Vinayaadhikaarika Adhyaya 14 Sutra 7 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 7

Devanagari script

यथा मदान्धो हस्ती मत्तेनाधिष्ठितो यद् यदासादयति तत्सर्वं प्रमृद्नाति एवमयमशास्त्रचक्षुरन्धो राजा पौरजानपदवधायाभ्युत्थितः शक्यमस्य प्रतिहस्तिप्रोत्साहनेनापकर्तुममर्षः क्रियतामिति क्रुद्धवर्गमुपजापयेत् ॥ कZ_०१.१४.०७ ॥

Transliteration

yathā madāndho hastī mattenādhiṣṭhito yad yad āsādayati tat sarvaṃ pramṛdnāti evam ayam aśāstracakṣur-andho rājā paurajānapadavadhāyābhyutthitaḥ śakyam asya pratihasti-protsāhanenāpakartum amarṣaḥ kriyatām iti kruddhavargam upajāpayet

Translation

As an elephant blinded by rut, driven by its musth, crushes whatever it reaches—so too this king, blind without the “eye of policy,” has risen to destroy townspeople and countryside. It is possible to check him by encouraging a counter-elephant; let indignation be organized—thus one should suborn the angry set.

Word by Word

यथाjust as; as

मद-अन्धःblind due to rut/intoxication

हस्तीan elephant

मत्तेनby/with intoxication; being in musth

अधिष्ठितःoverpowered/possessed; mounted upon

यत्whatever (which)

यत्whatever (each thing that)

आसादयतिcomes upon; encounters; reaches

तत्that

सर्वम्all of it; entirely

प्रमृद्नातिcrushes; tramples down

एवम्so; in the same way

अयम्this (man)

अ-शास्त्र-चक्षुः-अन्धःblind, having no eye of śāstra (i.e., ignorant of statecraft)

राजाthe king

पौर-जनपद-वधायfor the killing/destruction of citizens and rural folk

अभ्युत्थितःrisen up; set out; become active

शक्यम्possible; feasible

अस्यof him; his

प्रतिहस्ति-प्रोत्साहनेनby inciting a counter-elephant (i.e., by deploying an opposing force)

अपकर्तुम्to harm; to do damage; to thwart

अमर्षःresentment; indignation

क्रियताम्let it be done; should be made

इतिthus; saying so

क्रुद्ध-वर्गम्the enraged faction/group

उपजापयेत्should cause to be privately persuaded/indoctrinated; should work upon (them)

Entities Mentioned

rājā (king)

paura (townspeople)

jānapada (countryside)

kruddhavarga (angry faction)

FAQs

What is ‘pratihasti’ in political-operational terms?

A calibrated counterweight—another power center (leader, faction, militia, or coalition) mobilized to restrain a destructive ruler.

How does the verse justify subversion ethically/politically?

By presenting action as protection of the populace against a ruler portrayed as policy-blind and violently unrestrained.