Sutra 10

Devanagari script

नागवनपाला हस्तिपकपादपाशिकसैमिकवनचरकपारिकर्मिकसखा हस्तिमूत्रपुरीषच्छन्नगन्धा भल्लातकीशाखाप्रच्छन्नाः पञ्चभिः सप्तभिर्वा हस्तिबन्धकीभिः सह चरन्तः शय्यास्थानपद्यालेण्डकूलघातोद्देशेन हस्तिकुलपर्यग्रं विद्युः ॥ कZ_०२.२.१० ॥

Transliteration

nāgavanapālā hastipakapādapāśikasaimikavanacarakapārikarmikasakhā hastimūtrapurīṣacchannagandhā bhallātakīśākhāpracchannāḥ pañcabhiḥ saptabhir vā hastibandhakībhiḥ saha carantaḥ śayyāsthānapadyāleṇḍakūlaghātoddeśena hastikulaparyagraṃ vidyuḥ

Translation

Elephant‑forest wardens—assisted by trackers and forest operatives—should move about with five or seven elephant‑catchers; masked with the smell of elephant urine and dung and concealed with bhallātakī branches, they should ascertain the full range of elephant herds by noting bedding places, tracks/paths, droppings, riverbanks, and damage sites.

Word by Word

नागवनपालाḥguards of the elephant-forest

हस्तिपकपादपाशिकसैमिकवनचरकपारिकर्मिकसखाḥthose who are companions of elephant-cookers, foot-noosers, attendants, forest-rangers, and elephant-servants

हस्तिमूत्रपुरीषच्छन्नगन्धाḥhaving their smell covered with elephant urine and dung

भल्लातकीशाखाप्रच्छन्नाḥcovered (concealed) with branches of bhallātakī

पञ्चभिःwith five

सप्तभिःwith seven

वाor

हस्तिबन्धकीभिःwith elephant-binders (those who bind/capture elephants)

सहtogether with

चरन्तःmoving about, roaming

शय्यास्थानपद्यालेण्डकूलघातोद्देशेनby indicating (noting) the signs such as bedding-place, standing-place, footprints, rubbing/mud-wallow marks, and bank/shore damage

हस्तिकुलपर्यग्रंthe full extent/boundary of the elephant herd

विद्युःshould know/ascertain

Entities Mentioned

Nāgavane-pāla (wardens)

elephant-catchers (hastibandhakī)

trackers/forest operatives

elephant herds

FAQs

What modern administrative idea does this verse resemble?

A structured field-intelligence protocol: patrol teams, concealment measures, and standardized indicators to map and monitor high-value assets.