Sutra 13

Devanagari script

मन्त्रिपुरोहितादिभृत्यवर्गमध्यक्षप्रचारं पुरुषद्रव्यप्रकृतिव्यसनप्रतीकारमेधनं च राजैव करोति ॥ कZ_०८.१.१३ ॥

Transliteration

mantripurohitādibhṛtyavargam adhyakṣapracāraṃ puruṣadravyaprakṛtivyasanapratīkāram edhanaṃ ca rājaiva karoti

Translation

The king alone carries out: supervision/management of the circle of ministers, chaplain-priest, and other servants; oversight of departmental heads; and the strengthening of remedies against calamities affecting personnel, material resources, and the constituent elements of the state.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रि-पुरोहित-आदि-भृत्य-वर्गम्: the group/class of servants such as ministers and the chaplain
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन्/पुरोहित/आदि/भृत्य/वर्ग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; कर्मपदम् (करोति इत्यस्य)

• अध्यक्ष-प्रचारम्: the supervision/operations (movement, functioning) of superintendents
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यक्ष/प्रचार
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; कर्मपदम्

• पुरुष-द्रव्य-प्रकृति-व्यसन-प्रतीकार-मेधनम्: the arranging/providing of remedies against calamities affecting personnel, finances, the constituents of the state, and disasters
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष/द्रव्य/प्रकृति/व्यसन/प्रतीकार/मेधन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; कर्मपदम्

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्; पूर्वोक्तकर्मपदानां समुच्चयः

• राजा: the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; कर्तृपदम्

• एव: alone; indeed
• Type: Particle
• Root: एव
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (नूनम्/केवलम्)

• करोति: does; carries out
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकालः

Entities Mentioned

• king (rājā)
• ministers (mantri)
• purohita
• adhyakṣas (superintendents)
• prakṛtis (state elements)

More Details

FAQs

Why does Kautilya mark some tasks as ‘the king alone’?

They are control functions (oversight, inspection, and system-strengthening) that prevent capture of the state by subordinates and ensure coherence across departments.