It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment's grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one's life.

By this time the King learnt the full story: Chanakya was not directly responsible for his mother's death which was an accident. Chanakya meanwhile stayed in the court as an advisor to Bindusara. Kautilya is presumably the name of the author's gotra (clan).

He is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire which was the first empire in archaeologically recorded history to rule most of the Indian subcontinent. As such he is considered as the pioneer of the field of economics and political science in India and his work is thought of as an important precursor to Classical Economics. Chanakya served as the chief advisor to both Chandragupta and his son Bindusara.