Sutra 47

Devanagari script

उपायाः सामोपप्रदानभेददण्डाः ॥ कZ_०२.१०.४७ ॥

Transliteration

upāyāḥ sāmopapradāna-bheda-daṇḍāḥ

Translation

The means (policy instruments) are: conciliation (sāma), inducement/gifts (upapradāna), division (bheda), and coercion/punishment (daṇḍa).

Word by Word

• उपायाः: means; measures; expedients (of policy)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + √इ (इण्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन; ‘उपाय’ (means/measure)

• साम: conciliation; persuasion
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (समाहार/जातिवाचक-प्रयोगः)

• उपप्रदान: giving; offering (gifts/inducements)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + √दा (दाने)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘उपप्रदान’ (giving/offer)

• भेद: dissension; division
• Type: Noun
• Root: √भिद् (भेदने)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘भेद’ (division/splitting)

• दण्डाः: punishments; coercive force
• Type: Noun
• Root: √दण्ड्/दण्ड (दण्डने)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन; ‘दण्ड’ (punishment/force)

More Details

FAQs

How should these upāyas be used in administration?

As a graduated toolkit: begin with low-cost persuasion, escalate to incentives, then strategic disruption of hostile coordination, and finally coercion when necessary.

Is ‘upapradāna’ the same as dāna?

Functionally similar as inducement; the term emphasizes a contextual offering to secure a specific administrative or political outcome.