Yogavritta Adhyaya 2 Sutra 59 - Arthashastra | German | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 59

Devanagari script

सिद्धव्यञ्जनो वा दूष्यं जम्भकविद्याभिः प्रलोभयित्वा ब्रूयात् अक्षयहिरण्यं राजद्वारिकं स्त्रीहृदयमरिव्याधिकरमायुष्यं पुत्रीयं वा कर्म जानामि इति ॥ कZ_०५.२.५९ ॥

Transliteration

siddhavyañjano vā dūṣyaṃ jambhakavidyābhiḥ pralobhayitvā brūyāt akṣayahiraṇyaṃ rājadvārikaṃ strīhṛdayamarivyādhikaramāyuṣyaṃ putrīyaṃ vā karma jānāmi iti

Translation

Oder ein als «vollendeter Adept» verkleideter Agent soll das verderbliche Ziel mit Zauberkünsten verführen und sagen: «Ich kenne ein Ritual für unerschöpfliches Gold, für Zugang am Königstor, für das Gewinnen von Frauenherzen, für das Überwältigen von Feinden, für die Verlängerung des Lebens oder für das Zeugen eines Sohnes.»

Word by Word

सिद्धव्यञ्जनःa disguised/marked agent (a spy with ‘prepared signs’)

वाor

दूष्यम्the person to be corrupted/compromised (the target)

जम्भकविद्याभिःby deceptive arts/tricks (jambhaka-techniques)

प्रलोभयित्वाhaving enticed/tempted

ब्रूयात्he should say

अक्षय-हिरण्यम्inexhaustible gold/treasure

राज-द्वारिकम्connected with the king’s gate/court (royal-door related)

स्त्री-हृदयम्the heart/mind of a woman (women’s secrets)

अरि-व्याधि-करम्causing disease to an enemy

आयुष्यम्life-prolonging

पुत्रीयम्granting a son/offspring-producing

वाor

कर्मa (special) operation/rite/practice

जानामिI know

इतिthus (quoting)

Entities Mentioned

siddhavyañjana (disguised agent)

dūṣya (corruptible target)

rājadvāra (royal gate/court access)

FAQs

Why does Kautilya list promises like gold, access, women, victory, longevity, and a son?

They map to common human drivers (wealth, status, desire, security, survival, lineage), maximizing the chance the target self-incriminates.

What is the political-administrative purpose of this deception?

To expose and control corruptible officials/subjects by inducing them to seek illicit advantage, creating prosecutable or coercive evidence.