Vinayaadhikaarika Adhyaya 11 Sutra 17 - Arthashastra | Bengali | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 17

Devanagari script

समेधाशास्तिभिश्चाभिगतानामङ्गविद्यया शिष्यसंज्ञाभिश्च कर्माण्यभिजने अवसितान्यादिशेत् अल्पलाभमग्निदाहं चोरभयं दूष्यवधं तुष्टिदानं विदेशप्रवृत्तिज्ञानमिदमद्य श्वो वा भविष्यति इदं वा राजा करिष्यति इति ॥ कZ_०१.११.१७ ॥

Transliteration

samedhāśāstibhiś cābhigatānām aṅgavidyayā śiṣyasaṃjñābhiś ca karmāṇy abhijane avasitāny ādiśet alpalābham agnidāhaṃ corabhayaṃ dūṣyavadhaṃ tuṣṭidānaṃ videśapravṛttijñānam idam adya śvo vā bhaviṣyati idaṃ vā rājā kariṣyati iti

Translation

গণিতসম্মত প্ররোচনা ও শাসনে প্রশিক্ষিত গুপ্তচরদের দ্বারা এবং ‘শিষ্য’ নামে ছদ্মপরিচয়ধারী অন্যদের দ্বারা তিনি সম্মানিত মহলে পূর্বনির্ধারিত কাজগুলো নির্দেশ দেবেন—অল্প লাভের খবর রটানো, অগ্নিদাহের ঘটনা, চোরের ভয় সৃষ্টি, কোনো দুষিত/বিরোধী ব্যক্তির বধ, তুষ্টিদান, এবং বিদেশি কার্যকলাপের সংবাদ—এই বলে যে ‘এটা আজ বা কাল ঘটবে’ অথবা ‘এটা রাজা করবেন’।

Word by Word

समेधाःthe intelligent/wise persons

शास्तिभिःby punishments/disciplinary measures

चand

अभिगतानाम्of those who have been approached/attained (i.e., brought under influence)

अङ्गविद्ययाby means of auxiliary learning/branches of knowledge

शिष्यसंज्ञाभिःby (using) the designations/cover-identities of ‘students’

चand

कर्माणिacts/operations (measures)

अभिजनेin (his) lineage/family background

अवसितानिascertained/decided upon

आदिशेत्he should prescribe/issue instructions

अल्पलाभम्a small gain (small inducement)

अग्निदाहम्fire-damage/arson (loss by fire)

चोरभयम्fear of thieves/robbery risk

दूष्यवधम्killing/neutralizing a wrongdoer (criminal)

तुष्टिदानम्granting a gratification/appeasement gift

विदेशप्रवृत्तिज्ञानम्knowledge of activities/intentions in foreign lands

इदम्this

अद्यtoday

श्वःtomorrow

वाor

भविष्यतिwill happen/come to be

इदम्this

वाor

राजाthe king

करिष्यतिwill do/undertake

इतिthus (quoting)

Entities Mentioned

undercover agents (śiṣya-cover)

elite/social notables (abhijana)

king (rājā)

foreign polities (videśa)

FAQs

What is the administrative intent behind listing incidents like fire, theft-fear, and gratification?

They are controlled stimuli used to test loyalties, map networks, and steer elite expectations—creating conditions where reactions reveal character and alignments.