Book 1 (Concerning Discipline), Chapter VII: RESTRAINT OF THE ORGANS OF SENSE

Translated by R. Shamasastry (1915, public domain), 1915. Public domain.

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The Life of a Saintly King.
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HENCE by overthrowing the aggregate of the six enemies, he shall restrain the organs of sense; acquire wisdom by keeping company with the aged; see through his spies; establish safety and security by being ever active; maintain his subjects in the observance of their respective duties by exercising authority; keep up his personal discipline by receiving lessons in the sciences; and endear himself to the people by bringing them in contact with wealth and doing good to them.
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Thus with his organs of sense under his control, he shall keep away from hurting the women and property of others; avoid not only lustfulness, even in dream, but also falsehood, haughtiness, and evil proclivities; and keep away from unrighteous and uneconomical transactions.
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Not violating righteousness and economy, he shall enjoy his desires. He shall never be devoid of happiness. He may enjoy in an equal degree the three pursuits of life, charity, wealth, and desire, which are inter-dependent upon each other. Any one of these three, when enjoyed to an excess, hurts not only the other two, but also itself.
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Kautilya holds that wealth and wealth alone is important, inasmuch as charity and desire depend upon wealth for their realisation.
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Those teachers and ministers who keep him from falling a prey to dangers, and who, by striking the hours of the day as determined by measuring shadows (chhdydndlikdpratodena) warn
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him of his careless proceedings even in secret shall invariably be respected.
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Sovereignty (rdjatva) is possible only with assistance. A single wheel can never move. Hence he shall employ ministers and hear their opinion.

Commentary

Book 1 of Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra, Chapter VII. 8 paragraphs from Shamasastry's 1915 English translation. The Arthaśāstra is a treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy attributed to Kauṭilya (Cāṇakya), advisor to Chandragupta Maurya. Shamasastry's translation, the first into English, was published from his discovery of a 4th-century manuscript at the Government Oriental Library in Mysore. Modern critical editions (Olivelle 2013, Kangle 1965) are more philologically rigorous; we cite them but do not reproduce.