Sutra 17

Devanagari script

यत्र बाह्या बाह्यानुपजपन्ति अभ्यन्तरानभ्यन्तरा वा तत्रैकान्तयोग उपजपितुः सिद्धिर्विशेषवती ॥ कZ_०९.५.१७ ॥

Transliteration

yatra bāhyā bāhyān upajapanti abhyantarān abhyantarā vā tatraikāntayoga upajapituḥ siddhir viśeṣavatī

Translation

Wo Außenstehende Außenstehende aufwiegeln oder Innenstehende Innenstehende aufwiegeln, führt dort eine strikt fokussierte (eingleisige) Operation für den Anstifter zu besonders wirksamem Erfolg.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्ययम् (देश/अवधारणार्थे)

• बाह्याः: outsiders; external persons
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: बाह्य
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (बाह्य-जनाः/बाह्याः)

• बाह्यान्: outsiders (as objects)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: बाह्य
• Form: द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (बाह्य-जनान्)

• उपजपन्ति: they secretly persuade / whisper to / indoctrinate
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√जप्
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• अभ्यन्तरान्: insiders (as objects)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अभ्यन्तर
• Form: द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (अभ्यन्तर-जनान्)

• अभ्यन्तराः: insiders; internal persons
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अभ्यन्तर
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (अभ्यन्तर-जनाः)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम्

• तत्र: there; in that case
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• एकान्तयोगः: exclusive alliance/combination; one-sided alignment
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्तयोग
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे

• उपजपितुः: of the persuader; of the one who secretly influences
• Type: Verbal noun (agent noun)
• Root: उप√जप्
• Form: कर्तृवाचक-तृच्/तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त (उपजपितृ), षष्ठी-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे

• सिद्धिः: success; accomplishment
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, स्त्रीलिङ्गे

• विशेषवती: marked; distinguished; especially effective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशेषवत्
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, स्त्रीलिङ्गे (सिद्धिं विशेषयति)

Entities Mentioned

• bāhya (outsider agents)
• abhyantara (insider agents)
• upajapituḥ (instigator)

More Details

FAQs

What is the strategic point about 'like-to-like' instigation?

Subversion is more effective when the persuader and target share the same social/organizational category (outsider-to-outsider or insider-to-insider), because trust and access are higher.

How does this guide a ruler’s countermeasures?

It implies the state must disrupt same-category influence channels (peer networks) and avoid letting a single uninterrupted line of persuasion continue.