Sutra 18

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मित्रमरिमित्रं मित्रमित्रमरिमित्रमित्रं चानन्तर्येण भूमीनां प्रसज्यन्ते पुरस्तात्पश्चात्पार्ष्णिग्राह आक्रन्दः पार्ष्णिग्राहासार आक्रन्दासारः ॥ कZ_०६.२.१८ ॥

Transliteration

tasmān mitram arimitraṃ mitramitram arimitramitraṃ cānantaryeṇa bhūmīnāṃ prasajyante purastāt paścāt pārṣṇigrāha ākrandaḥ pārṣṇigrāhāsāra ākrandāsāraḥ

Translation

সেয়ে সংলগ্ন ভূখণ্ডসমূহৰ ক্ৰমত ক্ৰমে মিত্ৰ, শত্রুৰ মিত্ৰ, মিত্ৰৰ মিত্ৰ আৰু শত্রুৰ মিত্ৰৰ মিত্ৰ উদ্ভৱ হয়। আগফালে (পুরস্তাত্) থাকে পাৰ্ষ্ণিগ্ৰাহ (পিছফালৰ পৰা চেপি ধৰা/আক্রমণকাৰী) আৰু পাছফালে (পশ্চাত্) থাকে আক্রন্দ (সঙ্কট-আহ্বান/লুণ্ঠন-ছাপা মাৰা); লগতে পাৰ্ষ্ণিগ্ৰাহাসাৰ আৰু আক্রন্দাসাৰো থাকে।

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore; from that (reason)

मित्रम्ally; friend-king

अरिमित्रम्enemy’s ally

मित्रमित्रम्ally’s ally

अरिमित्रमित्रम्enemy’s ally’s ally

चand

अनन्तर्येणin immediate succession; without interval

भूमीनाम्of the lands/territories

प्रसज्यन्तेare connected/occur (in sequence)

पुरस्तात्in front; to the east/fore

पश्चात्behind; afterwards; to the west/aft

पार्ष्णिग्राहःrear-enemy; the ‘heel-grabber’ king

आक्रन्दःākranda (supporting/attacking ally in the rear context)

पार्ष्णिग्राहासारःsupport/ally of the rear-enemy

आक्रन्दासारःsupport/ally of the ākranda

Entities Mentioned

mitra

arimitra

pārṣṇigrāha

ākranda

āsāra (auxiliaries)

FAQs

What practical tool does this sutra provide?

A template to map not just immediate neighbors but second- and third-order relationships, including rear threats and their backers.

Why emphasize 'front and behind'?

Because expansion creates vulnerability to rear attacks; Kauṭilya institutionalizes the need to secure the rear while acting on the front.