Sutra 27

Devanagari script

मित्रव्यञ्जनो वा ब्रूयादेतान् चित्तज्ञानार्थमुपधास्यति वो राजा तदस्याख्यातव्यमिति ॥ कZ_०९.५.२७ ॥

Transliteration

mitravyañjano vā brūyād etān cittajñānārtham upadhāsyati vo rājā tad asyākhyātavyam iti

Translation

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.”

Word by Word

• मित्रव्यञ्जनः: a ‘friend-disguised’ agent / one who appears as a friend
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र; व्यञ्जन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘मित्रस्य व्यञ्जनः’ = मित्र-रूपेण/मित्र-चिह्नेन परिचायकः (agent-noun)

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

• ब्रूयात्: should say / should speak
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (ब्रवीति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• एतान्: these (persons/things)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (object)

• चित्तज्ञानार्थम्: for the purpose of knowing (their) mind/intent
• Type: Noun (indeclinable compound used adverbially)
• Root: चित्त; ज्ञान; अर्थ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—‘चित्तस्य ज्ञानार्थम्’

• उपधास्यति: will test (them) by means of a provocation/temptation (upadhā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपधा + अस् (भवति) → उपधास्यति (causative/denominative usage in Arthaśāstra sense)
• Form: लृट्/लुट्-प्राय भविष्यत्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थतः ‘उपधां करिष्यति/उपधया परीक्षिष्यति’

• वः: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन (enclitic)

• राजा: the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (कर्ता)

• तत्: that / therefore
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; अत्र वाक्य-सम्बन्धकं ‘तस्मात्/तद्’ = ‘therefore/that’

• अस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन

• आख्यातव्यम्: must be reported / should be informed
• Type: Verbal adjective (gerundive)
• Root: आ + ख्या (to tell, declare)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः—‘(इदं) आख्यातव्यम्’ = must be reported

• इति: thus
• Type: Quotative particle
• Root: इति
• Form: वाक्य-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय

Entities Mentioned

• king
• mitravyañjana (feigned friend/agent)

More Details

FAQs

Why use a ‘mitravyañjana’ instead of direct royal questioning?

An intermediary lowers suspicion and elicits more candid reactions, producing better signals of true intent and loyalties.

What is the governance value of upadhā (testing)?

It reduces information asymmetry about elites/officials and helps preempt betrayal by detecting predispositions early.