This book is a translated version of Chanakya’s Neetishastra, the popular work that provides pointers on how to follow an ideal way of life.

Summary Of The Book

Chanakya is one of the most famous figures in Indian history. He was the architect behind the great Mauryan empire, and the force behind Chandragupta Maurya’s rise to power. There are many legends associated with the life of Chanakya, but the common thread that runs through them all tells the story of an intelligent but vengeful man who repaid an insult by bringing down an established empire and installing another one in its place.

Chanakya was a teacher at the Takshashila University. He was insulted by King Dhana Nanda of the Nanda Dynasty. Chanakya, seeking to avenge the insult, met a young man, Chandragupta. The two teamed up and with help from some loyal friends, brought down the Nanda kingdom through a combination of political and military tactics.

One of Chanakya’s popular works is Neetishastra, a text that contains his views on the principles that govern society and the Indian way of life. It is a work on social laws, and each verse outlines a social tenet.

The book Chanakya Neeti by B.K. Chaturvedi provides a translation of each Sanskrit shloka in the actual book. Many of these principles are still relevant today, and the verses provide a framework of social behavior, laying down the tenets that govern a person’s behaviour in his family, society, and as a citizen of a kingdom (therefore, in modern interpretation, a country). The book also explains the laws of Karma. The book talks about how Dharma is eternal and everlasting, and the vices that one should avoid in order to lead a happy and content life.

About B. K. Chaturvedi

 B.K. Chaturvedi has written many books on prominent personalities in Indian history and on Hindu Gods and saints.

His other books include Garuda Purana, Shankaracharya Mystic Saints of India: Vol 1, and Shrimad Bhagwat Purana.

Chaturvedi is a translator, journalist, and writer. His works are published in English and Hindi, and he has written for radio and television programmes too. He spent his academic years in Bangalore and Allahabad.