Sutra 23

Devanagari script

यो भृत्यात्मपीडाभ्यामुपचिनोत्यर्थं स कदर्यः ॥ कZ_०२.९.२३ ॥

Transliteration

yo bhṛtyātmapīḍābhyām upacinoty arthaṃ sa kadaryaḥ

Translation

One who amasses wealth by tormenting subordinates and by self-torture (miserly hoarding) is a ‘kadarya’ (a miser whose conduct is harmful).

Word by Word

• यः: who, he who
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: sarvanāma; prathamā-vibhaktiḥ; ekavacanam; pumān; sambandhaḥ (relative pronoun)

• भृत्य: servant, employee, attendant
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य
• Form: prātipadika; (samāse pūrvapada); pumliṅga; ekavacana (upapada in compound)

• आत्म: self, oneself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: prātipadika; (samāse madhyama-pada); pumliṅga; ekavacana (upapada in compound)

• पीडाभ्याम्: by oppression, through harassment
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा
• Form: tṛtīyā-vibhaktiḥ; dvivacanam; strīliṅga; karaṇa/hetu-artha (by/through oppression)

• भृत्यात्मपीडाभ्याम्: by oppressing (both) servants and oneself
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: भृत्य-आत्म-पीडा
• Form: samāsaḥ: भृत्य-आत्म (dvandva: 'servant and self') + पीडा (tatpuruṣa: 'oppression of ...'); whole form: tṛtīyā-dvivacanam; strīliṅga (head: पीडा)

• उपचिनोति: accumulates, amasses
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-चि
• Form: laṭ-lakāraḥ; prathamapuruṣaḥ; ekavacanam; parasmaipada; vartamāna-kāla; upasarga: उप

• अर्थम्: wealth, money, resources
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: dvitīyā-vibhaktiḥ; ekavacanam; pumliṅga; karma (object of verb)

• सः: he, that person
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: sarvanāma; prathamā-vibhaktiḥ; ekavacanam; pumān; correlative to यः

• कदर्यः: a miser; a mean, wretched person
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: कदर्य
• Form: prathamā-vibhaktiḥ; ekavacanam; pumliṅga; predicative adjective (nominal predicate)

Entities Mentioned

• bhṛtya (subordinates/servants)
• kadarya (miserly official)

More Details

FAQs

What administrative risk does Kautilya flag by calling someone ‘kadarya’ here?

A high-risk official profile: one who extracts wealth through workplace oppression and miserly hoarding—behaviors that correlate with concealment, underpayment, and misappropriation.

Why mention ‘self-torture’ alongside oppressing subordinates?

It signals pathological hoarding and extreme stinginess—traits that can drive concealment of funds and refusal to spend on mandated public or operational needs.