Sutra 15

Devanagari script

दूष्याननुप्रविष्टा वा तीक्ष्णाः शस्त्ररसाभ्यां हन्युः ॥ कZ_०९.५.१५ ॥

Transliteration

dūṣyān anupraviṣṭā vā tīkṣṇāḥ śastrarasābhyāṃ hanyuḥ

Translation

Or, sharp agents who have infiltrated the compromised persons should kill (the targets) by weapons or by poison.

Word by Word

• दूष्याः: compromised/turned (agents)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: दूष्य
• Form: प्रथमा बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः (विशेषण-रूपेण)

• अनुप्रविष्टाः: having infiltrated / having entered in (after/along)
• Type: Participle
• Root: अनु-प्र-√विश्
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), प्रथमा बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• तीक्ष्णाः: fierce/keen (assassins/operatives)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: प्रथमा बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः (विशेषण-रूपेण)

• शस्त्र: with a weapon
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र
• Form: तृतीया एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गः (करणे)

• रसाभ्याम्: with poison/poison-juice (lit. ‘juices’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस
• Form: तृतीया द्विवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः (करणे)

• हन्युः: they should kill / may strike down
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

Entities Mentioned

• tīkṣṇa (ruthless agent)

More Details

FAQs

How does this fit with earlier preference for sāma-dāna for insiders?

It represents escalation when conciliation/co-option fails or when the threat is acute; Kautilya presents a graduated toolkit.

What is implied by 'śastrarasābhyām'?

Two covert modalities: overt-looking violence (weapon) or deniable killing (poison), chosen for feasibility and concealment.