Sutra 23

Devanagari script

अमित्रमात्मनो वा मध्यमो लिप्सेत कोशदण्डाभ्यामेनमदृश्यमानोऽनुगृह्णीयात् ॥ कZ_०७.१८.२३ ॥

Transliteration

amitram ātmano vā madhyamo lipseta kośadaṇḍābhyām enam adṛśyamāno 'nugṛhṇīyāt

Translation

Or, if the Madhyama seeks to secure his own enemy, he should secretly favor him with both resources and force (money and coercive power), without being seen.

Word by Word

• अमित्रम्: the enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया

• आत्मनः: of oneself / one's own
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, षष्ठी (स्वस्य)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• मध्यमः: the middle king
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा

• लिप्सेत: should seek to obtain / should try to win over
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप्स् (लभ्-इच्छार्थे; desiderative stem लिप्स-)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्? → विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातोः सन्नन्त (desiderative) प्रयोगः

• कोशदण्डाभ्याम्: by treasury and force (resources and coercive power)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश + दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्विवचन, तृतीया; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (कोशश्च दण्डश्च)

• एनम्: him (that one)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्-प्रत्ययान्त सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया (enam = him/that one)

• अदृश्यमानः: while remaining unseen / covertly
• Type: Participle
• Root: दृश् (पश्यति) + नञ् (अ-) + शानच्
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे कृदन्तः (present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; अर्थः ‘अदृश्यः/गुप्तः’

• अनुगृह्णीयात्: should favor / should support / should win over
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + ग्रह्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative नहीं

Entities Mentioned

• madhyama
• enemy (amitra)

More Details

FAQs

Why combine kośa (money) and daṇḍa (force) covertly?

To shape the adversary’s behavior and dependencies effectively while avoiding diplomatic blowback and attribution.