After graduating, Chanakya joined Taxila university as a professor. There was no problem for him in getting accepted as a teacher by the time Chanakya reached the final years of his courses. His academic brilliance had become evident to all the fellow students and the teachers. The teacher had already begun to treat him as their equal. And students didn’t hesitate to seek guidance of Chanakya in the matters of their own studies or researches.
As professor Chanakya very soon earned the respect of other teacher through his clever and erudite knowledge of most of the subjects that were taught. And he could articulate his views and theories on political, social and religious matters. Some of his theories used to the original and novel which impressed everyone and the students admired him. To the students being taught by Chanakya was an honour.
How favourite teacher of students he was is seen by the fact that many of them joined Chanakya to serve him when he migrated to other lands later. Two of them Bhadrabhatt and Purushdutt played important roles in Chanakya’s political strategies.
Gradually Taxila was becoming a hot place. The heat of the possibility of the impending invasion by Greek armies of Alexander was making everyone sweat. Every day threat was increasing. The possibilities were turning into realities as disturbing news kept coming in from the west more loud and clear.
Chanakya was seriously thinking about moving to eastern lands out of the harms’ way. He had many ideas and theories to redem his motherland from arrogant kings, corrupt and ineffective systems and explotiative social orders. Infact, there was no administrative system. The deadly mixture of corruption, nepotism and brazen arrogance was the only system that was ruling the lands of India.
His ideas and theories needed time to be tested at the Taxila. The enemy was knocking at the door. He decided to migrate to far eastern land of Patliputra (todays Patna) which was another magnet for scholars of those days. A travelling historian named Fa Hien had visitied that city in 399 B.C. and sang its praises in his diary.
Patliputra situated on the bank of river Ganga was called by different names in different areas namely Pushpapur, Pushpanagar, Patliputra and today it is Patna. It has ben the centre of trade, commerce and education. In the vicinity of Patliputra exist the excanted ruins of one other famous University named Nalanda which was even better than Taxila in the ancient India.
Chanakya arrived at Patliputra and he decided to start work from the bottom to earn recognition by practically proving his worth. He didn’t flaunt his Taxila degree to land a high position. And he wanted to feel ground realities to see if his theories were in tune with them.
He accepted a small teaching job and took interest in social work. The political situation was not healthy. The city was ruled by a tyrannical king called ‘Dhanananda’ whose main interest was in taxing the people and indulge in debauchery. The subjects were very unhappy.
The only good thing about that king was that he had a very wise prime minister named Amatya Shaktar. Amatya was able to convince the king that only filling up royal coffers would be disastrous in the long run. He suggested that they needed to appear spending money on noble causes and welfare deeds to keep the people on their side. Dhanananda saw wisdom and his own interest in what Amatya was saying. He agreed to do likewise.
The king began to spare money for grants or gifts to scholars and for charity or welfare works. There was no organised way of spending the grants which was brewing dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, Chanakya had settled down and was exhibiting his capabilities and Patliputra to recognise the academic merit of Chanakya.
Chanakya had analysed the situations and conditions of that land . The miserable fate of the citizen he wanted to sat things right. He suggested that the committees were required to oversee the productive utilization of the money granted by the king. The idea was readily accepted. Scholars and the people of influence were to head the committees.
The prominent citizens got together and formed ‘Sangha’ which was a trust run by committee of members. The members had no hesitation in electing Chanakya the president of Sangha. The wise and the honest elements of administration approved the idea of Sangha and put some grants in its way which utilized very intelligently. It was well appreciated.
Some members of the Sangha suggested that Chanakya should meet the king to get more grants. Many of them hoped that the king would recognise that merit of Chanakya and give him greater responsiblities befitting his qualifications. Chanakya too saw no harm in meeting the king. He would welcome if he were offered a greater role in remoulding the kingdom according to the theories he had worked out. Incidentally he come to know that Acharya Shaktar had become the minister in the council of the ministers of Dhanananda. He had been Chanakya’s classfellow and friend at the Taxila University. The information pleased Chanakya. He was sure that now approaching the king and warning him against the foreign invasion would be easy besides presenting his political and economic theories for the consideration.
Chanakya decided to meet his old friend first and let him pave the way for a meeting with the king. He met the minister Shaktar.
Shaktar was pleased to see him. He welcomed Chanakya as an old friend.
Chanakya narrated to him the situation in the west and the reason for the migration to the eastern parts.
“What exactly happened in the eastern region and who this Alexander is?” Shaktar enquired.
Chanakya sighed, “It is the same old story. Our kings fight among themselves and open the doors for the outsiders. This time this alien invader is no ordinary soul. He is the mighty king of Unan (Greece) who has made up his mind to conquer the world. With a might army he has set out on his mission of world conquest. His soldiers have some new famgled armour and weaponary. The army moves in geomatrical formation and employs battle strategies unknown to our kings. He has reached our lands conquering all the king falling in his way to our lands. He has vanquished Misr (Egypt), Pass (Middle East) Shakastan, Kandhar and Bachtria across Hindukush ranges. Then, he knocked at our doors.”
“Did Alexander conquer Taxila?” Shaktar asked with great anxiety and concern.
“Do you remember a student called Ambi when we were there.”
“I can’t recall,” Shaktar tried to remember without success.
“Thereby hangs a story,” Chanakya revealed and recounted the Ambi conncection.
