Sutra 53

Devanagari script

वनचरव्यञ्जनाश्चैनमन्यतो यान्तमन्यतोऽपदिशेयुः ॥ कZ_०७.१७.५३ ॥

Transliteration

vanacaravyañjanāś cainam anyato yāntam anyato 'padiśeyuḥ

Translation

And agents disguised as forest-roamers should, while he goes in one direction, point him out as going in another direction.

Word by Word

• वनचरव्यञ्जनाः: forest-going signallers/indicators (agents who give covert signs)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनचर; व्यञ्जन
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः; समासः = वनचर-व्यञ्जन (वनचराणां व्यञ्जनाः = वनचर-चिह्न/सूचकाः)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• एनम्: him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भे पुरुषः)

• अन्यतः: from another side / elsewhere
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपादान/दिशा-अर्थे ‘from/elsewhere’

• यान्तम्: (him) going
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (गत्यर्थक)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः; द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः; ‘going’ (object-qualifier of एनम्)

• अन्यतः: to/from another side
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः
• Form: अव्ययम्; दिशान्तरार्थे

• अपदिशेयुः: they should indicate/point out (him) as going another way
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + दिश्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; धातुः दिश् ‘to point out/indicate’, उपसर्गः अप-; अर्थः ‘should indicate/should point out (misdirect/denote)’

Entities Mentioned

• decoy agents
• pursuers (implicit)

More Details

FAQs

What is the core tactic described here?

Active misdirection: decoys feed pursuers false directional intelligence while the principal moves along the true route.

How does this relate to intelligence tradecraft?

It is a classic ‘cover and deception’ measure—controlling the adversary’s information inputs to shape their actions.