This adhyāya teaches that internal unrest is the gravest pre-war calamity and must be detected early and countered proportionally, with a threat’s “weight” judged relative to the enemy’s strength. Internal kopa outranks external kopa because it disables command, revenue, and morale from within. Address calamities at their first, lightest appearance to reduce cost, time, and violence. If a threat has matured, reclassify “light/heavy” by comparison with the opponent’s power. Operationally, this keeps daṇḍa (army readiness) intact by preventing mutiny, fiscal collapse, and loss of cohesion. Strategically, escalation should be calibrated—neither complacent against strong foes nor wasteful against weak ones.
Sutra 1
संध्यादीनामयथोद्देशावस्थापनमपनयः ॥ कZ_०९.५.०१ ॥
‘Decline/disorder’ is the misplacement and improper stationing/assignment of (units such as) the twilight-watches and others (i.e., scheduled duties and deployments).
Sutra 2
तस्मादापदः सम्भवन्ति ॥ कZ_०९.५.०२ ॥
From that, crises/disasters arise.
Sutra 3
बाह्योत्पत्तिरभ्यन्तरप्रतिजापा अभ्यन्तरोत्पत्तिर्बाह्यप्रतिजापा बाह्योत्पत्तिर्बाह्यप्रतिजापा अभ्यन्तरोत्पत्तिरभ्यन्तरप्रतिजापा इत्यापदः ॥ कZ_०९.५.०३ ॥
Crises are of these kinds: (1) external in origin, countered by internal counter-intrigue; (2) internal in origin, countered by external counter-intrigue; (3) external in origin, countered by external counter-intrigue; (4) internal in origin, countered by internal counter-intrigue.
Sutra 4
यत्र बाह्या अभ्यन्तरानुपजपन्ति अभ्यन्तरा वा बाह्यान्तत्रोभययोगे प्रतिजपतः सिद्धिर्विशेषवती ॥ कZ_०९.५.०४ ॥
Where external agents subvert internal elements—or internal agents subvert external ones—there, when both (internal and external) counter-intrigues are employed together, success in countering is especially assured.
Sutra 5
सुव्याजा हि प्रतिजपितारो भवन्ति नोपजपितारः ॥ कZ_०९.५.०५ ॥
Those who conduct counter-intrigue are (typically) well-disguised/operating under good pretexts; not so the subverters.
Sutra 6
तेषु प्रशान्तेषु नान्याञ्शक्नुयुरुपजपितुमुपजपितारः ॥ कZ_०९.५.०६ ॥
When those (suspected instigators) are pacified/neutralized, instigators will not be able to suborn or seduce others.
Sutra 7
कृच्छ्रोपजापा हि बाह्यानामभ्यन्तरास्तेषामितरे वा ॥ कZ_०९.५.०७ ॥
Suborning outsiders is difficult—(it is best done) by their own insiders, or else by others (suited to the task).
Sutra 8
महतश्च प्रयत्नस्य वधः परेषामर्थानुबन्धश्चात्मन इति ॥ कZ_०९.५.०८ ॥
Such operations demand great effort; they entail the destruction of the enemy and the securing of consequential gains for oneself.
Sutra 9
अभ्यन्तरेषु प्रतिजपत्सु सामदाने प्रयुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०९.५.०९ ॥
Against insiders who are engaging in counter-instigation, he should employ conciliation and inducements (sāma and dāna).
Sutra 10
स्थानमानकर्म सान्त्वम् ॥ कZ_०९.५.१० ॥
Conciliation consists in offering position, honor, and appropriate employment/service.
Sutra 11
अनुग्रहपरिहारौ कर्मस्वायोगो वा दानम् ॥ कZ_०९.५.११ ॥
Inducement (dāna) is: granting favors or remitting burdens; or, alternatively, arranging advantageous employment/engagements in tasks.
Sutra 12
बाह्येषु प्रतिजपत्सु भेददण्डौ प्रयुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०९.५.१२ ॥
Against outsiders who are engaging in counter-instigation, he should employ division and coercion (bheda and daṇḍa).
Sutra 13
सत्त्रिणो मित्रव्यञ्जना वा बाह्यानां चारमेषां ब्रूयुः अयं वो राजा दूष्यव्यञ्जनैरतिसंधातुकामः बुध्यध्वमिति ॥ कZ_०९.५.१३ ॥
Ascetics/boarders (sattriṇaḥ) or agents posing as friends should tell the spies of the outsiders: ‘This king of yours is eager to entrap you through compromising pretexts—be alert.’
Sutra 14
दूष्येषु वा दूष्यव्यञ्जनाः प्रणिहिता दूष्यान्बाह्यैर्भेदयेयुः बाह्यान्वा दूष्यैः ॥ कZ_०९.५.१४ ॥
Or, agents planted with compromising pretexts should create dissension: splitting the compromised persons by means of outsiders, or splitting the outsiders by means of the compromised persons.
Sutra 15
दूष्याननुप्रविष्टा वा तीक्ष्णाः शस्त्ररसाभ्यां हन्युः ॥ कZ_०९.५.१५ ॥
Or, sharp agents who have infiltrated the compromised persons should kill (the targets) by weapons or by poison.
Sutra 16
आहूय वा बाह्यान् घातयेयुः ॥ कZ_०९.५.१६ ॥
Alternatively, having summoned the outsiders, they should have them eliminated.
Sutra 17
यत्र बाह्या बाह्यानुपजपन्ति अभ्यन्तरानभ्यन्तरा वा तत्रैकान्तयोग उपजपितुः सिद्धिर्विशेषवती ॥ कZ_०९.५.१७ ॥
Where outsiders instigate outsiders, or insiders instigate insiders, a tightly focused (single-track) operation yields especially effective success for the instigator.
Sutra 18
दोषशुद्धौ हि दूष्या न विद्यन्ते ॥ कZ_०९.५.१८ ॥
For when the corrupting factors are purified/removed, there are no persons left who can be corrupted.
Sutra 19
दूष्यशुद्धौ हि दोषः पुनरन्यान्दूषयति ॥ कZ_०९.५.१९ ॥
But if only the corruptible persons are ‘purified’ (removed/cleansed), the corrupting factor again corrupts others.
Sutra 20
तस्माद्बाह्येषूपजपत्सु भेददण्डौ प्रयुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०९.५.२० ॥
Therefore, when outsiders are engaged in instigation, one should employ division and punishment.
Sutra 21
सत्त्रिणो मित्रव्यञ्जना वा ब्रूयुः अयं वो राजा स्वयमादातुकामः विगृहीताः स्थानेन राज्ञा बुध्यध्वमिति ॥ कZ_०९.५.२१ ॥
Boarders (resident dependents) or agents posing as friends should say: ‘This king of yours himself intends to seize (your property/position); you have been marked out by the king—wake up to your situation.’
Sutra 22
प्रतिजपितुर्वा दूतदण्डाननुप्रविष्टास्तीक्ष्णाः शस्त्ररसादिभिरेषां छिद्रेषु प्रहरेयुः ॥ कZ_०९.५.२२ ॥
Or, sharp (covert) operatives, having infiltrated along with the counter-instigator’s messengers and retinue, should strike at their vulnerabilities using weapons, poison, and the like.
Sutra 23
ततः सत्त्रिणः प्रतिजपितारमभिशंसेयुः ॥ कZ_०९.५.२३
Then the boarders (resident dependents) should denounce/accuse the counter-instigator.
Sutra 24
अभ्यन्तरानभ्यन्तरेषूपजपत्सु यथार्हमुपायं प्रयुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०९.५.२४ ॥
When insiders are instigating insiders, one should apply an appropriate measure (upāya) according to the case.
Sutra 25
तुष्टलिङ्गमतुष्टं विपरीतं वा साम प्रयुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०९.५.२५ ॥
He should employ conciliation (sāma) toward one who shows signs of satisfaction (or, if those signs are absent or reversed, still begin with conciliatory handling as appropriate).
Sutra 26
शौचसामर्थ्यापदेशेन व्यसनाभ्युदयावेक्षणेन वा प्रतिपूजनमिति दानम् ॥ कZ_०९.५.२६ ॥
‘Dāna’ (inducement) is to win someone over by counter-gifts—either by citing one’s own integrity and capability, or by observing (and exploiting) their distress and prospects for advancement.
Sutra 27
मित्रव्यञ्जनो वा ब्रूयादेतान् चित्तज्ञानार्थमुपधास्यति वो राजा तदस्याख्यातव्यमिति ॥ कZ_०९.५.२७ ॥
Or a “friend-figure” (an agent posing as a friend) should say: “The king will test you to learn your mind; you should report (your response) to him.”
Sutra 28
परस्पराद्वा भेदयेदेनानसौ चासौ च वो राजन्येवमुपजपति इति भेदः ॥ कZ_०९.५.२८ ॥
Or he should split them from one another by insinuating: “So-and-so and so-and-so, sir, speak about you to the king in this manner.” This is ‘bheda’ (creating division).
Sutra 29
दाण्डकर्मिकवच्च दण्डः ॥ कZ_०९.५.२९ ॥
And ‘daṇḍa’ (coercion/punishment) should be applied like that of a professional executor/enforcer.
Sutra 30
एतासां चतसृणामापदामभ्यन्तरामेव पूर्वं साधयेत् ॥ कZ_०९.५.३० ॥
Of these four methods (sāma, dāna, bheda, daṇḍa) in crises, he should first secure the internal one (the internal danger/problem).
Sutra 31
अहिभयादभ्यन्तरकोपो बाह्यकोपात्पापीयानित्युक्तं पुरस्ताद् ॥ कZ_०९.५.३१ ॥
It has been stated earlier: internal wrath/insurrection is more dangerous than external hostility—like fear of a snake (within) is worse.
Sutra 32
उत्थितां बलवद्भ्यो वा गुर्वीं लघ्वीं विपर्यये ॥ कZ_०९.५.३२च्द् ॥
A crisis that has arisen with the support of the powerful is “heavy”; in the reverse case, it is “light”.
Earlier detection and correct ranking of crises reduces violence, preserves revenue-flow and morale, prevents factional collapse, and keeps the army and administration usable for external defense—thereby securing stability and prosperity.
Implied rather than enumerated here: negligent officials who misreport or ignore early signs of internal kopa invite disciplinary daṇḍa (removal, fines, or harsher punishment under general Arthashastra principles), while active fomenters of abhyantara-kopa face severe coercion as threats to the state’s life.