Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 35 Sutra 14 - Arthashastra | Bengali | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 14

Devanagari script

पुराण चोरव्यञ्जनाश्चान्तेवासिनश्चैत्यचतुष्पथशून्यपदोदपाननदीनिपानतीर्थायतनाश्रमारण्यशैलवनगहनेषु स्तेनामित्रप्रवीरपुरुषाणां च प्रवेशनस्थानगमनप्रयोजनान्युपलभेरन् ॥ कZ_०२.३५.१४ ॥

Transliteration

purāṇa coravyañjanāś cāntevāsinaś caityacatuṣpathaśūnyapadodapānanadīnipānatīrthāyatanāśramāraṇyaśailavanagahaneṣu stenāmitrapravīrapuruṣāṇāṃ ca praveśanasthānagamanaprayojanāny upalabheran

Translation

পুরোনো চোর-ছদ্মবেশী গুপ্তচর এবং অন্তেবাসী (বাসিন্দা শিষ্য/সহকারী)রা চৈত্য, চৌরাস্তা, পরিত্যক্ত বসতি, কূপ, নদী, জলপানস্থল, ঘাট/তীর্থ, মন্দির, আশ্রম, অরণ্য, পর্বত ও ঘন বনাঞ্চলে চোর ও শত্রুপক্ষের প্রভীর পুরুষদের (এজেন্টদের) প্রবেশস্থান, চলাচল ও উদ্দেশ্য আবিষ্কার করবে।

Word by Word

पुराणाःold/experienced (persons)

चोरव्यञ्जनाःthose bearing marks/indications of thieves; suspicious thief-like persons

चand

अन्तेवासिनःresident pupils/disciples (boarders)

चand

चैत्यat shrines/holy monuments

चतुष्पथat crossroads

शून्यपदin deserted paths/places

उदपानat wells

नदीat rivers

निपानat watering places

तीर्थat fords/ghats

आयतनat sanctuaries/abodes (institutions)

आश्रमat hermitages

अरण्यin forests

शैलin mountains

वनगहनin dense thickets/forest depths

एषुin these (places)

स्तेनof thieves

अमित्रof enemies

प्रवीरof leaders/champions

पुरुषाणाम्of men/persons

चand

प्रवेशनस्थानplaces of entry/infiltration

गमनmovements/going

प्रयोजनानिpurposes/motives

उपलभेरन्they should ascertain/find out

Entities Mentioned

Former thieves as informants

Āntevāsins (embedded residents/attendants)

Thieves (stena)

Enemy agents/operatives (amitra-pravīra-puruṣa)

Religious sites, crossings, and wilderness nodes

FAQs

Why are shrines, crossroads, wells, and fords singled out for surveillance?

They are predictable congregation and transit nodes—natural intelligence collection points for tracking movement patterns, supply needs, and covert entry routes.