A technical manual that turns elephants from dangerous power into disciplined, standardized military capability through superintendent-run training, restraint, and outfitting protocols. Elephants are strategic capital but uniquely volatile; unmanaged, they endanger the king’s own force. The chapter prescribes repeatable training pathways (kriyāpathas) with sub-procedures for specific behaviors. Control is engineered through restraint standards (bandhana) and mandated equipment (upakaraṇa). Battlefield effectiveness is stabilized via standardized trappings/armor and fittings (bhūṣaṇa, sāṃgrāmikālaṃkāra). Administrative placement underscores Kautilya’s doctrine: conquest depends on bureaucracy-grade logistics and drill, not strategy alone.
Sutra 1
कर्मस्कन्धाश्चत्वारो दम्यः साम्नाह्य औपवाह्यो व्यालश्च ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०१ ॥
There are four work-divisions (operational classes) [of elephants]: the trainable, the battle-equipped, the riding/transport class, and the dangerous/rogue class.
Sutra 2
तत्र दम्यः पञ्चविधः स्कन्धगतः स्तम्भगतो वारिगतोऽवपातगतो यूथगतश्चेति ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०२ ॥
Among these, the trainable class is of five kinds: those taken from the forest-tracts, those secured at posts/pillars, those taken at water-points, those taken at descent/ambush-points, and those taken from a herd.
Sutra 3
तस्योपविचारो विक्ककर्म ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०३ ॥
Its subsequent handling/regimen is the vikka-procedure (a prescribed training/management operation).
Sutra 4
साम्नाह्यः सप्तक्रियापथ उपस्थानं संवर्तनं सम्यानं वधावधो हस्तियुद्धं नागरायणं सांग्रामिकं च ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०४ ॥
The battle-equipped class has seven operational courses: formation/standing-to, wheeling/turning, advancing in alignment, striking and counter-striking, elephant-combat, the nāgarāyaṇa maneuver, and full battle deployment.
Sutra 5
तस्योपविचारः कक्ष्याकर्म ग्रैवेयकर्म यूथकर्म च ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०५ ॥
Its follow-on regimen comprises: the kakṣyā-procedure, the graiveya-procedure, and the yūtha-procedure.
Sutra 6
औपवाह्योऽष्टविध आचरणः कुञ्जराउपवाह्यो धोरण आधानगतिको यष्ट्युपवाह्यस्तोत्रोपवाह्यः शुद्धोपवाह्यो मार्गयुकश्चेति ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०६ ॥
The riding/transport class has eight modes of conduct/use: the kuñjara-transport type, the dhoraṇa type, the load-and-movement type, the staff-guided transport type, the praise/chant-guided transport type, the pure/steady transport type, and the route-trained type (etc., completing eight named subtypes).
Sutra 7
तस्योपविचारः शारदकर्म हीनकर्म नारोष्ट्रकर्म च ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०७ ॥
Its follow-on regimen includes: the śārada-procedure, the hīna-procedure, and the nāroṣṭra-procedure.
Sutra 8
व्यालैकक्रियापथः शङ्कितोऽवरुद्धो विषमः प्रभिन्नः प्रभिन्नविनिश्चयो मदहेतुविनिश्चयश्च ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०८ ॥
The dangerous/rogue class has a single operational course, characterized by these risk conditions: suspicious, obstructed/contained, irregular/unpredictable, violently broken-out, determination of the broken-out state, and determination of the cause of musth/intoxication.
Sutra 9
तस्योपविचार आयम्यैकरक्षाकर्म ॥ कZ_०२.३२.०९ ॥
Its follow-on handling is: restraint (āyamya) and the single-guard protection protocol (ekarakṣā-karma).
Sutra 10
क्रियाविपन्नो व्यालः शुद्धः सुव्रतो विषमः सर्वदोषप्रदुष्टश्च ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१० ॥
Elephants are (administratively) classified as: unfit for work, dangerous, tractable/pure, well-trained/obedient, irregular/unpredictable, and wholly corrupted by faults.
Sutra 11
तेषां बन्धनोपकरणमनीकस्थप्रमाणम् ॥ कZ_०२.३२.११ ॥
For them (the elephants), restraints and handling implements shall be supplied in quantities fixed per unit/establishment (the anīkastha standard).
Sutra 12
आलानग्रैवेयकक्ष्यापारायणपरिक्षेपोत्तरादिकं बन्धनम् ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१२ ॥
Restraints include tethering-post/chain arrangements, neck collars, girths/straps, leading lines, enclosing barriers, upper bindings, and the like.
Sutra 13
अङ्कुशवेणुयन्त्रादिकमुपकरणम् ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१३ ॥
Handling implements include the goad (aṅkuśa), bamboo devices, mechanical contrivances, and similar tools.
Sutra 14
वैजयन्तीक्षुरप्रमालास्तरणकुथादिकं भूषणम् ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१४ ॥
Ornaments include victory banners/crests (vaijayantī), garlands, coverings, rugs/blankets, and similar adornments.
Sutra 15
वर्मतोमरशरावापयन्त्रादिकः सांग्रामिकालंकारः ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१५ ॥
Wartime fittings include armor, javelins, missile/arrow equipment, launching devices, and related apparatus.
Sutra 16
चिकित्सकानीकस्थारोहकाधोरणहस्तिपकौपचारिकविधापाचकयावसिकपादपाशिककुटीर्रक्षकाउपशयैकादिरौपस्थायिकवर्गः ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१६ ॥
The stable-service staff includes: veterinarians, unit-attached attendants, riders/mounters, drivers/lead-men, elephant-keepers (mahouts), caretakers, cooks/food-servers, fodder-men, foot-ropers (for securing), hut/shed-guards, those assigned to rest-shelters, and others of that class.
Sutra 17
चिकित्सककुटीरक्षविधापाचकाः प्रस्थौदनं स्नेहप्रसृतिं क्षारलवणयोश्च द्विपलिकं हरेयुः दशपलं मांसस्य अन्यत्र चिकित्सकेभ्यः ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१७ ॥
Veterinarians, hut-guards, and cooks shall receive: one prastha of cooked rice, one prasṛti of fat/oil, and two palas each of alkali and salt; additionally, ten palas of meat—except in the case of physicians (who are treated differently).
Sutra 18
पथिव्याधिकर्ममदजराभितप्तानां चिकित्सकाः प्रतिकुर्युः ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१८ ॥
Veterinarians shall treat those afflicted by disease, overwork, intoxication (musth-like states), and the debilities of age.
Sutra 19
स्थानस्याशुद्धिर्यवसस्याग्रहणं स्थले शायनमभागे घातः परारोहणमकाले यानमभूमावतीर्थेऽवतारणं तरुषण्ड इत्यत्ययस्थानानि ॥ कZ_०२.३२.१९ ॥
Risk-situations (accident points) are: an unclean station, failure to procure fodder, making it lie on hard ground, striking it on an improper part, mounting by another person, travelling at an improper time, dismounting at an unsuitable place or at a non-ford, and moving through a grove/thicket—these are the danger points.
Sutra 20
तमेषां भक्तवेतनादाददीत ॥ कZ_०२.३२.२० ॥
He shall deduct that (amount/penalty) from their rations and wages.
Sutra 21
भूतानां कृष्णसंधीज्याः सेनान्यः शुक्लसंधुषु ॥ कZ_०२.३२.२१च्द् ॥
For (propitiation regarding) bhūtas, the observances are to be performed at the junctions of the dark fortnight; for commanders, at the junctions of the bright fortnight.
Sutra 22
अब्दे द्व्यर्धे नदीजानां पञ्चाब्दे पर्वतौकसाम् ॥ कZ_०२.३२.२२च्द् ॥
For river-bred (stock), the period is one-and-a-half years; for mountain-dwelling (stock), it is five years.
Operational safety and strategic reliability: trained, classified, and properly equipped elephants reduce accidental killings, prevent panic-stampedes, preserve expensive assets, and provide disciplined battlefield advantage—thereby stabilizing public order and improving victory prospects.
This unit does not specify explicit fines/punishments; the implied daṇḍa logic is administrative liability—handlers and officers are accountable for breaches of training/ restraint protocol because failures create immediate lethal risk and degrade the king’s coercive instrument.