Vedic Spies and Intelligence Gathering Techniques

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State Polity and Intelligence

By Dr. Shastra Dutta pant

Email ; shastra

 

 

Man‚ by nature‚ is a wicked animal. Had man truly adhered to dharma‚

ethics‚ there would have been no need of the police‚ the army‚ the

judiciary and administration. In other words‚ there would have been

no need of the state polity. Not only is man wicked to mankind‚ he

has proved to be destructive also. Had there been no existence of

man‚ the earth's eco-system would remain in a balanced form. The

beautiful earth would continue to remain beautiful with greenery.

 

Since the very genesis of the earth‚ many civilizations came and went

on the world stage. We have inherited the remnants of the past

civilizations and are living in the present age of civilization. Our

Vedas and Purans‚ Ramayan and Mahabharat are teeming with examples of

both divine and demonic characters.

 

Though there is difference between these two characters‚ the exits of

the two make the same result‚ that is‚ conflict and war. In war‚

every effort is made to wreak havoc against the enemy and safeguard

oneself from suffering heavy damages. This kind of rivalry exists in

a pluralistic polity but in a subdued form‚ while terrorism is an

extremist expression of it.

 

Those who would like to get involved in conflict and wage war‚ it is

urgently necessary to get the hang of the next party's weaknesses‚

understand their strategies and to create chasms and contradictions

between them. One who finds out the conspiracies woven by the

opposition side is called "char" or spy. Espionage or spying is an

art‚ a very old art. In the oriental political system‚ studies on the

art of char have been in practice since a long time. In Panchatantra

also‚ attempts have been to impart knowledge about this through

animals and birds. Kautilya‚ in his Economics‚ has stated several

types of espionage which are as follows:

 

Kapatik

Udasthit

Grihapatik

Vaideshak

Taapas

 

1.Kapatik:

 

This espionage belongs to the first category and is primarily

psychoanalytical. Such spies possess the ability to get into the

minds of others and understand their feelings. They often change

their dresses depending on situation. They pretend to be students or

teachers by taking up such professions. These spies may enjoy the

privilege of directly informing the central minister or the king.

They analyze potential harms and threats to the state or the

institution of monarchy and supply secret information. Aghori Baba

was this type of spy during the rule of late king Mahendra of Nepal.

 

2.Udasthit

 

The spies belonging to this category are Sanyasis and beggars. They

wander about every house under the pretext of asking for alms. They

are intelligent and well-educated. They stay in ashrams‚ maths or

temples outside the village. They especially work among the farmers

and try to command their loyalty. Others disguised as sadhus or

saints also come to meet them. They provide the holy men with food‚

clothes and money for medical treatment. Then they take back the

information to the concerned officers of the central level.

 

3.Grihapatik

 

Spies of this category may be farmers or house owners or those who

have already set up their houses. As these people have taken up

espionage as a profession‚ they spend most of their time in

understanding the wrongs and rights in the villages. They participate

in assemblies‚ seminars‚ users' groups‚ pubs or any forum they may

come across. They want to give the impression that the state is doing

well for the farmers and the people involved in other professions and

inform the concerned body of those who oppose state policies.

 

4.Vaideshak

 

These spies are involved in trade and industry and in this capacity‚

they carry out their activities in the business community. On the one

hand‚ they study adulteration‚ blackmarketeering and hoarding of

essential commodities‚ while on the other‚ they take special

initiatives to make the businessmen act as wanted by the state. For

example‚ they may issue press releases and statements stating that

taxation policies and budget statements are good.

 

5.Taapas

 

The spies belonging to this category exhibit abnormal or unruly

behavior. They shave their heads‚ put on ear-rings and wear long‚

matted hair. They demonstrate such a behavior that is normally not

accepted by society. They sometimes go without food‚ sometimes sit

for penance and sometimes take unusual foods‚ thereby drawing the

attention and winning the hearts of the people.

 

Thus they try to extract information. They often give good presents

and conduct special pooja (worshipping). They call themselves

Siddhababa (Enlightened)‚ ascetics or ones who can make predictions

by reading hands and faces. They also frequently collect donations or

alms by fist for some noble work in cities. They win the hearts of

people through predictions about their profits and losses‚ penalty‚

fire and fear of thieves and things that are destined to happen. Thus

they try to know the reality and supply the information they receive

to the concerned authority or persons.

 

All these five spies have a status of their own and do not share

information among themselves at all. Possibly one spy may always be

spying on another. These are separate institutions. Besides‚ Chanakya

[Kautilya] also considers the following four types of spies as useful:

 

Satri

Tikshna

Rasad

Bhikshuk

 

6.Satri

 

The spies of this category are proficient in palmistry and hypnotism.

They carry out their activities by using the art of hypnotism.

 

7.Tikshna

 

Those who have exceptional physical strength‚ special players‚

wrestlers‚ judo fighters‚ karantist‚ mountaineers‚ adventurers and

those who do not fear even to fight with violent animals are

appointed as spies by providing additional knowledge on espionage.

Such spies are often used in places where dangerous works are to be

carried even at the risk of life.

 

8.Rasad

 

These spies are chosen from among those who are very cruel‚ unsocial‚

lethargic and even may go to the extent of doing anything to their

own family or relatives. If need be‚ they may also go to the extent

of poisoning their family members or kith and kin to death.

 

9.Bhikshuk

 

The spies fitting into this category are especially widows‚ the women

who have been left neglected or dancers. They with some pretext go

into houses and gather information.

 

The last four types of spies in question spy on those who run the

country by appointing them. Such spies particularly spy for the crown

prince‚ ministers‚ royal priests‚ army chief‚ heads and members of

constitutional bodies‚ departmental chiefs‚ zonal chiefs‚ district

judges‚ border guards and those who have been entrusted with the

responsibility of putting brakes on corruption.

 

They are concerned only with high-ranking officials. They get mingled

with the grassroots people to confirm the facts available. They are

even sent to the houses of senior officials to work as cooks or

servants and hence the name "Rasad." They even work as baby-sitters‚

massagers‚ house cleaners‚ house maids‚ singers‚ dancers‚ and

sometimes as fallen women‚ and find out the Achilles' heels of those

whom they are spying. After 1950 (2007 BS)‚ many foreign people had

entered the Nepal Royal Palace as teachers. Several of them have

already retired after holding high offices‚ but are yet to give a

kick to espionage.

 

Such spies often take their stipend from the both sides. Families of

such spies are taken care of by the same king or ministers who ask

them to do so.

 

10.Special Spy

 

Good rulers often appoint other spies also to keep a close tab on

these spies. Such special spies are recruited to know whether the

spies appointed are doing their work properly as instructed in an

enemy state‚ whether they are safe or not or whether they have teamed

up with the enemy and are making money from both sides or whether

they are betraying the nation.

 

The post of spy becomes instrumental in operating the state machinery

properly. The absence of right implementation of the espionage system

will spell disaster for all sectors. The country becomes unsafe.

Malgovernance will take a precedence. Immorality and

characterlessness will rule the roost. Corruption becomes all-

pervasive. Injustice becomes rampant.

 

Spies are always needed to test loyalty to the nation of civil

servants‚ the army and the police‚ high-ranking officials and those

serving the constitutional bodies. They should be kept satisfied with

both money and respect.

 

Providing pre-information on time about the potential conspiracy

against the nation‚ the institution of monarchy and government

constitutes the main duty of spies so that the state system can

function effectively and properly. The nation must be able to acquire

information about the loyalty of civil servants and those with a

streak of rebellious nature. In order to maintain the purity of the

civil servants‚ other techniques or methods also can be employed.

Kautilya has prescribed the four methods for this which are as

follows:

 

Dharmopagha

Arthopagha

Kamopagha

Bhayopagha

 

Dharmopagha: Relationships should be further improved with the amatya

(equivalent to the post of minister in former times) or

constitutional official who is to be examined. If he is found guilty

of committing blunders or crimes‚ the king or government‚ many say‚

should relieve him of the post he is holding. But there are other

views also.

 

A negative agenda enticing him may be presented. If he denies the

accusations vehemently and resorts to scolding‚ he should be

considered as just or else wrong. Similarly‚ the army chief‚

ministers‚ constitutional personalities‚ departmental heads also

should be subjected to scrutiny. Such examination is often carried

out keeping in mind the principles of religion.

 

Arthopagha: As in Dharmopagha‚ officials are baited with wealth.

Their fascination with it will indicate that they are not civil

servants and therefore deserve to be given walking papers. If

otherwise is the case‚ he should be considered as right person.

 

Kamopagha: Under this‚ a beautiful woman full of sexual urge is

chosen. If the person subjected to examination becomes sexually

excited or motivated towards her‚ he is considered unfit.

 

Bhayopagha: This is the fourth technique employed to know the

inclination of man. If some official sticks to his work without being

deviated whatsoever despite the warnings that his and his family's

life is in danger in case he could not do the work‚ he should be

considered as a good official. But if the opposite happens to be the

case‚ he should be regarded as unfit.

 

Which officials should be transferred and where and who should be

demoted or promoted may be done on the basis of the reports of the

spies. According to Kautilya‚ those who pass through the test of

Dharmopagha should be appointed in judicial service and those who

emerge clean through Arthopagha should be appointed under the finance

ministry. Similarly‚ those passing through the test of Kamopagha

should be installed in posts that have to maintain public relations

like social organizations‚ city offices or vihars and those who get

through the test of Bhayopagha should be appointed as faithfuls by

the king.

 

Those who can bring correct reports‚ understand right things and make

others understand properly should be appointed to the post of amatya

or minister. Only such persons should be given priority in elections.

Only this will ensure good polity in the country with no injustice‚

corruption‚ oppression‚ characterlessness and favoritism. The nation

will move towards progress and prosperity on a greater scale. The

people will then become prosperous.

 

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Dr. Shastra Dutta pant

Email ; shastra

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