Sutra 10

Devanagari script

यदा चास्य प्राणहरं व्याधिमन्तःकोपं शत्रुवृद्धिं मित्रव्यसनमुपस्थितं वा तन्निमित्तामात्मनश्च वृद्धिं पश्येत्तदा सम्भाव्यव्याधिधर्मकार्यापदेशेनापयायात् ॥ कZ_०७.२.१० ॥

Transliteration

yadā cāsya prāṇaharaṃ vyādhim antaḥkopaṃ śatruvṛddhiṃ mitravyasanam upasthitaṃ vā tannimittām ātmanaś ca vṛddhiṃ paśyet tadā sambhāvya vyādhidharmakāryāpadeśenāpayāyāt

Translation

And when the protector is afflicted by a life-threatening illness, internal revolt, an enemy’s rise, or a calamity to his ally—and one foresees one’s own advantage arising from that—then, after assessing the situation, one should withdraw on the pretext of illness, religious duty, or urgent business.

Word by Word

यदाwhen

चand

अस्यof him / his

प्राणहरम्life-taking, deadly

व्याधिम्illness, disease

अन्तःकोपम्internal agitation/anger; internal uprising

शत्रुवृद्धिम्growth/strengthening of the enemy

मित्रव्यसनम्misfortune/calamity of a friend/ally

उपस्थितम्having arisen; present; occurred

वाor

तत्that

निमित्ताम्as the cause/occasion (thereof)

आत्मनःof oneself / one’s own

चand

वृद्धिम्increase, advantage, gain

पश्येत्should see/should perceive/should judge

तदाthen

सम्भाव्यhaving considered; after assessing

व्याधिillness

धर्मduty; religious obligation

कार्यwork; business; task

अपदेशेनby means of a pretext; on the plea of

अपयायात्should withdraw; should retire

Entities Mentioned

śatru (enemy)

mitra (ally)

FAQs

What is the operational logic of using ‘pretexts’ (apadeśa)?

To reduce retaliation risk and preserve future negotiating space by making withdrawal appear non-hostile and situational rather than defiant.