Sutra 31

Devanagari script

सत्त्री चैनमभित्यक्तशासनैर्घातयेत् गूढपुरुषैर्वा ॥ कZ_०९.३.३१ ॥

Transliteration

sattrī cainam abhityaktaśāsanair ghātayet gūḍhapuruṣair vā

Translation

And the female agent (sattrī) should have him eliminated by men who have abandoned discipline (i.e., deniable criminals) or by concealed operatives.

Word by Word

• सत्त्री: a female spy/decoy agent (sattrī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तृ (न.)/सत्त्री (स्त्री.)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, स्त्रीलिङ्गम्

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• एनम्: him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्गम् (अत्र ‘him’)

• अभित्यक्त-शासनैः: by those who have abandoned/violated the royal order (i.e., disobedient to the command)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: अभि-त्यज् (क्त) + शासन (न.)
• Form: तृतीया-बहुवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; ‘अभित्यक्तशासन’ = त्यक्त/उल्लङ्घित-शासन (राजाज्ञा) यस्य/येषाम्

• घातयेत्: should cause (him) to be killed / have him killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातय् (णिच्) ← हन्
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative): ‘cause to be killed’

• गूढ-पुरुषैः: by secret agents (spies)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: गूढ (कृदन्त) + पुरुष (पु.)
• Form: तृतीया-बहुवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्गम्; ‘गूढपुरुष’ = गुप्तचर/गुप्त-एजेन्ट

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्प-अव्ययम्

Entities Mentioned

• sattrī (female agent)
• gūḍhapuruṣa (covert agent)
• abhityaktaśāsana (lawless deniable actor)

More Details

FAQs

Why specify ‘lawless’ actors or hidden agents?

To preserve deniability and reduce political blowback; attribution is minimized by using cut-outs or covert personnel.

What is the niti principle here?

If removal is necessary, ensure plausible deniability and compartmentalization of responsibility.