Sutra 39
Devanagari script
रक्षेत्पूर्वकृतान् राजा नवांश्चाभिप्रवर्तयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.०१.३९च्द् ॥
Transliteration
rakṣet pūrva-kṛtān rājā navāṃś cābhipravartayet
Translation
The king should protect what has already been built and should also actively initiate new works.
Word by Word
रक्षेत्should protect/guard
रक्षेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootरक्ष्
Formलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; विधिलिङर्थे ‘should protect’
पूर्वकृतान्the previously established (measures/arrangements/works)
पूर्वकृतान्:
TypeNoun (Participle used adjectivally)
Rootकृ
Form‘पूर्वकृत’ = पूर्वं कृतः; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) from √कृ; पुल्लिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; ‘(those) previously done/established’
राजाthe king
राजा:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
Formपुल्लिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्ता
नवान्new (ones/measures)
नवान्:
TypeAdjective (used substantively)
Rootनव
Formपुल्लिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; ‘new (ones)’ (object)
चand
च:
TypeParticle
Rootच
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्; ‘and’
अभिप्रवर्तयेत्should initiate/put into operation
अभिप्रवर्तयेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रवृत् (प्र+वृत्) / प्रवर्तय् (णिजन्त)
Formणिजन्त (causative) of √वृत् with prefix प्र-, further prefix अभि-; विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; ‘should set in motion/should institute’
Entities Mentioned
R
rājā (king/state)P
pūrva-kṛta (existing works)N
navāḥ (new works)FAQs
State legitimacy and revenue depend on maintenance of existing assets; expansion should be deliberate, not at the cost of neglecting what already functions.
It matches the principle that asset lifecycle management (O&M) must accompany capital expenditure; otherwise infrastructure decays and fiscal returns collapse.