Book 5, Yogavrtta, of the Arthashastra — the ancient statecraft treatise attributed to Kautilya (Chanakya) from the Mauryan era (c. 4th–3rd century BCE) — is a handbook on the conduct of courtiers. It prescribes the ethics, duties, speech, appearance, loyalty and training of ministers, secretaries and palace functionaries, blending ritual propriety with ruthless political realism. Key themes include discipline, discretion, faction-management, intelligence, and the fine line between frank counsel and flattery. Written for a centralized court, its incisive advice on leadership, protocol, surveillance and organizational discipline still resonates: a manual for governance, diplomacy and corporate stewardship in any age where power must be wielded with prudence and principle.