Sutra 2
सामन्तं सामन्तेन सम्भूय यायात् यदि वा मन्येत पार्ष्णिं मे न ग्रहीष्यति पार्ष्णिग्राहं वारयिष्यति यातव्यं नाभिसरिष्यति बलद्वैगुण्यं मे भविष्यति वीवधासारौ मे प्रवर्तयिष्यति परस्य वारयिष्यति बह्वाबाधे मे पथि कण्टकान्मर्दयिष्यति दुर्गाटव्यपसारेषु दण्डेन चरिष्यति यातव्यमविषह्ये दोषे संधौ वा स्थापयिष्यति लब्धलाभांशो वा शत्रूनन्यान्मे विश्वासयिष्यति इति ॥ कZ_०७.७.०२ ॥
sāmantaṃ sāmantena sambhūya yāyāt yadi vā manyeta pārṣṇiṃ me na grahīṣyati pārṣṇigrāhaṃ vārayiṣyati yātavyaṃ nābhisariṣyati baladvaiguṇyaṃ me bhaviṣyati vīvadhāsārau me pravartayiṣyati parasya vārayiṣyati bahvābādhe me pathi kaṇṭakānmardayiṣyati durgāṭavyapasāreṣu daṇḍena cariṣyati yātavyamaviṣahye doṣe saṃdhau vā sthāpayiṣyati labdhalābhāṃśo vā śatrūnanyānme viśvāsayiṣyati iti
He should march in concert with one frontier king (sāmanta) against another frontier king, if he judges: ‘He will not seize my rear (pārṣṇi); he will restrain the rear-seizer (pārṣṇigrāha); he will not turn against me; my forces will be effectively doubled; he will initiate or suppress raids and harassment; on a route full of impediments he will crush obstacles; in fort and forest-clearance operations he will act with coercive power; in an intolerable fault he will be kept to a treaty; and after gaining a share of profit he will reassure my other enemies and bring them to confidence.’
FAQs
March with a neighboring ally only if he reduces rear-risk, increases effective strength, secures routes, supports coercive operations in difficult terrain, and can be held to treaty discipline.
Because expeditionary campaigns fail when supply lines and the homeland are exposed; controlling rear-threats is a prerequisite to outward expansion.