Dharmasthiyam, Book 3 of the Arthashastra—attributed to Kautilya (Chanakya), adviser to Chandragupta Maurya (c. 4th century BCE)—is a seminal manual of law and judicature. It codifies civil and criminal procedure, evidence, oaths, punishments, property, contracts and family disputes, and lays out the duties of judges and officials. Themes of impartial justice, procedural safeguards, proportional penalties and state responsibility for social order run through its pages. Combining pragmatic administration with ethical purpose, it shapes law as an instrument of governance rather than mere coercion. Today its insights into legal process, dispute resolution, corruption control and balancing deterrence with restitution remain strikingly relevant for scholars of comparative law, public administration and restorative justice.