Since prudence should always govern choice of policy, Kautilya is against both spineless submission and foolhardy valour. This advice is given twice, in {12.1.1-9} and {7.15.13-20}. Therefore, peace should always be preferred to war: ‘When the degree of progress is the same in pursuing peace and waging war, peace is to be preferred. For, in war, there are many disadvantages, such as loss of troops, expenditure and absence from home’ {7.2.1,2}. The corollary is that staying quiet is preferable to preparing for war.
