The 'Primitive' in the Kautilya's Arthasastra

Ganesh Thite’s essay surveys the numerous ‘primitive’ elements—magic rites, superstitions and folklore—in Kautilya’s *Arthaśāstra*. Although the *Arthaśāstra* is famed as a sophisticated manual on politics and economics, it contains prescriptions for magical practices aimed at procuring success or averting calamities. The author notes that the work lists magico‑religious rites to ensure safe journeys and protection from enemies; for example, after fasting on Puṣya day one should sew barley seeds into the skull of a man killed with a weapon, sprinkle them with sheep’s milk, and wear a garland of barley sprouts to become invisible. Similar rites involve anointing the eyes with powders of owl’s fat or cat’s eye, carrying powders in a camel‑shaped vessel and using bone marrow or semen of various animals to walk hundreds of yojanas without fatigue. The essay also describes rites for making enemies sleep or suffer calamities: burying black magic powders at an enemy’s gate can make everyone in the village fall asleep; offering human flesh in a funeral pyre while reciting mantras can destroy enemies. Kautilya prescribes sorcery to cause epidemics, famine, rats or worms in an enemy’s territory; he even suggests burning a wooden doll to produce the same effect as lightning. To avert disasters like fire, flood and drought, the king is advised to perform worship of fire, rivers and mountains and to make oblations and offerings. Scholars have debated whether these passages are original to Kautilya or later interpolations influenced by Tantric literature. The author notes that primitive beliefs are found throughout Vedic and post‑Vedic literature, so their presence in the *Arthaśāstra* is not surprising. While some think the magic sections are spurious, Thite suggests they reflect the socio‑religious milieu of ancient India, where statecraft co‑existed with ritual and superstition. The essay argues that appreciating these ‘primitive’ elements helps us understand the complex cultural context in which the *Arthaśāstra* was compiled. By surveying the work’s magical recipes and superstitious rites, the author reveals a dimension of Kautilya’s treatise that is often overlooked. The essay invites scholars to consider how political thought in ancient India incorporated ritual practices and beliefs that modern readers may find irrational.

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