Sutra 17

Devanagari script

यत्र बाह्या बाह्यानुपजपन्ति अभ्यन्तरानभ्यन्तरा वा तत्रैकान्तयोग उपजपितुः सिद्धिर्विशेषवती ॥ कZ_०९.५.१७ ॥

Transliteration

yatra bāhyā bāhyān upajapanti abhyantarān abhyantarā vā tatraikāntayoga upajapituḥ siddhir viśeṣavatī

Translation

Where outsiders instigate outsiders, or insiders instigate insiders, a tightly focused (single-track) operation yields especially effective success for the instigator.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्ययम् (देश/अवधारणार्थे)

• बाह्याः: outsiders; external persons
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: बाह्य
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (बाह्य-जनाः/बाह्याः)

• बाह्यान्: outsiders (as objects)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: बाह्य
• Form: द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (बाह्य-जनान्)

• उपजपन्ति: they secretly persuade / whisper to / indoctrinate
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√जप्
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• अभ्यन्तरान्: insiders (as objects)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अभ्यन्तर
• Form: द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (अभ्यन्तर-जनान्)

• अभ्यन्तराः: insiders; internal persons
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अभ्यन्तर
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (अभ्यन्तर-जनाः)

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

• तत्र: there; in that case
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• एकान्तयोगः: exclusive alliance/combination; one-sided alignment
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्तयोग
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे

• उपजपितुः: of the persuader; of the one who secretly influences
• Type: Verbal noun (agent noun)
• Root: उप√जप्
• Form: कर्तृवाचक-तृच्/तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त (उपजपितृ), षष्ठी-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे

• सिद्धिः: success; accomplishment
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, स्त्रीलिङ्गे

• विशेषवती: marked; distinguished; especially effective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशेषवत्
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, स्त्रीलिङ्गे (सिद्धिं विशेषयति)

Entities Mentioned

• bāhya (outsider agents)
• abhyantara (insider agents)
• upajapituḥ (instigator)

More Details

FAQs

What is the strategic point about 'like-to-like' instigation?

Subversion is more effective when the persuader and target share the same social/organizational category (outsider-to-outsider or insider-to-insider), because trust and access are higher.

How does this guide a ruler’s countermeasures?

It implies the state must disrupt same-category influence channels (peer networks) and avoid letting a single uninterrupted line of persuasion continue.