Sutra 11

Devanagari script

कापटिकश्चात्र पूर्वावरुद्धस्तेषामर्थमानावक्षिप्तमेकैकममात्यमुपजपेत् असत्प्रवृत्तो अयं राजा साध्वेनं हत्वान्यं प्रतिपादयामः सर्वेषामेतद् रोचते कथं वा तव इति ॥ कZ_०१.१०.११ ॥

Transliteration

kāpaṭikaścātra pūrvāvaruddhas teṣām arthamānāvakṣiptam ekaikam amātyam upajapet: asatpravṛtto ’yaṃ rājā; sādhv enaṃ hatvā anyaṃ pratipādayāmaḥ; sarveṣām etad rocate—kathaṃ vā tava? iti.

Translation

Here, a provocateur (feigning loyalty) who has already been placed under restraint should secretly sound out each minister individually, saying: “This king acts unrighteously; let us rightly kill him and install another. This pleases everyone—what say you?”

Word by Word

कापटिकःa deceitful (agent/person)

चand

अत्रhere; in this context

पूर्व-अवरुद्धःpreviously restrained/kept under control

तेषाम्of them

अर्थम्wealth; gain; purpose (here: money/benefit)

आमानम्bait; inducement (lit. raw/uncooked; here: lure)

अवक्षिप्तम्thrown down/placed (as a lure)

एक-एकम्one by one; each individually

अमात्यम्a minister; high official

उपजपेत्should privately instigate/whisper to

असत्-प्रवृत्तःengaged in wrongful conduct

अयम्this

राजाking

साधुproperly; rightly; indeed

एनम्him

हत्वाhaving killed

अन्यम्another (person)

प्रतिपादयामःwe shall install/establish (another)

सर्वेषाम्of all (of them)

एतत्this (proposal/idea)

रोचतेis pleasing; appeals

कथम्how?

वाor; alternatively

तवof you; to you (your)

इतिthus; saying

Entities Mentioned

rājā

amātya

kāpaṭika (agent-provocateur)

FAQs

What administrative purpose does the ‘kill the king and install another’ suggestion serve?

It is a controlled provocation to identify officials who are receptive to regicide/treason, enabling the state to isolate conspirators before they organize.

Why is the agent described as ‘previously restrained’ (pūrvāvaruddha)?

To keep the operation deniable and contained: the agent is already under state control, limiting independent action and preventing real escalation.