Sutra 17

Devanagari script

तद्विशिष्टं स्वयं ग्राहं दण्डं वा प्रेषयेत्सामन्ताटविकान्वा तैर्विगृहीतमतिसंदध्यात् ॥ कZ_०९.३.१७ ॥

Transliteration

tad-viśiṣṭaṃ svayaṃ grāhaṃ daṇḍaṃ vā preṣayet; sāmantāṭavikān vā; tair vigṛhītam ati-sandadhyāt

Translation

Against a person of that special standing, he should dispatch either seizure (arrest) or punitive force; or he should employ frontier chiefs and forest-tribesmen, and by means of them intensify pressure against one who has broken away.

Word by Word

• तद्विशिष्टम्: the specially suitable (measure/agent) for that situation
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: विशिष्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; ‘तद्’ (तस्य) + ‘विशिष्ट’ (ppp) = ‘तद्विशिष्टम्’ = ‘that which is distinguished/appropriate to that (case)’

• स्वयम्: personally; oneself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्
• Form: अव्यय; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• ग्राहम्: a captor; a seizing party/agent
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; ‘ग्राह’ (seizer/captor)

• दण्डम्: punishment; punitive force
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• प्रेषयेत्: should send; should depute
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष्
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense not required here: ‘should send/depute’

• सामन्ताटविकान्: the frontier vassals and the forest-tribesmen
• Type: Noun (plural)
• Root: सामन्त; आटविक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, द्वितीया; ‘सामन्त’ + ‘आटविक’ (forest-tribesmen) as a coordinative compound

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• तैः: by them; through them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, बहुवचन, तृतीया; ‘by them/through them’

• विगृहीतम्: that which has been seized/captured
• Type: Participle (past passive)
• Root: वि-ग्रह्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; ‘seized/captured’

• अतिसंदध्यात्: should make a further settlement/compact (after capture)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-सम्-धा
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should arrange/bring about (a further) reconciliation/settlement; should make an additional compact’

Entities Mentioned

• high-status rebel
• daṇḍa (punitive force)
• sāmanta
• āṭavika

More Details

FAQs

What is the menu of coercive options recommended for high-status dissidents?

Direct arrest, punitive force, or indirect pressure through sāmantas and āṭavikas as auxiliaries to tighten control over a breakaway actor.