Sutra 21

Devanagari script

राजाक्रोशकमन्त्रभेदकयोरनिष्टप्रवृत्तिकस्य ब्राह्मणमहानसावलेहिनश्च जिह्वामुत्पाटयेत् ॥ कZ_०४.११.२१ ॥

Transliteration

rājākrośaka-mantrabhedakayor aniṣṭa-pravṛttikasya brāhmaṇa-mahānasāvalehinaś ca jihvām utpāṭayet

Translation

The tongue should be torn out of one who abuses the king or reveals state counsel; likewise of one engaged in hostile conduct; and (even) of a Brāhmaṇa who ‘licks the royal kitchen’ (i.e., abuses privileged access/acts parasitically within the palace establishment).

Word by Word

राजाthe king

आक्रोशकof the abuser (reviler)

मन्त्रभेदकयोःand of the divulger of counsel/secrets

अनिष्टप्रवृत्तिकस्यof one who engages in harmful/undesirable conduct

ब्राह्मणof a Brahmin

महानसof the royal kitchen

अवलेहिनःof one who licks/tastes (a taster/licker, esp. in the kitchen)

चand

जिह्वाम्the tongue

उत्पाटयेत्should tear out / should cause to be torn out

Entities Mentioned

king

state counsel (mantra)

Brāhmaṇa

royal kitchen (mahānasa)

FAQs

What governance priority is emphasized by punishing ‘mantra-bheda’ so harshly?

Protection of decision secrecy: leaking counsel undermines diplomacy, war planning, and internal control, so it is treated as a direct threat to regime stability.