Sutra 22

Devanagari script

शुष्कचर्मवृत्तशर्कराकोशकैर्गोमहिषोष्ट्रयूथैर्वा त्रस्नुभिरकृतहस्त्यश्वं भिन्नमभिन्नः प्रतिनिवृत्तं हन्यात् ॥ कZ_१०.३.२२ ॥

Transliteration

śuṣkacarma-vṛtta-śarkarā-kośakaiḥ gomahiṣoṣṭra-yūthair vā trasnubhiḥ akṛta-hastyaśvaṃ bhinnaṃ abhinnaḥ pratinivṛttaṃ hanyāt

Translation

শুকনো চামড়ার পাত্র, গোল নুড়ি ও কাঁকরভরা থলি ব্যবহার করে, অথবা গরু‑মহিষ‑উটের পাল তাড়িয়ে—এভাবে হাতি‑ঘোড়ায় অপ্রশিক্ষিত বাহিনীকে ভীত করে—অখণ্ড বাহিনীকে উচিত ভেঙে পড়া ও পশ্চাদপসরণরত শত্রুবাহিনীকে আঘাত করা।

Word by Word

शुष्क-चर्म-वृत्त-शर्करा-कोशकैःwith decoy/casing devices such as dry-hide coverings and round pebble/sugar-like casings

गो-महिष-उष्ट्र-यूथैःwith herds of cows, buffaloes, and camels

वाor

त्रस्नुभिःwith frighteners/harassing agents

अकृतnot made/unused; untrained

हस्ति-अश्वम्the elephant-and-horse (force)

भिन्नम्broken/dispersed

अभिन्नः(while) oneself is unbroken/intact

प्रतिनिवृत्तम्turned back/retreating

हन्यात्should strike/kill

Entities Mentioned

cows

buffaloes

camels

enemy troops (untrained)

elephants/horses (as training reference)

FAQs

How do gravel bags and herds function as tactics?

They create noise, dust, and sudden movement that triggers panic—especially in troops not habituated to large animals and cavalry/elephant effects.

What is the command principle about pursuing a retreating enemy?

Strike when the enemy is disordered (bhinna) and you remain cohesive (abhinna); cohesion is treated as the decisive advantage.