Sutra 53

Devanagari script

वनचरव्यञ्जनाश्चैनमन्यतो यान्तमन्यतोऽपदिशेयुः ॥ कZ_०७.१७.५३ ॥

Transliteration

vanacaravyañjanāś cainam anyato yāntam anyato 'padiśeyuḥ

Translation

Und als Waldstreifer verkleidete Agenten sollen, während er in eine Richtung geht, ihn als in eine andere Richtung gehend ausgeben.

Word by Word

• वनचरव्यञ्जनाः: forest-going signallers/indicators (agents who give covert signs)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनचर; व्यञ्जन
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः; समासः = वनचर-व्यञ्जन (वनचराणां व्यञ्जनाः = वनचर-चिह्न/सूचकाः)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• एनम्: him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भे पुरुषः)

• अन्यतः: from another side / elsewhere
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपादान/दिशा-अर्थे ‘from/elsewhere’

• यान्तम्: (him) going
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (गत्यर्थक)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः; द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः; ‘going’ (object-qualifier of एनम्)

• अन्यतः: to/from another side
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः
• Form: अव्ययम्; दिशान्तरार्थे

• अपदिशेयुः: they should indicate/point out (him) as going another way
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + दिश्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; धातुः दिश् ‘to point out/indicate’, उपसर्गः अप-; अर्थः ‘should indicate/should point out (misdirect/denote)’

Entities Mentioned

• decoy agents
• pursuers (implicit)

More Details

FAQs

What is the core tactic described here?

Active misdirection: decoys feed pursuers false directional intelligence while the principal moves along the true route.

How does this relate to intelligence tradecraft?

It is a classic ‘cover and deception’ measure—controlling the adversary’s information inputs to shape their actions.