Vinayaadhikaarika Adhyaya 10 Sutra 3 - Arthashastra | German | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 3

Devanagari script

स सत्त्रिभिः शपथपूर्वमेकैकममात्यमुपजापयेत् अधार्मिको अयं राजा साधु धार्मिकमन्यमस्य तत्कुलीनमपरुद्धं कुल्यमेकप्रग्रहं सामन्तमाटविकमौपपादिकं वा प्रतिपादयामः सर्वेषामेतद् रोचते कथं वा तव इति ॥ कZ_०१.१०.०३ ॥

Transliteration

sa sattribhiḥ śapathapūrvam ekaikam amātyam upajāpayet: adhārmiko ayaṃ rājā; sādhu dhārmikam anyam asya tatkulīnam aparuddhaṃ kulyam ekapragrahaṃ sāmantam āṭavikam aupapādikaṃ vā pratipādayāmaḥ; sarveṣām etad rocate—kathaṃ vā tava? iti

Translation

Durch Sattri-Agenten soll er, nachdem zuvor ein Eid abgenommen wurde, jeden Minister einzeln im Geheimen ausforschen: «Dieser König ist unrechtmäßig. Lasst uns einen anderen—einen rechtschaffenen—einsetzen: jemanden aus seiner eigenen Linie, oder einen in Gewahrsam gehaltenen Verwandten, oder einen Seitenverwandten, oder einen Anspruchsteller mit nur einem Pfand, oder einen Grenzvasallen, oder einen Waldhäuptling, oder sogar einen adoptierten/eingeführten Ersatz. Allen gefällt das; wie steht es mit dir?»

Word by Word

सःhe (the king/agent in context)

सत्त्रिभिःby the sattri-agents (instigators/spies)

शपथपूर्वम्with an oath beforehand / after administering an oath

एकैकम्each one (individually)

अमात्यम्a minister/official

उपजापयेत्should induce/instigate (to defect) / should try to win over

अधार्मिकःunrighteous / irreligious

अयम्this

राजाking

साधुwell! / good! / indeed

धार्मिकम्a righteous (one) (i.e., a righteous king)

अन्यम्another

अस्यof this (one)

तत्कुलीनम्one belonging to his family/lineage

अपरुद्धम्detained / kept in confinement

कुल्यम्a kinsman / one of the family

एकप्रग्रहम्under a single control/leader

सामन्तम्a feudatory (neighboring) chief

आटविकम्a forest chief (tribal leader)

औपपादिकम्an installed/put-forward (candidate/claimant)

वाor

प्रतिपादयामःwe set up / we will install (as ruler)

सर्वेषाम्of all

एतत्this (proposal/plan)

रोचतेis pleasing / is acceptable

कथम्how?

वाor

तवof you / to you

इतिthus (saying)

Entities Mentioned

rājā

sattri

amātya

sāmanta

āṭavika

FAQs

Why list many alternative claimants (kinsman, vassal, forest chief, substitute)?

It probes what type of regime-change coalition the minister finds plausible—dynastic, aristocratic, frontier-military, or extra-legal—revealing both ambition and network orientation.

What is the function of the oath (śapatha) in the test?

It increases psychological commitment and candor, while also generating a recordable breach if the target agrees to treasonous propositions.