Sutra 9

Devanagari script

ताभिर्धर्मार्थौ यद्विद्यात्तद्विद्यानां विद्यात्वम् ॥ कZ_०१.२.०९ ॥

Transliteration

tābhir dharmārthau yad vidyāt tad vidyānāṃ vidyātvaṃ

Translation

Das, was mittels dieser (Wissenschaften) das Verständnis von dharma und artha ermöglicht — das ist es, was die eigentliche „Wissenschaftlichkeit“ (den wahren Status) der Wissenschaften ausmacht.

Word by Word

ताभिःby/with those (i.e., by those sciences)

धर्मार्थौdharma and artha

यत्whatever (that which)

विद्यात्should know / may know

तत्that

विद्यानाम्of the sciences/branches of knowledge

विद्यात्वम्the state/character of being a science; ‘science-hood’

FAQs

What is the strategic objective (Artha) of this verse?

To define knowledge as instrumentally valuable to governance: a discipline counts as a true ‘science’ only insofar as it produces actionable understanding of lawful order (dharma) and material state interest/prosperity (artha), enabling effective rule.

How does this apply to modern governance?

It frames public policy and administration as evidence- and outcome-oriented: training, expertise, and institutions should be evaluated by whether they improve legal legitimacy/compliance (rule of law) and measurable state capacity (revenue, security, welfare outcomes).

What is the specific duty of the ruler/official mentioned?

No specific office is named; the implied duty of the ruler is to prioritize and cultivate disciplines that reliably guide decisions toward lawful governance (dharma) and the state’s prosperity and power (artha), rather than treating learning as merely ceremonial or speculative.