Sutra 82

Devanagari script

दैवादग्निरुदकं व्याधिः प्रमारो विद्रवो दुर्भिक्षमासुरी ॥ ॥

Transliteration

daivād agnir udakaṃ vyādhiḥ pramāro vidravo durbhikṣam āsurī sṛṣṭir ity āpadaḥ

Translation

Calamities (āpadaḥ) are: from fate/nature—fire and flood; disease; depredation/mass death; flight/desertion; famine; and “āsurī sṛṣṭi” (demonic/unnatural disturbances).

Word by Word

• दैवात्: from fate; due to divine causes
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-एकवचन (अपादान/हेतु-अर्थे)

• अग्निः: fire (conflagration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• उदकम्: water (flood)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• व्याधिः: disease (epidemic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• प्रमारः: destruction; great loss of life
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमार
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• विद्रवः: flight; dispersal (of people)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्रव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• दुर्भिक्षम्: famine; scarcity of food
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• आसुरी: ‘āsurī’ (demonic/inauspicious calamity)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: आसुरी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (विशेषण-रूपेण; ‘आपद्/वृत्ति’ इत्यादि स्त्रीशब्दं सूचयति)

Entities Mentioned

• agni
• udaka
• vyādhi
• durbhikṣa
• āsurī sṛṣṭi

More Details

FAQs

Why does Kautilya list calamities in a governance text?

To treat crises as foreseeable categories requiring standing administrative preparations—logistics, policing, relief, and continuity of rule.