Any Empire that firmly sustains for at least 220-250 years can be called a successful Empire. A protracted and vigorous rule over a geographical spread roughly equivalent to the size of four average states of today’s India was considered to be a powerful Empire. Using this yardstick, we find some royal dynasties in India such as the Mauryas, Guptas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Pratiharas and Vijayanagara. After the demise of the grand Gupta Era, several kings attempted to recreate the same grandeur.

Duśśāsana pulled Draupadī’s garment and taunted her in vulgar language, even as she lamented, looking helplessly at the pale faces of her husbands. Her garment was dropping off her shoulder. Looking at this, Bhīma was greatly pained and told Dharmarāja in a furious tone, “O King! Gamblers never go to the extent of pledging their servants out of compassion for them. The Kauravas, through deception, have won over everything that was in our possession – the treasures that the king of Kāśi had offered to us as a sign of respect, our chariots, our weapons, and the entire kingdom.

(ಕಳೆದ ಸಂಚಿಕೆಯಿಂದ...) ಮಹಾನಟನಿಗೆ ಕಾವ್ಯನೃತ್ಯೋಪಚಾರ- ಆಲಯವಿಶೇಷತೆಯ ನರ್ತನಕ್ಕೊಂದು ಸೇರ್ಪಡೆ ಪ್ರಕೃತ ಲೇಖನದ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಆಶಯವನ್ನು ಪೋಷಿಸುವಂತೆ ಶಿಲ್ಪಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಹಿನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳಗಿಯೂ ಮರೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಒಂದು ಉತ್ಕೃಷ್ಟ ಶಿಲ್ಪಕ್ಕೆ ನೃತ್ಯಕಾವ್ಯವೊಂದನ್ನು ರಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಲೇಖಿಕೆಯದ್ದು.

After Krishnadevaraya’s death, Achyutaraya just managed to run the kingdom. He wasn’t particularly competent. And by the time of Ramaraya, the kingdom had completely declined. In this context, we must recall the Mahābhārata’s Daṇḍanīti (Principles of Governance).