A deep dive into ‘Chanakya neeti’

This novel depicts the achievements of the charismatic Indian scholar Chanakya well known for his statesmanship and strategies of war. He is credited with being the brains behind the establishment of the Maurya Dynasty in Patalipura in 322 BCE. One must admit that Gopalakrishna Bhat has chosen a challenging work for translation and has been able to do justice to it. The story begins with the arrival of Chanakya on the scene. On the way to his destination, he meets Chandragupta, who is taking shelter in an ordinary camp.

Chandragupta was the son of Maurya who had nine cousins called Nandas. He had equal claim to the throne as the Nandas; so they tried to kill him and usurp the entire kingdom. Chanakya decided to help him.

Unexpectedly, on the same day, the Nandas visited the camp where Chandragupta was staying and it is not difficult to imagine what occurred next.

While they were there, Chanakya deliberately entered the camp and nonchalantly sat on a throne without caring for the Nandas. Then the guards of the Nandas pushed him out forcefully. Chanakya staggered and fell, and his tuft came undone. He was simmering with anger and took a fierce oath that he would bind his tuft only after exterminating the Nandas. Chanakya’s stratagem was based on the principle ‘The enemy’s enemy is a friend’. The rest of the tale is about how Chanakya made good his oath and ultimately installed Chandragupta as the emperor. 

This is not an easy novel to translate, especially since the original is written in a poetic style. However, the translator needs to be applauded for producing a work that is almost a mirror image of the original.

A special mention to the cleverly translated adages and the detailed descriptions of certain scenes such as the arrival of Chanakya, the palace intrigues and others.