The methods used by kings to achieve their means were called upayas. The chaturupayas were sama, dana, bheda, danda. Equally important were Indrajala, Maya, Upeksha. Together they were called Saptopaya. There are more too.

Sama is considered most useful for making people agree, using words that make the person feel really good. This is primarily used against brothers, friends, sons etc. There are five types of dana – Preetidana, Dravyadana, Swayamgraha, Deya, Pratimoksha. Used against commanders, soldiers and citizens. Bhedopaya is of three types – reducing harmony between people, causing a split among them and making them quarrel. Used against one praised falsely, one who has no lust for women, one who is invited and insulted, a highly taxed person, a traitor, an angry man, one who has a high sense of self worth, one who has been ignored for no fault of his own, one who has been consoled, one whose wife has been kidnapped, one who is worth respect but is not. Danda is of three types – murder, robbing of wealth and injury. There are two others too – praksha and aprakasha, the latter being used to kill someone whose murder might not be approved by the public. Used by kings who also know the other upayas. Other upayas include maya, which is beyond human understanding, upeksha, like what Hidimbi did to Hidimba, and indrajala, which is sorcery, as per Agnipurana Chapter 241.