बार्हस्पत्यसूत्रम् Barhaspatyasutram

The sage Brhaspati of Vedic antiquity is much known for his wisdom relating to Dandaniti- one of the four ancient branches of Vidyas such as Anviksiki, Trayi, and Värtä. Subsequently, various other branches of ancient knowledge such as Dharmasastra, logic, and various Silpa sastras were also ascribed to him. As the founder of the school of polity, he is the predecessor of Kautilya who in his Arthasästra acknowledges his contribution to Dandaniti or Rajaśästra variously. His work has references in various ancient texts such as Asvaghosa’s, Buddhacharit, Pañcatantra, Kamandaka Nitisara, Yuktikalpataru etc. The present text, which is in Sutra style, itself is the testimony of its antiquity.

The present text of Barhaspatya Sutra, with certain ommissions and interpolations and also transformations is of great value as this aspect of the subject quite differently than Kautilya’s Arthasastra and other works on polity and administration belonging to the Dharmashastric school. Avoiding theoretical problems of polity the sutras of the texts deal the practical problems of the polity and statecraft aiming at the stability and solidarity of a state. Most of the aphorisms of the centre of the text around the king as the head of the state, whose self-cultivation has been emphasized variously leading to self-confidence, good conduct and good company, and administrative vigilance. For such qualitative acquisition, Brhaspati is found here suggesting various ‘Does and Not does. The texts suggests how to avoid various danger to a state both internal as well as external by following six-fold upayas and knitting together the various angas of the state. The fundamental unity of India is the most point of Indian polity and is described for the first time to illustrate this view-point and also the cultural unity, here in this text..

The view of Brhaspati to religious matters is also very practical Pointing the merits of religion and various sects of religion, he seems to be very critical of various religious sects of hypocritical nature. To him they are danger to social solidority. Giving secondary position to religion, he emphasizes that a state should be very caustious in dealing the religious problems. The state should not do anything to interfare religious practices, as such measures may enrage people (janarosa) but at occasions of unavoidable need ignore even religion in the interest of people at large and the solidority of a state.

The present text containing 330 sutras of Brhaspati, is prepared by the careful study of various manuscripts found in the granth lipi. Accompanied with English and Hindi translations, the present work represents relatively correct version of the texts than before. An elaborate introduction to this book illucidates various problems connected with this text.

Prof. Balram Srivastava (born in 1930). a reputed scholar of Indian Art and Culture, was mostly educated in Banaras Hindu University and obtained Ph. D. Degree from the same University in 1964. He started his academic career by joining the Department of Purana in the Sanskrit University, Varanasi and also acted as Founder curator of Sanskrit University Museum, Varanasi from 1959-1964. He joined the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Bana ras Hindu University in 1964. Under the UGC grants he explored various region of Orissa, in search of art-material for his book on the regional idiom of Orissan arts. At the invitation of Nepalese Gover nment, he explored the Vagamati Valley of Kathmandu and discovered a number of sculptural treasures higher to unknown and un-studied. He was invited with a travel grant by the Australian National University Canberra, (1969-70) to give a series of lectures on Early Medieval Art and also participated the 20th International Congress of Orient-alists held in 1977. He was a visiting fellow in the Indian Institute of Advanced study. Shimla for two years, where he worked on the regional idioms of Orissan art. He brought out his research in his ‘Art of Khiching which is widely appreciated for the reason that in this work he has fixed the chronology of Orissan art for the first time.

He joined the Department of History of Art, Banaras Hindu University in 1979, where in 1985 he became Professor of Aesthetics. He contributed in this field of Aesthetics by bringing out a book Nature of Indian Aesthetics’ in which he has attempted to determine the relationship of poetics with visual art, particularly with sculptural art. In 1988-89, he was invited to the Wisconsin University USA to deliver a course of lectures on Indian Aesthetics with special reference to Indian Art. In 1990 he was awarded senior fellowship of ICHR on his project ‘Historiography of Indian Art.’

He has following publication to his credit, besides scores of research papers.

(1) Rupamandana, 1964 3rd Ed., 1996.

(2) Sikandara Ka Akramana and

Paschimottara Bharata, 1956.

(3) Bharatiya Itihasa Ki Rūparekha, 13th ed., 1996.

(4) Trade and Commerce in Ancient India, 1964.

(5) Dakshina Bhärata Ka Itihasa. (1st

work of this nature in any Indian

language), 1968.

(6) Pallava Itihasa Aura Usaki Adhara Samagri. (Hindi translation of historical portions of Pallava

inscriptions), 1969

(7) Rajendra Chola, (National Book Trust), 1972.

(8) Iconography of Shakti, 1978. (9) Dakshina Bharata (Elaborate

Edition of Dakshina Bharata Ka Itihasa.) 3rd ed., 1995.

(10) Nature of Indian Aesthetics, 1984. (11) The Art of Khiching, 1985.

(12) Bärhaspatya Sutram, 1997.