Sutra 6

Devanagari script

प्रभूतं मे शत्रुबलं शत्रुबलेन योधयिष्यामि नगरस्थानमटवीं वा तत्र मे श्ववराहयोः कलहे चण्डालस्येवान्यतरसिद्धिर्भविष्यतिण् आसाराणामटवीनां वा कण्टकमर्दनमेतत्करिष्यामिण् अत्युपचितं वा कोपभयान्नित्यमासन्नमरिबलं वासयेदन्यत्राभ्यन्तरकोपशङ्कायाः शत्रुयुद्धावरयुद्धकालश्च इत्यमित्रबलकालः ॥ कZ_०९.२.०६ ॥

Transliteration

prabhūtaṃ me śatrubalaṃ śatrubalena yodhayiṣyāmi nagarasthānam aṭavīṃ vā; tatra me śvavarāhayoḥ kalahe caṇḍālasya ivānyatarasiddhir bhaviṣyati; āsārāṇām aṭavīnāṃ vā kaṇṭakamardanam etat kariṣyāmi; atyupacitaṃ vā kopabhayān nityam āsannam aribalaṃ vāsayed anyatrābhyantarakopaśaṅkāyāḥ; śatruyuddhāvarayuddhakālaś ca—iti amitrabalakālaḥ

Translation

When I have abundant enemy forces available to be turned and used, I shall fight by means of the enemy’s own forces—whether in a fortified town or in forest terrain; there, as in a fight between a dog and a boar, a low agent (like a caṇḍāla) gains success whichever side wins. Thus I will accomplish the crushing of “thorns”—assaults and forest obstacles. Also, if the hostile force has grown excessively, then out of fear of provoking its anger I should quarter that enemy force elsewhere, since keeping it constantly near risks internal revolt. This is the occasion for enemy-war and proxy-war—i.e., the use of enemy forces.

Word by Word

प्रभूतम्abundant, very great

मेof me, my

शत्रु-बलम्the enemy’s force

शत्रु-बलेनby/with the enemy’s force

योधयिष्यामिI will make (them) fight / I will engage (them) in battle

नगर-स्थानम्a city location / town area

अटवीम्a forest

वाor

तत्रthere

मेof me, my

श्व-वराहयोःof a dog and a boar / between dog and boar

कलहेin a quarrel/fight

चण्डालस्यof a caṇḍāla (outcaste)

इवlike, as if

अन्यतर-सिद्धिःthe success of either one (party)

भविष्यतिwill happen / will be

आसाराणाम्of marauders/raiders (predatory elements)

अटवीनाम्of forests / forest-tracts

वाor

कण्टक-मर्दनम्crushing/suppression of thorns (troublemakers)

एतत्this

करिष्यामिI will do / I will carry out

अत्युपचितम्overgrown, excessively increased

वाor

कोप-भयात्from fear of (their) anger

नित्यम्always, constantly

आसन्नम्near, close at hand

अरि-बलम्the enemy’s force

वासयेत्should station / should quarter (it)

अन्यत्रelsewhere

अभ्यन्तर-कोप-शङ्कायाःof/owing to suspicion of internal anger (uprising)

शत्रु-युद्धenemy-war

अवर-युद्ध-कालःthe time for a lesser/secondary war

चand

इतिthus

अमित्र-बल-कालःthe occasion/time concerning the enemy’s force

Entities Mentioned

enemy forces (śatru/amitra)

fortified town (nagarasthāna)

forest theatre (aṭavī)

third party operator (caṇḍāla metaphor)

FAQs

What is the strategic principle behind the dog–boar metaphor?

Let rival forces exhaust each other; a third party can secure advantage regardless of which side prevails, provided it manages timing and positioning.

Why quarter an enemy force elsewhere if it becomes too strong?

To prevent a nearby, concentrated hostile contingent from turning into an internal coup or revolt risk.