Sutra 7
Devanagari script
दुष्टेषु संधिं दूषयेत् ॥ कZ_०७.१४.०७ ॥
Transliteration
duṣṭeṣu saṃdhiṃ dūṣayet
Translation
Among the wicked/unreliable, one should corrupt or spoil the treaty (i.e., prevent or break their settlement).
Word by Word
दुष्टेषुamong/with the wicked (treacherous persons)
दुष्टेषु:
TypeNoun (adjectival)
Rootदुष्ट (√दुष्)
Formसप्तमी-बहुवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गे (प्रायः) विशेषणम्; अधिकरणे (locative of sphere/condition)
सन्धिम्a treaty/peace (political alliance)
सन्धिम्:
TypeNoun
Rootसन्धि
Formद्वितीया-एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गः; कर्म (object)
दूषयेत्should spoil/corrupt (should undermine)
दूषयेत्:
TypeVerb
Root√दूष् (दूषयति)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; causative/denominative formation with -य- (दूषय-)
Entities Mentioned
D
duṣṭa (unreliable actor)FAQs
Kautilya assumes unreliable actors use peace instrumentally; preventing their consolidation can be safer than allowing a stable hostile alignment to form.