Please Accept My Humble Obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada, Sri Guru and Sri Gaura.
To my knowledge Chanakya Pandit is a Mayavadi. (No offense)
So why does Srila Prabhupada mention Him in Commentary?
Y/S
Bhakta DAVID
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Replies
Dear Bh. David,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Chanakya Pandit was expert in Niti Shastra and Artha Shastra (morality and politics), these 2 together constitute Dharma Shastra, which is one of the 14 books of Vedic knowledge. All Vedic knowledge is meant for elevation, so this knowledge has its proper application in certain situations for gradual elevation towards devotional service. It gives ideas of what is proper human culture which is the basis of spiritual life. So Srila Prabhupada quoted it to explain cultural concepts that were practically unknown in the western world.
H. H. Satsvarupa Maharaja has written a nice book "Niti-Sastras: Sayings of Canakya and Hitopadesa As Quoted by Srila Prabhupada", where he explains the significance of different Canakya Pandit's sayings in devotees' life.
Just as Canakya Pandit has said:
matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
“One who considers another’s wife as his mother, another’s possessions as a lump of dirt and treats all other living beings as he would himself, is considered to be learned.”
In the western "culture" many people look with lust and greed to other's wives and possessions and treat others cruelly to achieve their own goals. So for them it will be great progress to follow instructions given by Chanakya Pandit on their path to liberation. And when they are more purified then chanting Hare Krishna and other devotional practices will give much more perceivable result.
Your humble servant,
Madhavi-lata d.d.
Hare Krishna Prabhu PAMHO AGSP I have found this interesting article in response to your Question I hope it helps here is a exerpt and the link:
http://www.bvks.com/2010/04/re-great-personalities-outside-bona-fid...
An insight into how to understand various non-sastric quotations from
acharyas or how to understand the teachings of acharyas in general can
be gained by listening lectures of Guru Maharaja. The most recent
lecture that would help understand on this topic was delivered during
Vyasa Puja celebrations in Sri Rangam. Please refer to second part of
the series – “How to become a disciple”.
I will attempt to answer your query based on what I have understood so far.
> I read or hear Srila Prabhupada extensively quoting Chanakya Pandit and
> sometimes Tulasi das, and Jesus Christ.
> He also appreciates Socratis, Jesus Christ, Tukaram, Mirabai?and many
others
> who are not from bonafide sampradaya.
> But is it only occasionally to teach some particular point or he wants us
to
> learn, study, and?regulaly read?their teachings at length?? Like Chanakya
> niti shastra, Jesus’ Bible, Socratis’?philosophy, Tukaram’s bhajans,?etc.
Srila Prabhupada NEVER BASED his teachings or presentations on
apsampradayic quotes. All the writings and lectures of Srila
Prabhupada are firmly based on Guru, Sadhu & Sastra. If we carefully
observe the specific instances where Srila Prabhupada quoted
personalities from other sampradayas or non-bonafide personalities we
can realize that Srila Prabhupada didn’t have those quotes as the
BASIS or FOUNDATION of his teachings. His teachings were firmly based
on Guru, Sadhu and Sastra and by quoting mundane persons on some
occassions he elevated those quotes from the mundane platform to the
spiritual platform.