Sutra 51

Devanagari script

प्रेतव्यञ्जनो वा गूढैर्निर्ह्रियेत ॥ कZ_०७.१७.५१ ॥

Transliteration

pretavyañjano vā gūḍhair nirhriyeta

Translation

Or, adopting the guise of a corpse, he should be carried out secretly by concealed agents.

Word by Word

• प्रेतव्यञ्जनः: a person disguised as/marked like a dead body (a ‘dead-body decoy’)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: व्यञ्ज् (व्यञ्जने) / प्रेत (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘प्रेतस्य व्यञ्जनः’ = प्रेतव्यञ्जनः

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (either/or)

• गूढैः: by concealed/secret agents (covert men)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: गुह् (गोपने) → गूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-बहुवचन; ‘गूढ’ = गुप्त/प्रच्छन्न; करणत्वे (instrumental)

• निर्ह्रियेत: should be carried out/removed (secretly)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (हरणे) उपसर्गः: निर्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्); आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive): ‘should be carried out/removed’

Entities Mentioned

• secret agents (gūḍha)
• carriers (implicit)

More Details

FAQs

What administrative vulnerability does the ‘corpse ruse’ exploit?

Social and ritual reluctance to inspect the dead closely, allowing passage through gates and crowds with minimal interference.

What control measure would a state adopt to counter this?

Standardized gate protocols for funerary processions and discreet verification by trusted officials.