--Why I am writing this blog
I grew up in a household with a
genuine interest in political Philosophy. Gandhi, Machiavelli, Chanakya, Lenin
all were part of our everyday discourse. On the dining table, every night the
family would critically evaluate current affairs with the philosophies of morality,
personal power, pragmatism and religion.
I however, like most teenagers,
was uninterested and dismissive of everything that parents said. I was
genuinely good in science and mathematics and therefore considered
philosophical discussions to be inferior. For my innocent mind discussions on politics
and personal power were unnecessary wastage of time, discussions which consumed
a lot of mental energy and dint get anything done.
When I entered college suddenly
the nature of reality changed for me. I naively chose a college which was not
suited for my style of thinking. During my teenage years I had grown in
accordance to the strict meritocracy of school. The college was anything but
meritocracy. The students getting highest assessment marks were those with the ability
to charm and flatter their academic advisors or those with links to influence
top management. Many of the professors and academic advisors were backdoor
entrants. They were not only incompetent but also arrogant and close minded. For
me, this world of politicking was not only disappointing but stifling.
But as I got accustomed to this
new arena, the melancholy gradually gave way to social intelligence. I learned
how to pay lip service and show respect to people and ideas I dint believed in.
I learned how to deceive my professors, winning them over with gifts and out of
box favors. I started reading people from
their actions instead of their words. I began searching and reading books that
dealt with the subjects like Human Nature and psychology. It was during one of
these knowledge hunting ventures that I came across Aditi – The girl who would
kindle my interests in Chanakyanism.
One fine morning I was browsing
through the self help section in college library when I accidentally met Aditi –
a final year student who was a huge fan of Chanakya. She was famous in entire
campus for her frequent repetition of four point strategy of "sama,
dana, dand, bhed". She was the president of the student union and a
godfather like figure whom everybody approached with all kinds of problems. She
was infamous for giving a hard time college management and I was attracted
towards her because of that.
After that initial meeting in
the library she gave me her phone number and invited me to attend the Saturday
Afternoon session in her home. Saturday Afternoon sessions were a gathering of
selected scholars and Leaders of the student union. The sessions were not only famous
for philosophical discussions on politics, arts and technology but also for
Aditi’s elaborated lectures on Arthashastra and Nitishastra. It was in these
sessions that I developed a scholarly taste for Chanakyan Teachings and
realpolitik.
***
Over the years I have become
more critical and appreciate of Chanakya. I have not only read and reread
Arthashastra but also consulted several scholars on the subject. I have
explored other similar works like The Prince, Thick Black Theory and The Art of
War. I have systematically analyzed people, their reactions, opinions, and
thoughts through the lens of Chanakyanism. I have experimented with Chanakyan
principles by applying them in office politics, considered their long term
consequences and tried to simplify and add examples as per my knowledge and
experience.
Most of the other works on
Arthashastra and Nitishastra are either a toned down version of original or are
illustration of the treatise chapter by chapter, Shloka by Shloka. I have deliberately
avoided both styles . I have tried to read in between the lines and actively absorb
the essence rather than passively translating the work.
Like Chanakya, I have tried to
remain amoral, objective and dispassionate. Also I have avoided commenting on
world issues and have tried to restrict only to the domain of personal power.
I hope that this blog will help you in better
understanding of Chanakyan principles. I would love to engage in a discussion
with others who follow or study Chanakyanism, so please do leave a comment if
you find this blog.
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