Sutra 13

Devanagari script

तेन मूलहरतादात्विककदर्याभियोगिनां पार्ष्णिग्रहणं व्याख्यातम् ॥ कZ_०७.१३.१३ ॥

Transliteration

tena mūlaharatādātvikakadaryābhiyogināṃ pārṣṇigrahaṇaṃ vyākhyātam

Translation

وبذلك المبدأ يُفسَّر أيضاً منطق التصرّف كعدوّ من الخلف إزاء أصحاب الدعاوى الذين يدمّرون الأصول، والانتهازيين المفترسين، والمستغلّين البخلاء.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that; thereby
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: तद्-शब्दः; तृतीया-एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (करणे)

• मूलहरता: by/through a ‘root-stealer’ (one who steals the very basis/funds)
• Type: Noun (agent noun)
• Root: मूलहर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनम्; करण/साधनभावे

• तादात्विक: immediate; contemporaneous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादात्विक
• Form: विशेषणम्; पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-बहुवचनस्य (अभियोगिनाम्) विशेषणम्

• कदर्य: vile; miserly/base
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कदर्य
• Form: विशेषणम्; पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-बहुवचनस्य (अभियोगिनाम्) विशेषणम्

• अभियोगिनाम्: of the accusers/complainants
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभियोगिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-बहुवचनम्

• पार्ष्णिग्रहणम्: the seizing of the heel (i.e., ‘heel-grabbing’, catching from behind)
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: पार्ष्णिग्रहण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयार्थे न (शुद्ध-तत्पुरुषः)

• व्याख्यातम्: has been explained/expounded
• Type: Verb (past passive participle)
• Root: वि-आ-ख्या
• Form: कृदन्तः (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः; ‘(इदं) व्याख्यातम्’

Entities Mentioned

• mūlaharat
• ādātvika
• kadarya
• pārṣṇigrāha

More Details

FAQs

What does Kautilya do in this sutra?

He generalizes the earlier strategic logic: rear-enemy behavior and alliance choices must account for the character-type of the claimant (whether destructive or exploitative).

How is this useful for statecraft?

It encourages screening partners/adversaries by governance behavior, not only by immediate military position.