This chapter is a Kautilyan field manual for turning terrain, logistics, and timing into decisive asymmetry—winning by forcing enemy weakness while conserving one’s own strength. It defines campaign failure as friction (water, routes, rivers, fatigue, disorder) rather than battlefield shock alone. It instructs the Vijigīṣu to weaponize movement through route choice, halts, crossings, and bottleneck control, and stresses intelligence from march-signatures to gauge enemy condition and intent. Concealment and camp discipline are treated as core to operational security and combat power. The aim is to engineer a vyasana—an enemy weakness-event—so smaller effort yields larger strategic results, serving as the operational bridge between conquest policy and decisive engagements in Book 10.
Sutra 1
ग्रामारण्यानामध्वनि निवेशान्यवसेन्धनोदकवशेन परिसंख्याय स्थानासनगमनकालं च यात्रां यायात् ॥ कZ_१०.२.०१ ॥
On routes through villages and forests, he should plan the staging camps by calculating them according to fodder, fuel, and water availability, and also according to the time required for halts, encampment, and movement; thus he should conduct the march.
Sutra 2
तत्प्रतीकारद्विगुणं भक्तोपकरणं वाहयेत् ॥ कZ_१०.२.०२ ॥
He should transport rations and equipment in double quantity as a countermeasure (i.e., with redundancy to meet contingencies).
Sutra 3
अशक्तो वा सैन्येष्वायोजयेत् अन्तरेषु वा निचिनुयात् ॥ कZ_१०.२.०३ ॥
He should either assign the less capable to the troop-formations (in controlled roles), or else place them in the intervals/gaps (as fillers), as appropriate.
Sutra 4
पुरस्तान्नायकः मध्ये कलत्रं स्वामी च पार्श्वयोरश्वा बाहूत्सारः चक्रान्तेषु हस्तिनः प्रसारवृद्धिर्वा पश्चात्सेनापतिर्यायात् निविशेत ॥ कZ_१०.२.०४ ॥
In front should be the guide/leader; in the middle, the women/family and the lord (commander/king); on the flanks, cavalry and picked fighting men; at the ends of the wagon-circles, elephants; and at the rear (or to extend the column as needed), the commander-in-chief should march and encamp.
Sutra 5
सर्वतो वनाजीवः प्रसारः ॥ कZ_१०.२.०५ ॥
On all sides there should be a screen/extended deployment of forest-ranging troops (woodsmen/scouts).
Sutra 6
स्वदेशादन्वायतिर्वीवधः ॥ कZ_१०.२.०६ ॥
From one’s own territory, the marching column should be arranged in successive echelons (serial follow-on); the deployment should be in separated, distributed files to reduce vulnerability.
Sutra 7
मित्रबलमासारः ॥ कZ_१०.२.०७ ॥
Allied troops constitute the rapid reinforcement/relief (quick support) for the march.
Sutra 8
कलत्रस्थानमपसारः ॥ कZ_१०.२.०८ ॥
The position of women/dependents (the ‘kalatra’ contingent) should be kept withdrawn—removed from the exposed line of movement.
Sutra 9
पुरस्तादध्याघाते मकरेण यायात्पश्चाच्छकटेन पार्श्वयोर्वज्रेण समन्ततः सर्वतोभद्रेण एकायने सूच्या ॥ कZ_१०.२.०९ ॥
When expecting a frontal strike, advance in the ‘makara’ array; when threatened from the rear, use the ‘chakaṭa’ (cart) array; when threatened on the flanks, use the ‘vajra’ (diamond/thunderbolt) array; when threatened on all sides, use the ‘sarvatobhadra’ (all-round) array; on a single narrow track, use the ‘sūcī’ (needle) array.
Sutra 10
पथिद्वैधीभावे स्वभूमितो यायात् ॥ कZ_१०.२.१० ॥
If the route region is of divided or uncertain allegiance (dual-minded), proceed keeping close to one’s own controlled territory.
Sutra 11
अभूमिष्ठानां हि स्वभूमिष्ठा युद्धे प्रतिलोमा भवन्ति ॥ कZ_१०.२.११ ॥
For those not established on the ground, troops established on their own ground become ‘counter-current’ in battle—i.e., they reverse the enemy’s advantage through local position and support.
Sutra 12
योजनमधमा अध्यर्धं मध्यमा द्वियोजनमुत्तमा सम्भाव्या वा गतिः ॥ कZ_१०.२.१२ ॥
The expected marching rate may be: one yojana (low), one-and-a-half (medium), or two yojanas (high), as feasible.
Sutra 13
आश्रयकारी सम्पन्नघाती पार्ष्णिरासारो मध्यम उदासीनो वा प्रतिकर्तव्यः संकटो मार्गः शोधयितव्यः कोशो दण्डो मित्रामित्राटवीबलं विष्ट्यृतुर्वा प्रतीक्ष्याः कृतदुर्गकर्मनिचयरक्षाक्षयः क्रीतबलनिर्वेदो मित्रबलनिर्वेदश्चागमिष्यति उपजपितारो वा नातित्वरयन्ति शत्रुरभिप्रायं वा पूरयिष्यति इति शनैर्यायात् विपर्यये शीघ्रम् ॥ कZ_१०.२.१३ ॥
One should counter an enemy who seeks shelter/support, who strikes at prosperity/resources, and who attacks from the rear—whether he is stronger, equal, or neutral. A difficult route must be cleared. One should wait until treasury and coercive power are ready, and until friendly, hostile, and forest-tribal forces, as well as corvée-labour and season/weather, are favorable. The accumulation of fortification works, stores, protection, and the wearing down (of the enemy) will follow; hired troops and allied troops will also become exhausted (if overstrained). Or agents of subversion may not press too fast; or the enemy may fulfill his objective—therefore proceed slowly; in the opposite case, quickly.
Sutra 14
हस्तिस्तम्भसंक्रमसेतुबन्धनौकाष्ठवेणुसंघातैरलाबुचर्मकरण्डदृतिप्लवगण्डिकावेणिकाभिश्चोदकानि तारयेत् ॥ कZ_१०.२.१४ ॥
Waters should be crossed by means of elephant-pillar causeways, bridges, boats, timber and bamboo rafts; also by gourds, leather floats, basket-floats, skin-bags, rafts, buoyant blocks, and braided float-assemblies.
Sutra 15
तीर्थाभिग्रहे हस्त्यश्वैरन्यतो रात्राव् उत्तार्य सत्त्रं गृह्णीयात् ॥ कZ_१०.२.१५ ॥
To seize a ford, one should cross elsewhere at night with elephants and horses, and then capture the post/encampment (sattra).
Sutra 16
अनुदके चक्रिचतुष्पदं चाध्वप्रमाणेन शक्त्योदकं वाहयेत् ॥ कZ_१०.२.१६ ॥
When water is unavailable, he should transport water—by carts and pack-animals—in quantities proportionate to the length of the march and to his carrying capacity.
Sutra 17
दीर्घकान्तारमनुदकं यवसेन्धनोदकहीनं वा कृच्छ्राध्वानमभियोगप्रस्कन्नं क्षुत्पिपासाध्वक्लान्तं पङ्कतोयगम्भीराणां वा नदीदरीशैलानामुद्यानापयाने व्यासक्तमेकायनमार्गे शैलविषमे संकटे वा बहुलीभूतं निवेशे प्रस्थिते विसम्नाहं भोजनव्यासक्तमायतगतपरिश्रान्तमवसुप्तं व्याधिमरकदुर्भिक्षपीडितं व्याधितपत्त्यश्वद्विपमभूमिष्ठं वा बलव्यसनेषु वा स्वसैन्यं रक्षेत्परसैन्यं चाभिहन्यात् ॥ कZ_१०.२.१७ ॥
He should protect his own army and strike the enemy army when it is impaired—such as when it is on a long forest-route without water; lacking fodder, fuel, or water; forced into a hard march; pressed by operations; exhausted by hunger, thirst, and travel; bogged down at muddy or deep waters; delayed at crossings of rivers, ravines, mountains, parks, or narrow approaches; crowded on a single-road route; caught in rugged mountain defiles or constricted passes; dispersed while encamping or departing; ill-prepared; absorbed in eating; worn out after long movement; asleep; afflicted by disease, mortality, or famine; with sick infantry, horses, or elephants; when not established on suitable ground; or during any major force-distress.
Sutra 18
एकायनमार्गप्रयातस्य सेनानिश्चारग्रासाहारशय्याप्रस्ताराग्निनिधानध्वजायुधसंख्यानेन परबलज्ञानम् ॥ कZ_१०.२.१८ ॥
When an army is moving on a single route, one can estimate the enemy’s strength by counting its outward signs—its troop movements, rations and food arrangements, bedding and camp-laying, fire-places, flags, weapons, and numbers.
Sutra 19
तदात्मानो गूहयेत् ॥ कZ_१०.२.१९ ॥
Accordingly, he should conceal his own (force and arrangements).
Sutra 20
स्वभुमौ पृष्ठतः कृत्वा युध्येत निविशेत च ॥ कZ_१०.२.२०च्द् ॥
Having his own territory to the rear, he should fight and also establish camp.
Reduced campaign attrition (thirst, fatigue, disease), higher survivability of troops and animals, and a higher probability of decisive victory with minimal expenditure—stabilizing the state by preserving the Army-limb and preventing strategic overreach.
This passage does not specify a codified penalty; enforcement is command discipline. In practice, failure (e.g., negligence in water provisioning, scouting, or camp readiness) is treated as dereliction endangering bala and is punishable under military discipline (daṇḍa) by the commander/king according to severity.