Upāya ( Sanskrit: उपाय) is a Sanskrit word that means "approaches" or "ideas", "to come into any state or condition" and "to come near or towards". [1] It also refers to methods of diplomacy found in Hindu and Jain texts. [2] [3] [4]
Avoid War
Kautilya mentioned four Upayas - Sama, Dana or Dama, Danda and Bheda as ways to reach a solution in state politics to avoid conflicts and war situations (Arthashastra 2.10.47). [5] This phrase is also commonly used when you need to find a solution to a problem anyhow.
All of the above four Upayas are generally spoken together in a single colloquial phrase - "Sama Dana Bheda Dandopaya". This is a very common quote that is used all over India as a suggestion to resolve any conflict.
An article on Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses website states that the 20th-century power-politics theoretician Hans J. Morgenthau suggests four similar methods in a struggle for the balance of power: Divide and Rule; Compensation; Armaments; and Alliances. [2]
These four approaches are found in the Hindu Itihasa (epics) and the Dharmasastras, as well as the Jain text Nitivakyamitra. [2]
Upāya ( Sanskrit: उपाय) is a Sanskrit word that means "approaches" or "ideas", "to come into any state or condition" and "to come near or towards". [1] It also refers to methods of diplomacy found in Hindu and Jain texts. [2] [3] [4]
Avoid War
Kautilya mentioned four Upayas - Sama, Dana or Dama, Danda and Bheda as ways to reach a solution in state politics to avoid conflicts and war situations (Arthashastra 2.10.47). [5] This phrase is also commonly used when you need to find a solution to a problem anyhow.
All of the above four Upayas are generally spoken together in a single colloquial phrase - "Sama Dana Bheda Dandopaya". This is a very common quote that is used all over India as a suggestion to resolve any conflict.
An article on Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses website states that the 20th-century power-politics theoretician Hans J. Morgenthau suggests four similar methods in a struggle for the balance of power: Divide and Rule; Compensation; Armaments; and Alliances. [2]
These four approaches are found in the Hindu Itihasa (epics) and the Dharmasastras, as well as the Jain text Nitivakyamitra. [2]