Vyasanadhikarana Adhyaya 4 Sutra 43 - Arthashastra | Bengali | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 43

Devanagari script

प्रतिरोधकाः प्रमत्तस्यापरहन्ति अल्पाः कुण्ठाः सुखा ज्ञातुं ग्रहीतुं च स्वदेशस्थाः प्रभूता विक्रान्ताश्चाटविकाः प्रकाशयोदिनोऽपहर्तारो हन्तारश्च देशानां राजसधर्माण इति ॥ कZ_०८.४.४३ ॥

Transliteration

pratirodhakāḥ pramattasyāparahanti alpāḥ kuṇṭhāḥ sukhā jñātuṃ grahītuṃ ca svadeśasthāḥ; prabhūtā vikrāntāś cāṭavikāḥ prakāśayodino 'pahartāro hantāraś ca deśānāṃ rājasadharmāṇa iti.

Translation

প্রতিরোধকরা অসতর্ক ব্যক্তিকে লুটে নেয়; তারা সংখ্যায় কম, ক্ষমতায় ভোঁতা/সীমিত, এবং নিজ ভূখণ্ডে থাকায় তাদের চেনা ও ধরা সহজ। কিন্তু আটবিকরা সংখ্যায় বেশি ও সাহসী; তারা প্রকাশ্যে যুদ্ধ করে, গ্রামে-গঞ্জে লুটপাট ও হত্যা করে, এবং ‘রাজার মতো’ আইনহীনতায় (যেন সার্বভৌম শক্তি প্রয়োগ করে) কাজ করে।

Word by Word

प्रतिरोधकाःobstructors; those who block/resist

प्रमत्तस्यof the careless/unguarded (person)

अपहरन्तिthey carry off; they rob

अल्पाःfew; small in number

कुण्ठाःblunt; weak; ineffective

सुखाःeasy (to deal with)

ज्ञातुम्to know; to identify

ग्रहितुम्to seize; to capture

चand

स्वदेशस्थाःsituated in their own country/territory; local

प्रभूताःnumerous; abundant

विक्रान्ताःvaliant; bold; powerful

चाटविकाःforest-dwellers; men of the forest (tribal/raider group)

प्रकाशयोधिनःopen fighters; those who fight in the open

अपहर्तारःrobbers; those who carry off

हन्तारःslayers; killers

चand

देशानाम्of countries/regions

राजसधर्माणःhaving royal ways; behaving like kings; possessing kingly ‘laws/traits’

इतिthus; so (it is said)

Entities Mentioned

pratirodhaka

āṭavika

svadeśa (own territory)

deśa (countryside)

FAQs

What is the key vulnerability that enables pratirodhakas?

Administrative negligence (pramatta) and lax vigilance.

Why are āṭavikas framed as a sovereignty problem?

They plunder and kill while acting with ‘king-like’ authority, challenging the state’s monopoly on coercion in the countryside.