Arthashastra - The Mandala Theory

Devanagari

राजा आत्मद्रव्यप्रकृतिसम्पन्नो नयस्याधिष्ठानं विजिगीषुः ॥
तस्य समन्ततो मण्डलीभूता भूम्यनन्तरा अरिप्रकृतिः ॥
तथैव भूम्येकान्तरा मित्रप्रकृतिः ॥
द्वादश राजप्रकृतयः षष्टिर्द्रव्यप्रकृतयः संक्षेपेण द्विसप्ततिः ॥
तासां यथास्वं सम्पदः ॥

Transliteration

rājā ātmadravya-prakṛti-sampanno nayasyādhiṣṭhānaṃ vijigīṣuḥ ||
tasya samantato maṇḍalībhūtā bhūmy-anantarā ari-prakṛtiḥ ||
tathaiva bhūmy-ekāntarā mitra-prakṛtiḥ ||
dvādaśa rājaprakṛtayaḥ ṣaṣṭirdravyaprakṛtayaḥ saṃkṣepeṇa dvisaptatiḥ ||
tasāṃ yathāsvaṃ sampadaḥ ||

Translation

6.2.13: The King, who is endowed with personal excellence and the riches of his elements, is the fountain of policy and is called the Vijigishu (The Aspiring Conqueror).

6.2.14: Surrounding him on all sides (the immediate neighbor) is the Ari (The Enemy/Rival).

6.2.15: Beyond the immediate neighbor (the neighbor’s neighbor) is the Mitra (The Ally).

The 72 Elements (6.2.28 - 29): There are twelve kings (in the Mandala) and sixty material elements (the 5 limbs of each king); in brief, the total is seventy-two. Each of these (elements) has its own respective perfections/excellences.

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