Sutra 3

Devanagari script

यो वा लाभः सिद्धः शेषयोरन्यतरं साधयति ॥ कZ_०७.९.०३ ॥

Transliteration

yo vā lābhaḥ siddhaḥ śeṣayor anyataraṃ sādhayati

Translation

Any gain that is already secured can be used to accomplish one of the remaining objectives.

Word by Word

• यः: who/which (one)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

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

• लाभः: gain, profit, acquisition
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• सिद्धः: accomplished, obtained, secured
• Type: Adjective (PPP)
• Root: सिद्ध
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘लाभः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शेषयोः: of the remaining two (alternatives)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचन (contextually: ‘of the remaining two’)

• अन्यतरम्: either one (of the two), one of the two
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्यतर
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘one of the two’

• साधयति: accomplishes, secures, brings about
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध्
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; causative sense in usage: ‘brings about/achieves’

More Details

FAQs

What administrative logic is implied by 'a secured gain accomplishes one of the remaining objectives'?

Kauṭilya treats gains as instruments: once a benefit is locked in, it should be leveraged to obtain the next priority outcome rather than left idle.