time that Indians
learnt the art of administration from the Greeks.[1]
The book was translated into French, German and many other languages.[1]
[edit]Awards
The discovery was hailed over the world by IndologistsandOrientalists such
as Julius Jolly, Moriz Winternitz, F. W. Thomas, Paul Pelliot,A. Berriedale Keith,
Sten Konow and others.[1]J. F. Fleet wrote of Shamasastry: "We are, and shall
always remain, under a great obligation to him for a most important addition to our
means of studying the general history of ancient India."[2]
In India, it was acclaimed by Ashutosh Mukherjee, Rabindranath Tagore, and others.
Shamasastry also met Mahatma Gandhiin 1927 at Nandi Hills.[2]The discovery
brought international fame tothe institute.[5]
Shamasastry was awarded a doctorate in 1919 from the Oriental University
in Washington D.C.and in 1921 from the Calcutta University. He was made a Fellow
of the Royal Asiatic Societyand won the Campbell Memorial gold medal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=2http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm-leaf_manuscriptshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_cataloghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_cataloghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthashastrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grantha_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da%E1%B9%87%E1%B8%8Dinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da%E1%B9%87%E1%B8%8Dinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megastheneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megastheneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=3http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indologistshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalistshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalistshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Jollyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriz_Winternitzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William_Thomas_(philologist)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Pelliothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Pelliothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Berriedale_Keithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=J._F._Fleet&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashutosh_Mukherjeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Research_Institute_Mysorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Research_Institute_Mysorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-hindu-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-hindu-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_D.C.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Asiatic_Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Asiatic_Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm-leaf_manuscriptshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_cataloghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthashastrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grantha_scripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da%E1%B9%87%E1%B8%8Dinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megastheneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indologistshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalistshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Jollyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriz_Winternitzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William_Thomas_(philologist)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Pelliothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Berriedale_Keithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=J._F._Fleet&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashutosh_Mukherjeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Research_Institute_Mysorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-hindu-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_D.C.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Asiatic_Society8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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He was appointed as Professor of History at Mysore University.
Several titles were also conferred on him, includingArthasastra Visharada by the
Maharaja of Mysore, Mahamahopadhyaya by the Government of India,
and Vidyalankara and Panditaraja by the Varanasi Sanskrit Mandali.
[edit]Recognition in Germany
An often-told anecdote involves the visit of the then-king of Mysore, Krishna Raja
Wadiyar IV, to Germany. When introduced as the king of Mysore, he was asked by
the vice-chancellor of a German university whether he was from the Mysore of
Shamasastry. On his return, the king honoured Shamasastry and said "In Mysore we
are the Maharaja and you are our subject, but in Germany, you are the master and
people recognise us by your name and fame."[1][2]
[edit]Later life
Shamasastry continued his research work on Indological problems.[1] He later
became the curator of the institute.[2]As Director of Archaeology of Mysore State, he
discovered many inscriptions on stone and copper plates.[1]
His house 'Asutosh', in the Chamundipuram locality of Mysore, was named after
SirAshutosh Mukherjee. As of 2009, he is survived by his son, M.S. Srinivas, who is
in his eighties.[2]
[edit]Notes
1. ^ abcdefghProf. AV Narasimha Murthy (June 21, 2009),"R Shamasastry: Discoverer of
Kautilya's Arthasastra",The Organiser
2. ^ abcdefSugata Srinivasaraju (27 July 2009),"Year Of The Guru",Outlook India
3. ^ Richard Mattessich (2000), The beginnings of accounting and accounting thought:
accounting practice in the Middle East (8000 B.C. to 2000 B.C.) and accounting thought in India
(300 B.C. and the Middle Ages), Taylor & Francis, p. 146,ISBN9780815334453
4. ^ Ram Sharan Sharma (2009),Aspects of political ideas and institutions in ancient
India (4 ed.), Motilal Banarsidass Publ., p. 4,ISBN9788120808270
5. ^ abA monumental heritage, The Hindu, October 27, 2001.
[edit]
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Raja_Wadiyar_IVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Raja_Wadiyar_IVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Raja_Wadiyar_IVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=5http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organiser-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashutosh_Mukherjeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-outlook-1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=6http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-organiser_0-7http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=296&page=17http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=296&page=17http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=296&page=17http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=296&page=17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-outlook_1-5http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?250522http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?250522http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?250522http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlook_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlook_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-2http://books.google.com/books?id=B4l8JJKfXiYC&pg=PA146&dq=shamasastryhttp://books.google.com/books?id=B4l8JJKfXiYC&pg=PA146&dq=shamasastryhttp://books.google.com/books?id=B4l8JJKfXiYC&pg=PA146&dq=shamasastryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780815334453http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-3http://books.google.com/books?id=9_E3K8fQoDgC&pg=PA4&dq=shamasastryhttp://books.google.com/books?id=9_E3K8fQoDgC&pg=PA4&dq=shamasastryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788120808270http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788120808270http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-hindu_4-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-hindu_4-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-hindu_4-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_ref-hindu_4-1http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/10/27/stories/1327110a.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=7http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=7http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Shamasastry&action=edit§ion=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Raja_Wadiyar_IVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Raja_Wadiyar_IVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Shamasastry#cite_note-organis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BHU Lecture Nov
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S U N D A Y , A P R I L 3 , 2 0 1 1
The Man Who Retrieved Kautilya
The above article on Dr. Rudrapatnam Shamashastry has been written in connection with
the Centenary Celebrations of the
release of the book " Kautilya's Artthashastra" written and published by by Dr.
R.SHAMASHASTRY in 1909 at Mysore
It may be recalled that though the book was written by Kautilya [ also known as Chanakya]
2,400 years back, the book was not known to the
world till 1909 when it was first discovered on palmleaf manuscripts in 1904 in the Oriental
Library, Mysore and subsequently published
by Dr.R. Shamashastry in 1909. The year 2009 is the Centenary Year of its publication.
B.M.N.Murthy, 4th July 2009
Dr. R. Shamashastry of Mysore [1868-1944]
--Discoverer of Kautilyas Arthashastra
Till about the dawn of the 20 the Century there was a misconception in the Western world that
in ancient India everything was moved by otherworldly considerations and that the society was
ignorant of statecraft, social affairs and administration. If there was one turning point work
which removed this misconception, it was the discovery of Kautilyas book Arthashastra in
Sanskrit which, though written 2,400 years earlier, was discovered as late as the 20th century.
The singular credit for discovering this rare and monumental manuscript goes to Dr.
Rudrapatnam Shamashastry of Mysore who not only discovered the manuscript but heralded a
new era in Indian Administration and Statecraft.
Turning the pages of the History of Ancient India pertaining to the 4th Century B. C., we
observe that it was Kautilya, also known as Vishnugupta or as Chanakya, who overthrew the
ruling Nanda Dynasty and placed the great Chandragupta Maurya of the Maurya Dynasty on the
throne of India. Kautilya was a student of the Taxila University [then called Takshashila and
now in Pakistan] which was the very first University to be founded in the world as early as 700
B.C. He later taught in the same University for about four years. It was this Kautilya who wrotethe Arthashastra which is a monumental Treatise on Administration and Civic Affairs. This
work, according to research scholars, must have been written sometime between 321-296 B.C.
It is a comprehensive treatise giving practical guide and advice not only on running
governmental organizations but also a work that deals with subjects like duties of kings,
ministers, local officials, methods of diplomacy etc including ways and means of defeating an
enemy. Coverage of its subjects is encyclopedic and many scholars have wondered how it was
possible for One small head to carry all he knew [to borrow and use Oliver Goldsmiths
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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expression in his poem The Village School Master] Normally such a treatise involves the united
efforts of a syndicate of writers.
Among the several Libraries and Research Institutions in the country which preserve rare palm
leaf manuscripts, the Mysore Oriental Library [now called the Oriental Research Institute] is
one of the most famous libraries in India .In 1891 the then Maharaja of Mysore State wanted to
celebrate the golden jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen Victorias accession to the British throne
in a grand style and for this purpose got up a beautiful Building built with a lovely blend of
classical architectural styles and named it Victoria Jubilee Institute. This is the same building
in which the Oriental Library has been functioning for more than a century .It was here that
the manuscript of Kautilyas Arthashastra was first discovered. This library had a librarian by
name Rudrapatnam Shamashastry during 1905. Shastry hailed from a place known as
Rudrapatnam on the banks of river Kaveri and was born in a Sankethi Brahmin family and in a
community l known for Vedic learning. This is the same place wherefrom several of present
classical Carnatic music vidwans of Karnataka come from. Even at a young age Shastry showed
a remarkable skill in learning the Vedas, the Upanishads and other sacred lore. Before he was
forty, he had mastered most of the Vedas, the Vedangas, Classical Sanskrit, German, French
and a few more foreign languages. In addition, he had learnt how to decipher several oriental
scripts.
Shastry was a devoted and sincere librarian in the Oriental Library who put his heart and soul
to the job. Even though the job of dealing with ancient manuscripts, most of which were in
torn conditions and quite dusty, was difficult, risky and monotonous, he was dedicated to his
job and took pleasure in doing it.. One day, sometime in 1905, he picked up some palm leaf
manuscripts and on detailed observation and examination, he was pleasantly surprised to
discover that it was the work Arthashastra written by Kautilya. Shastry examined the
manuscript very closely, examining it from several angles and was finally convinced that it was
the genuine work of Kautilya. In an introduction to the book written by him in 1909, Shastry
says that he was convinced beyond doubt that it was a genuine work of Kautilya, a literarywonder of the ancient world. It did not take much for the new discovery to get publicized.
Rudrapatnam Shamashastry became a celebrity all over the world. Scholars and academicians
all over the world started congratulating him for having ushered in a new era in Indian
Administration and Statecraft by discovering Kautilyas Arthashastra. Eminent educations and
historians of those days literally vied with each other in inviting Shamashastry to their
Universities, honouring him and getting the benefit of the new discovery. Shastry also met
Mahatma Gandhi in 1927 when he was camping at the Nandi Hills and presented him with a
copy of Arthashastra. Gandhiji was immensely pleased with his rare contribution to Indian
Polity and congratulated him.. Rabindranath Tagore was all praise for the new discovery. The
Washington University awarded a Doctorate to Shastry and the Royal Asiatic Society awarded
its Fellowship to Shastry. The Government of India gave him the title Mahamahopadhyaya, arare and coveted honour in those days for Oriental scholars.
Dr. Asutosh Mukherji, the greatest educationist of India in the 20th century and five times Vice
Chancellor of the Calcutta University, invited Shamashastry to Calcutta in 1919 under the
auspices of the Calcutta University to deliver a series of ten lectures. Shastry delivered these
lectures on subjects connected with Arthashastra under the title
Evolution of Indian Polity. These lectures were subsequently published in Mysore under the
title Kautilyas Arthashastra, with an introduction by the eminent British Historian J.F.Fleet.
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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In his concluding remarks, Fleet says We are, and shall always remain, under a great
obligation to Shamashastry for the most important addition to our means of studying the
general history of ancient India.
His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore once visited Germany for delivering a talk at the invitation
of a German institution. At the meeting he was introduced as His Highness the Maharaja of
Mysore State. After the lecture was over, a German gentleman approached His Highness and
asked him Your Majesty, are you the Maharaja of Mysore where lives Dr. Shamashastry, the
discoverer of Arthashastra? The Maharaja was pleasantly pleased that one of his own subjects
was well-known in far off Germany. On his return, he sent for Dr.Shamashastry and said In
Mysore State we are the Maharaja and you are the subject. But in Germany, you are the Master
and people recognize us by Your name and fame. The Maharaja awarded him with the title
Arthashastra Visharada during the Dasara Celebrations of 1926.
Shastry who passed away in 1944 was an extremely simple man with deep religious habits.
Humility was his hallmark and he was always ready to help youngsters to come up in life.
Western scholars had always argued that ancient India had learnt the art of administration
from the Greeks ever since they came into contact with Greeks with the invasion of Alexander.
But Shamashastry proved them wrong with his discovery of Arthashastra and showed how even
the British had adopted some of the features contained in the Arthashastra for their
administration.
On the occasion of the Centenary Year [2009] of the publication of Kautilyas Arthashastra, let
us salute this great discoverer of the 20th century, Dr. Rudrapatnam Shamashastry!
B.M.N.Murthy
ARTICLE NO. 507 --- Dr. R. Shamashastry,Discoverer of Kautilya's 'ARTHASHSTRA"
Created: Friday, July 3, 2009 7:08 PM
R. Shamashastry the scholar who discovered
Arthashastra
-B.M.N. Murthy
Till about the dawn of the 20th century
there was a misconception in the Western
world that everything in ancient India wasmoved by otherworldly considerations, the
society ignorant of statecraft, social affairs
and administration. The turning point which
removed this misconception, was the
discovery of Kautilyas Arthashastra in
Sanskrit. Though written 2,400 years
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
14/25
earlier, the classic work was discovered as
late as the 20
th
century.
The singular credit for this discovery goes
to Dr Rudrapatnam Shamashastry of
Mysore who not only discovered the
manuscript but heralded a new era in Indian
administration and statecraft.
The history of ancient India pertaining to
the 4
th
century BC, shows that it was
Kautilya, also known as Vishnugupta or
Chanakya, who overthrew the ruling Nandadynasty and annointed Chandragupta Maurya as the King. Kautilya
was a student of the
Taxila University (then called Takshashila and now in Pakistan), the
very first university
to be founded in the world as early as in 700 B.C. He later taught in the
same university
for about four years.
It was this Kautilya who wrote Arthashastra which is a monumental
treatise onadministration and civic affairs. This comprehensive work, must have
been written some
time between 321296 BC.
It is a practical guide not only on running governmental organisations
but also a work
that deals with duties of Kings, Ministers, local officials, methods of
diplomacy etc
including ways and means of defeating an enemy. Encyclopedic in its
coverage many
scholars have wondered how one head could carry such a vastknowledge.
Among the libraries and research institutions in the country which
preserve rare palm leaf
manuscripts, the Mysore Oriental Library (now called the Oriental
Research Institute) is
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
15/25
well-known.In 1891 the then Maharaja of Mysore State wanted to
celebrate the golden jubilee of Her
Majesty the Queen Victorias accession to the British throne in a grand
style and got a
beautiful building built with a blend of classical architectural styles and
named it Victoria
Jubilee Institute. This is the same building in which the Oriental
Library has been
functioning for more than a century. It was here that the manuscript of
Kautilyas
Arthashastra was first discovered.
This library had a librarian named
Rudrapatnam Shamashastry during 1905.
Shastry hailed from a place known as
Rudrapatnam on the banks of River Kaveriand was born in a Sankethi Brahmin family
and in a community known for Vedic
learning.
Even at a young age, Shastry showed a
remarkable skill in learning the Vedas, the
Upanishads and other sacred lore. Before he
was forty, he had mastered most of the
Vedas, the Vedangas, Classical Sanskrit,
German, French and a few more foreignlanguages.
In addition, he had learnt how to decipher
several Oriental scripts. Shastry was a
devoted and sincere librarian in the Oriental
Library. Even though the job of dealing
with ancient manuscripts, most of which in
torn conditions and quite dusty, was difficult, risky and monotonous, he
was dedicated to
his job and took pleasure in his work. One day, sometime in 1905, he
picked up somepalm leaf manuscripts and on keen examination,
was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was Arthashastra of
Kautilya. Examining it
from several angles, Shastry was convinced that it was a genuine work
of Kautilya.
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
16/25
In his introduction to the book written in 1909, Shastry says that he was
convinced
beyond doubt that Kautilyas genuine work was a literary classic of the
ancient world. It
did not take long for the discovery to get publicity. Rudrapatnam
Shamashastry became a
celebrity. Scholars and academicians the world over started
congratulating him for having
ushered in a new era in Indian administration and statecraft by
discovering Kautilyas
masterpiece. Eminent educationists and historians of the day literally
vied with each other
in inviting Shamashastry to their universities, honouring him and
getting the benefit of
the new discovery.Shamashastry met Mahatma Gandhi in 1927 when he was camping at
the Nandi Hills and
presented him with a copy of Arthashastra. Gandhiji was immensely
pleased with his
rare contribution to Indian polity and congratulated him. Rabindranath
Tagore was all praise for the new discovery. The Washington University
awarded a Doctorate to Shastry
and the Royal Asiatic Society its Fellowship. The Government of India
gave him the titleMahamahopadhyaya , a rare and coveted honour to an Oriental
scholar.
Dr Asutosh Mukherji, the renowned educationist of the 20
th
century and five times Vice
Chancellor of the Calcutta University, invited Shamashastry to deliver a
series of ten
lectures in 1919 under the auspices of the Calcutta University. These
lectures under the
title Evolution of Indian Polity, were subsequently published inMysore
under the title, Kautilyas Arthashastra, with an introduction by
British Historian J.F.
Fleet. Fleet says: We are, and shall always remain, under a great
obligation to
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
17/25
Shamashastry for the most importantaddition to our means of studying
the General
History of ancient India.
The Maharaja of Mysore once visited Germany for delivering a talk at
the invitation of a
German institution. After the lecture, a German gentleman approached
His Highness and
asked Your Majesty, are you the Maharaja of Mysore where lives Dr
Shamashastry, the
discoverer of Arthashastra? The Maharaja was pleasantly pleased that
one of his own
subjects was well-known in far off Germany.
On his return, he sent for Dr Shamashastry and said: In Mysore State
we are the
Maharaja and you are the subject. But in Germany, you are the Masterand people
recognise us by Your name and fame. The Maharaja awarded him
with the title,
Arthashastra Visharada during the Dasara celebrations of 1926.
Shamashastry who passed away in 1944 was an extremely simple man
with deep
religious habits. Humility was his hallmark and he was always ready to
help youngsters
to come up in life. Western scholars had always argued that ancientIndia had learnt the
art of administration from the Greeks ever since they came into contact
with Greeks with
the invasion of Alexander. But Shamashastry had proved them all
wrong with his
discovery of Arthashastra and showed how even the British had
adopted some of the
features contained in the treatise for their administration.
The Centenary Year of the publication of Kautilyas Arthashastra was
observed in 2009.Source: Bhavans Journal, December 31, 2009
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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Kautilyas Arthashastra: Centenary year of the publicationBy janamejayan
Nilot Pal Baruah (July 27, 2009)
HERITAGE: ARTHASHASTRA
Year Of The Guru
http://cms.outlooki ndia.com/ images/articles/ outlookindia/ 2009/7/27/ manuscript_ 20090727. jpg
Its hundred years since the discovery of Chanakyas great work from a manuscript
SUGATA SRINIVASARAJU
Against Amnesia
This is the centenary year of the publication of Kautilyas Arthashastra
The manuscript is in a cupboard in the directors office at the Oriental Research Institute,
Mysore
Its pathbreaking discovery, and publication, by Shamashastry altered our view of ancient
Indian history
The institute is still not clear how the centenary should be celebrated
Shamashastrys family fears the event may go unnoticed
The Oriental Research Institute (ORI), set up in 1891 by the then maharaja of Mysore, is a
magnificent heritage building, blending architectural styles such as Gothic, Corinthian and
Romanesque, and housing nearly 60,000 palm-leaf manuscripts from antiquity
What brought fame to the institute, however, was the discovery among them of
KautilyasArthashastra some 100 years ago. A manuscript of the treatise on politics and
governance, believed to have been written circa 4th century BC, was found and identified by
Rudrapatna Shamashastry, a refined scholar of Sanskrit who was the librarian and later the
http://cms.outlookindia.com/images/articles/outlookindia/2009/7/27/manuscript_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/images/articles/outlookindia/2009/7/27/manuscript_20090727.jpg8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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curator of the institute. Until it was identified from a manuscript by Shamashastry,
Chanakyas opus was know only from references.
http://cms.outlooki ndia.com/ Uploads/outlooki ndia/2009/ 200907/20090727/ shamashastry_
20090727. jpgShamashastry came across the work in a heap of manuscripts he was goingthrough. This was in 1905. But it was 1909 by the time he transcribed, edited and published the
Sanskrit edition, making the current year the centenary of his landmark publication. He then
painstakingly rendered the work into English, publishing it to astounding ovation in 1915, by which
time excerpts had already made appearances in journals like Indian Antiquityand Mysore
Review, preparing Indologists across the world for the watershed appearance of the English
edition.
All the fame of the work and its discovery, however, do not seem to have inspired enough
enthusiasm for careful preservation. Instead of a safe or a weatherproof glass case, the
manuscript is brought out for viewing, after much persuasion, from an unlocked steel cupboard in
the directors office. A wrapping of red cloth, and a spray of preservative citronyl oil, is all the
protection the manuscript gets. Prof Jaganath, an expert in manuscriptology at the ORI, puts it all
in perspective. Dont expect an autograph of Chanakya on these palm leaves, he says. This is
perhaps only a recopy of a recopy made some 500-600 years ago. It was with a pandit in
Tanjore, who handed it over to the institute not knowing what was written on it. Other such
recopies were found elsewhere in India, but that was later, after our discovery. He explains that
manuscript is in Sanskrit, but written out in the Grantha script, not Devanagiri. Since the Tamil
script couldnt accommodate certain sounds from Sanskrit, Grantha was created to allow for the
representation of those sounds in a script accessible to those who know Tamil.
At Asutosh, the house of Shamashastry in the Chamundipuram locality of Mysore, theres no
electricity supply, but his portrait is illuminated by torchlight and brought down enthusiastically by
his great grandson to be photographed. And the daughter-in- law explains that the house is
named for the legendary Sir Asutosh Mookerjee of Calcutta University, who encouraged my
father-in-law a great deal and also visited our house when it was built. Family members bring out
reprints of Shamashastrys other books and ask, Do you think the university or the government
will celebrate the centenary year?
http://cms.outlooki ndia.com/ Uploads/outlooki ndia/2009/ 200907/20090727/ oriental_ research_
institute_ 20090727. jpg Nursery: The Oriental Research Institute, Mysore
Their uncertainty is at odds with the magnitude of Shamashastrys discovery and the subsequent
publication of Kautilyas work. Dr H.P. Devaki, director of the ORI, says, The publication
ofArthashastra not only gave a huge fillip to Sanskrit studies, but significantly altered our
http://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/shamashastry_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/shamashastry_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/shamashastry_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/oriental_research_institute_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/oriental_research_institute_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/shamashastry_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/shamashastry_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/oriental_research_institute_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/oriental_research_institute_20090727.jpg8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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understanding of ancient India. A lot of course correction happened in history after this was
published. And since it touched upon subjects like law, politics, economics, trade, governance,
diplomacy, war, weaponry, natural calamities, the vices and virtues of rulers, it also naturally
attracted a lot of general interest. Even the genius and skulduggery of its author Kautilyawho
was also known as Vishnugupta or by the patronymic Chanakyawas in the realm of mythbefore the discovery of the manuscript. It was well-known that Chanakya overthrew the Nanda
dynasty and installed Chandragupta Maurya on the throne circa 321 BC, but scholars knew of
him and his magnum opus only from references in other classical texts by people like Dandi,
Bana, Vishnusarma, Mallinathasuri, or the Greek Megasthenes. Not until Shamashastrys labours
of transcription and translation did it come to light that the original work was in 15 adhikarnas (or
books) and a total of 150 chapters.
http://cms.outlooki ndia.com/ Uploads/outlooki ndia/2009/ 200907/20090727/ manuscript_
preservation_ 20090727. jpg The manuscript is presrved using citronyl oil
F.W. Thomas, then the librarian of the India Office Library in London, had this to say about the
work at the time of its English publication: I can testify to the great value of the work, which
sheds more light upon the realities of ancient India, especially as concerns administration, law,
trade, war and peace, than any text we possess. Vincent Smith, the author of the History of
Ancient India, in the preface to the second edition of his book, makes this acknowledgement in
1913: The description of the Maurya empire and administration. ..has been revised with special
regard to the discovery and partial publication by Mr R. Shamashastry of the ancient treatise on
the art of government, ascribed to Chanakya or Kautilya, the minister of Chandragupta Maurya.
Several such revisions of history writing followed. Indologist J.F. Fleet, who wrote an introduction
to the English edition, was generous in his praise of Shamashastry: We are, and shall always
remain, under a great obligation to him for a most important addition to our means of studying the
general history of ancient India.
The fame ofArthashastra and Shamashastry was so widespread that Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV,
the then maharaja of Mysore, had a strange encounter in Germany. At a party, he apparently ran
into the vice-chancellor of a German university and introduced himself, whereupon he was asked
if he was from the land of Shamashastry. M.S. Srinivas, Shamashastrys son, now in his eighties,
says, The maharaja was so overwhelmed that on his return to Mysore, he invited my father and
felicitated him. He also had the large-heartedness to say, In Mysore, Im the king and you are my
subject, but in the rest of the world, Im known only through you. Accolades followed. In August
1919, the Oriental University, Washington DC, conferred a honorary doctorate on Shamashastry.
Calcutta University followed suit in 1921; the same year, he was admitted to the Royal Asiatic
Society and won the Campbell Memorial gold medal.
http://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/manuscript_preservation_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/manuscript_preservation_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/manuscript_preservation_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/manuscript_preservation_20090727.jpg8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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http://cms.outlooki ndia.com/ Uploads/outlooki ndia/2009/ 200907/20090727/ ms_srinivas_
20090727. jpgLegend & legacy: Shamashastrys son M.S. Srinivas at the family home
There is also a record of Rabindranath Tagore complimenting Shamashastry. In 1927, Mahatma
Gandhi met him in Nandi Hills. Prof A.V. Narasimha Murthy, a retired professor of ancient history,paraphrases the conversation, as recorded by Mahadev Desai, the Mahatmas secretary:
Shastry told Gandhiji, Sir, in the ancient days, there used to be guides like Patanjali,
Hemachandra, Vidyaranya and others. Rulers today dont have such an advantage. You should
lead the country towards morality. Gandhiji smiled and said, Who will bell the cat? My orientation
is slightly different; the minds of our people have to be rectified first.
Asked how the ORI proposes to celebrate the centenary year of the publication ofArthashastra,
Devaki says, We should do something and we will certainly do something, but then I am stepping
down as director soon. My successor will make all the plans. But Prof Jaganath says the best
way to commemorate the event is to study properly the several commentaries that have been
written on theArthashastra after the 12th century. The manuscript discovered by Shamashastry
also carried a commentary on a small part by a writer named Bhattasvamin.
The Mysore University, under whose jurisdiction the ORI comes, was given a Rs 100-crore grant
in the 2008 Union budget. Perhaps it should set aside a small sum to commemorate the
discovery of this great work. At present, it is only the Kautilya Circle, a roundabout on
Radhakrishnan Avenue, that serves as a reminder of Mysores great tryst with classical
discovery.
Centenary ofArthasastras Publication
Click here to go to the
main page of Star OfMysore.
Click here to go to themain page of Sri.
K.B.Ganapathy.Please send your
opinions, feedbacks,articles to shshenoy at
yahoo.com
The Maharaja of Mysore
wanted to celebrate thegolden jubilee of Her
Majesty the QueenVictoria in 1891 and built
http://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/ms_srinivas_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/ms_srinivas_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/ms_srinivas_20090727.jpghttp://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/starofmysore_main.htmhttp://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/column_ganapathy_main.htmhttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/ms_srinivas_20090727.jpghttp://cms.outlookindia.com/Uploads/outlookindia/2009/200907/20090727/ms_srinivas_20090727.jpghttp://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/starofmysore_main.htmhttp://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/column_ganapathy_main.htm8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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a little beauty and named it Victoria Jubilee Institute.
The building is a rare blend of classical European,Gothic, Corinthian and Romanesque architectural
elements. Subsequently, the walls of this buildingwere adorned by Hoysala sculptures brought from a
destroyed Hoysala temple. There are some beautifulinscriptions in front of the building which give a
heritage ambience to the structure.
Subsequently the building used to house thousands
of rare palm leaf manuscripts and was called MysoreOriental Library and now it is called Oriental
Research Institute (ORI) and is a part of MysoreUniversity. Queen Victoria is forgotten but this
Research Institute is famous all over the worldbecause it was here the first manuscript of Kautilyas
Arthasastra was discovered.
Around 1905 there was a librarian by nameRudrapatnam Shamasastry (1868 - 1944) who
hailed from the celebrated village Rudrapatna on the
banks of Kaveri, famous for Karnatak music. Hebelonged to the Sanketi Brahmin community and by
37 he had mastered Veda, vedanga, classicalSanskrit, Prakrit, English, Kannada, German, French
and other languages. He had also learnt the variousancient scripts of India.
As the librarian daily he was examining each
manuscript to know its contents. It was not an easytask either. Most of the palm leaf manuscripts werefragile and to handle them was a big problem. This
routine examination continued day by day, monthafter month and even after years, without great
success. But Shamasastry was hopeful of finding outsome new spectacular manuscript which was not
known to the world. His assistants always tauntedhim but unmindful of all these, Sastry continued his
work with all devotion and sincerity.
One fine morning in 1905, he picked up palm leaf
manuscript from a heap. He examined this palm leaf
and was pleasantly surprised to know that it was awork on Arthasastra or administration written by an
author called Kautilya, Chanakya or Vishnugupta
before the dawn of Christian era. Some peoplethought that it must have been a hoax: others
looked at this with suspicion; but the introductionwritten by Shamasastry in 1909 giving the details of
the author and its authenticity convinced that it was
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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a genuine literary wonder of the ancient world.
Fleet (London), Jolly (Germany), Winternitz(Germany), Thomas (London), Pelliot (France),
Keith, Sten Konow and a host of otherscongratulated Shamasastry for heralding a new era
in Indian administration. R. K. Mukerji, AshutoshMukerji, B. C. Law, C. R. Reddy and other Indian
scholars paid handsome tribute to Shamasastry.Rabindranath Tagore specially expressed his
happiness on this occasion. Thus Shamasastryovernight became a celebrity not only in India but all
over the world in academic circles. The book wastranslated to French, German and many other
languages.
Awards and recognitions followed immediately after
its publication in 1909. Washington University (USA)awarded a doctorate; Royal Asiatic Society awarded
its Fellowship: He was awarded Campbell gold
medal. Calcutta University also gave him a doctorate
and invited him to deliver a series of lectures onArthasastra. Mysore University appointed him
professor of History.
Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV gave the title
Arthasastra Visharada; The Government of Indiamade him a Mahamahopadhyaya. Varanasi Sanskrit
Mandali gave him the title Vidyalankara and
Panditaraja. Most of the Oriental Institutes in andoutside the country invited him to visit theirinstitutions and accept their honour. Unmindful of all
these encomiums, Sastry continued his researchwork on many knotty indological problems and as
Director of Archaeology of Mysore State publishedmany annual Reports and discovered many
inscriptions on stone and copper plates. He also didresearch on Tulu words in a Greek drama.
When Mahatma Gandhi was camping at Nandi Hills in
1927, Shamasastry met Gandhiji and presented a
copy of his Arthasastra. Gandhiji was pleased by this
scholarly work. An interesting conversation tookplace between the two. Sastry told Gandhiji, Sir, in
the ancient days there used to be guides like
Patanjali, Hemachandra, Vidyaranya and others; Buttodays rulers do not have such an advantage. You
should lead the country to wards morality. Gandhijismiled and said who will bell the cat? My orientation
is slightly different; minds of our people have to be
8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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rectified first.
A rare incident which throws light on his illustriouspersonality may be recounted here. Krishnaraja
Wadiyar IV once visited Germany and was invited toaddress a meeting in a club. The Maharaja was
introduced to the guests as His Highness theMaharaja of Mysore State. After the address by His
Highness, a German gentleman came near theMaharaja and asked, Your Majesty. Are you the
Maharaja of Mysore where lives Dr. Shamasastry thediscoverer of Arthasastra? The Maharaja was
pleasantly surprised that Shamasastry of Mysore waswell - known in far off Germany. He felt proud of this
great scholar and on return he called Sastry andsaid, In Mysore we are the Maharaja and you are
our subject; but in Germany, you are the master and
people recognise us by your name and fame.
Highly religious and simple in habits, always ready to
help the younger scholars, Shamasastry gave self -
respect to Indians in the matter of Indianadministration. European scholars had always
argued that ancient Indians learnt the art ofadministration from the Greeks with the contact
from Alexander. But Shamasastry has falsified thisidea and showed to the world the contributions of
Kautilya which even the Mughals and British adoptedin India. Today we salute Dr. Shamasastry on the
centenary of the publication of KautilyasArthasastra.
Prof. A. V. Narasimha Murthy,Former Head,
Department of Ancient History & Archaeology,
The librarian of Mysore06.10.2009 Posted in Aside
Its been a hundred years since Rudrapatna Shamasastry published the English translation
of Kautilyas Arthashastra
The Star of Mysore has an article (linkthanks JK) by A V Narasimha Murthy marking thecentenary of the publication of the very first English translation of theArthasastra:
Around 1905 there was a librarian by name Rudrapatnam Shamasastry (1868-1944) who hailed
from the celebrated village Rudrapatna on the banks of Kaveri, famous for Karnatak music. He
belonged to the Sanketi Brahmin community and by 37 he had mastered veda, vedanga,
classical Sanskrit, Prakrit, English, Kannada, German, French and other languages. He had also
learnt the various ancient scripts of India.
http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2009/06/10/the-librarian-of-mysore/http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/category/aside/http://www.starofmysore.com/searchinfo.asp?search1=3938&search2=specialnewsnewhttp://www.varnam.org/blog/http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2009/06/10/the-librarian-of-mysore/http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/category/aside/http://www.starofmysore.com/searchinfo.asp?search1=3938&search2=specialnewsnewhttp://www.varnam.org/blog/8/4/2019 BHU Lecture Nov
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As the librarian daily he was examining each manuscript to know its contents. It was not an
easy task either. Most of the palm leaf manuscripts were fragile and to handle them was a big
problem. This routine examination continued day by day, month after month and even after
years, without great success. But Shamasastry was hopeful of finding out some new spectacular
manuscript which was not known to the world. His assistants always taunted him but unmindful
of all these, Sastry continued his work with all devotion and sincerity.
One fine morning in 1905, he picked up palm leaf manuscript from a heap. He examined this
palm leaf and was pleasantly surprised to know that it was a work on Arthasastra or
administration written by an author called Kauitlya, Chanakya or Vishnugupta before the dawn
of Christian era. Some people thought that it must have been a hoax: others looked at this with
suspicion; But the introduction written by Shamasastry in 1909 giving the details of the author
and its authenticity convinced that it was a genuine literary wonder of the ancient world.