ON DISCIPLINE
Training to be a king so I can meet my kid
If you are my son/daughter: Family, relatives and acquaintances keep hinting towards marriage, arranged marriage to be specific. They tell me that I’m running out of time. That I won’t have the energy to play with you if I don’t get married in the next 2 years. Their concerns seem valid. And I see how my lackluster responses and disagreeable mannerisms affect them in mysterious, abstract and intangible ways. I tell them that I’m not against marriage. That I need to become something first. But there appears to be a manufactured urgency around this topic. It feels like people are asking for a wedding in the name of marriage. I write this letter so these people can understand that no human, ideology, government or condom — no one but my own delusions — can come in the way our meetup.
If you tell God you want to become the best shooter in the city of Gurgaon, he does not give you a medal, he gives you a smartphone so you can watch Kobe Bryant videos on YouTube.
In order for my prince/princess to arrive in my life, a queen has to arrive first, and for such miraculous divinity to occur, I must become a king.
It only makes sense to borrow the Vedic principles to ensure that I take the right steps to become a king — for the security and welfare of life around me depends on my self-discipline as king.
Discipline can be inborn and acquired. But there must be an innate willingness for self-discipline. No amount of instructions or corporate training programs or YouTube tutorials or mindfulness apps can cause discipline to happen if I’m simply unwilling from within. Learning transmits discipline only when I am willing to exercise my mental abilities — obedience to my teachers, desire and ability to learn, capacity to retain what is learnt, understand what is learnt, reflect on what is learnt, and make inferences by pondering on the knowledge I acquire. I am a disgrace to my mother and mother earth if I fail to exercise my mental abilities. If I were to be king, I must acquire discipline by being a delusionally devoted student of the science of art and the art of science.
The soul aim of all branches of knowledge is to transmit discipline over the senses. Self-control, which forms the basis of knowledge and discipline, is acquired by giving up lust, anger, greed, conceit, arrogance, and recklessness.
Living in accordance with the Vedic principles means avoiding overindulgence in the pleasures of the senses i.e. hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell. A king who has no self-control and gives himself up to his hedonistic pleasures shall soon perish, even if he is the ruler of all 4 corners of the earth.
Only a king who is wise, disciplined and devoted to the welfare of all beings in his kingdom shall enjoy the fruits of mother earth unopposed.
A wise king:
- Has self-control, having conquered the temptation of his senses
- Cultivates the intellect by associating with elders and ancestors
- Keeps his eyes open, is active in promoting the security and welfare of the people
- Improves his discipline by continuing his learning in all branches of knowledge
- Creates a net positive change in society
- Keeps away from another’s wife
- Does not yearn for someone else’s property and possessions
- Practices non-violence towards all living beings
- Avoids engaging with harmful and shady humans
There is no need to deprive myself of all sensual pleasures; it only breeds thoughts rooted in lack. I have been single since I was born and having a lot of amazing {redacted} with {redacted} as long as it does not interfere with my dharma or material wellbeing is totally fine. Many teachers say that the 4 aims of human life (dharma, artha, kama, moksha) are interdependent and they should be pursued equally; excessive importance given to any one interferes with the others.
Kautilya, however, says that artha (economic energy) is the most important, for dharma and kama are both dependent on it. If the king is economically activated, the people of his kingdom will be equally energetic and activated. If the king is lazy in performing his duties, the same laziness will carry over to the people around him and they will eat into his wealth. Lazy kings also have a high chance of falling into enemy hands.
So focus your energy. Guard your time. Train your mind. Train your body. Think for yourself. Curate your friends. Curate your environment. Keep your promises. Stay willing and devoted. Upgrade the world.
Relevance of Kautilya
There would be no reason for me to borrow Kautilya’s precepts if I were not convinced of their applicability in my life. At face value, many of his precepts are irrelevant to us in 2026, therefore, they must be applied judiciously while keeping the core characteristics of his work in mind.
Arthashastra is a treatise about an ideal state — not that such a state ever existed or is even likely to exist now or in the future. To the extent of any of the 6 constituent elements of a state — the ruler, the ministers, the urban and rural population, the economic power and military might — differ from the ideals Kautilya has set out, to the extent his advice needs to modified and customized by its consumer. Since it is a treatise on the art of government, it is, by nature, instructional. It seeks to instruct all kings and is meant to be useful at all times wherever dharma is held to be preeminent.
As far as the nature of human beings remains the same and states behave as they always have, Kautilya’s teachings remain relevant. When it comes to specifics like the Code of Penalties or on Battle Formations, the Arthashastra may only interest history buffs. But when the author discusses the economy, administration, or relations between states, we can learn from his wisdom.