Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 5 Sutra 2 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 2

Devanagari script

तेषां कृतोत्साहानां महान्तं संघमादाय रात्रावन्यं ग्राममुद्दिश्यान्यं ग्रामं कृतकस्त्रीपुरुषं गत्वा ब्रूयुः इहैव विद्याप्रभावो दृश्यतां कृच्छ्रः परग्रामो गन्तुमिति ॥ कZ_०४.५.०२ ॥

Transliteration

teṣāṃ kṛtotsāhānāṃ mahāntaṃ saṃgham ādāya rātrāv anyaṃ grāmam uddiśya anyaṃ grāmaṃ kṛtakastrīpuruṣaṃ gatvā brūyuḥ—ihaiva vidyāprabhāvo dṛśyatāṃ; kṛcchraḥ paragrāmo gantum iti

Translation

Having readied themselves, they take along a large group; at night, while ostensibly setting out for one village, they go instead to another village, assuming disguised roles as women and men, and say: ‘Let the power of our “art” be displayed right here; it is difficult to go to another village.’

Word by Word

तेषाम्of those

कृतोत्साहानाम्of those whose resolve/initiative has been made (i.e., who have been encouraged/roused)

महत्a great/large

संघम्a group/band/assembly

आदायhaving taken/leading (them)

रात्रौat night

अन्यम्another

ग्रामम्village

उद्दिश्यintending/aiming at

अन्यम्another

ग्रामम्village

कृतकस्त्रीपुरुषम्with a feigned/arranged set of women and men (i.e., disguised/actors)

गत्वाhaving gone

ब्रूयुःthey should say

इहhere

एवindeed/just

विद्या-प्रभावःthe power/effect of knowledge

दृश्यताम्let (it) be seen / may (it) be seen

कृच्छ्रःdifficult/hard

पर-ग्रामःanother village / a village elsewhere

गन्तुम्to go

इतिthus

Entities Mentioned

pāratālpika offenders

villagers

target village

FAQs

What operational advantages do the offenders gain by bringing a 'large group' at night?

Numbers provide cover, intimidation, and confusion, reducing the likelihood of identification while enabling coordinated entry and control.