# अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/arthashastra

अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) is a Sanskrit word meaning a treatise on practical life and political government, the science of polity and political government, ethics, politics, a treatise on practical life or policy, manual of practical life, the science of polity or moral and political government. Its 9 recorded definitions are grouped into 2 contexts, among them Science of Polity, Governance, and Related Conduct, Manual/Science of Practical Life or General Practical Sciences.

- **Etymology:** E. अर्थ possession, property, and शास्त्र institutes of a science — E. artha possession, property, and śāstra institutes of a science
- **SLP1:** `arTaSAstra`  **IAST:** arthaśāstra  **Devanagari:** अर्थशास्त्र
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthashastra
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/arthashastra/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Science of Polity, Governance, and Related Conduct (7 definitions)
- a treatise on practical life and political government  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 91,1] अर्थ (artha) — शास्त्र (—śāstra) n. a book treating of practical life ( cf. - विद्या (-vidyā) above) and political government ( cf. - चिन्तन (-cintana) above), MBh. &c. [ ID=15984 ]
- A treatise on practical life or policy.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) [Printed book page 027-3 ] अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) artha-śāstra, n. treatise on practical life or policy; -śauca, n. blamelessness in money matters; -śrī, f. abundance of wealth; -saṃsiddhi, f. success of a matter; -saṃgraha, m. accumulation of riches; -saṃc-aya, m. sg. pl. property, wealth; -saṃdeha, m. doubtful or critical case. [ ID=2633 ]
- The science of polity and political government  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अर्थ (artha) शास्त्र (śāstra) (arthaśāstra) [Printed book page 070 ] अर्थ (artha) शास्त्र (śāstra) (arthaśāstra) n. ( - स्त्रं (-straṃ) ) The science of polity or moral and political government. E. अर्थ (artha) possession, property, and शास्त्र (śāstra) institutes of a science. [ ID=3330 ]
- Ethics, politics  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) [Printed book page 054-b ] अर्थ - शास्त्र (artha-śāstra) ( स्त्रं ) ((straṃ)) 1. n. Ethics, politics. [ ID=2784 ]
- 1. The science of polity or government. 2. The science of general conduct in life.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) [Printed book page 065-04 ] अर्थ - शास्त्र (artha-śāstra) n. 1. science of polity or moral and political government, अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) कारास्त्रिविधां सिद्धिमामनन्ति (arthaśāstrakārāstrividhāṃ siddhimāmananti) Mud. iii.; 2. science of general conduct in life. [ ID=3429 ]
- The science of polity or moral and political government.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अर्थ (artha) शास्त्र (śāstra) (arthaśāstra) [Printed book page 058-a ] अर्थ (artha) शास्त्र (śāstra) (arthaśāstra) n. ( - स्त्रं (-straṃ) ) The science of polity or moral and political government. E. अर्थ (artha) possession, property, and शास्त्र (śāstra) institutes of a science. [ ID=3328 ]
- Science of Polity  
  *The Purana Index*
  > अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) [Printed book page 1-110 ] Arthaśāstra — one of the 18 vidyas: 1 Science of Polity pleaded by Indra in extenuation of his destruction of Diti's garbha: 2 No regard for the śāstra during Pṛthu's reign: Budha learned in; 3 to be learnt by a prince. 4 [ Footnote: 1) Br. II. 31. 23; 35. 89; Vā. 58. 23; 61. 79.] [ Footnote: 2) M. 7. 63; 10. 32; Vi. III. 6. 28.] [ Footnote: 3) M. 24. 2.] [ Footnote: 4) M. 144. 23; 220. 2.] [ ID=863 ]

### Manual/Science of Practical Life or General Practical Sciences (2 definitions)
- manual of practical life  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) [Printed book page 042 ] अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) n. manual of practical life. [ ID=2878 ]
- the practical sciences  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > अर्थशास्त्र (arthaśāstra) [Printed book page 091-1 ] *Arthaśāstra (pl. -āṇi ) (“the practical sciences”). § 11 (Parvas): I, 2, 646 (Mahābhārata).—§ 641 (Rājadh.): XII, 71, 2728 ( °paraḥ ).—§ 645 (Āpaddh.): XII, 137, 4911.—§ 647 (Brahmadatta-Pūjanī-s.): XII, 139, 5203.— § 657 (Āpaddh.): XII, 167, 6219.—§ 663 (Mekṣadh.): XII, 201, 7369.—§ 704 (do.): XII, 302, 11206.—§ 742 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 39, 2241. [ ID=837 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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