Vyasanadhikarana Adhyaya 3 Sutra 64 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 64

Devanagari script

विशेषतश्च संघानां संघधर्मिणां च राजकुलानां द्यूतनिमित्तो भेदस्तन्निमित्तो विनाश इत्यसत्प्रग्रहः पापिष्ठतमो व्यसनानां तन्त्रदौर्बल्यादिति ॥ कZ_०८.३.६४ ॥

Transliteration

viśeṣataś ca saṃghānāṃ saṃghadharmiṇāṃ ca rājakulānāṃ dyūtanimitto bhedas tannimitto vināśa ity asatpragrahaḥ pāpiṣṭhatamo vyasanānāṃ tantradaurbalyād iti

Translation

Especially for confederacies and corporate polities, and for royal families, gambling causes division, and from that division comes destruction. Therefore, the pursuit of the unworthy (asat-pragraha) is the most sinful of vices, because it weakens the governing system.

Word by Word

विशेषतःespecially; in particular

चand

संघानाम्of confederations/associations (corporate bodies)

संघधर्मिणाम्of those having the polity/constitution of a confederation

चand

राजकुलानाम्of royal houses/dynasties

द्यूतनिमित्तःhaving gambling as the cause; caused by gambling

भेदःsplit; dissension

तत्that

निमित्तःhaving as the cause; due to

विनाशःruin; destruction

इतिthus; ‘so’ (quotative)

असत्प्रग्रहःimproper indulgence/addiction (to vice)

पापिष्ठतमःthe most sinful; worst

व्यसनानाम्among vices/addictions (calamities)

तन्त्रदौर्बल्यात्because of weakness of the polity/administrative system

इतिthus

Entities Mentioned

saṃgha (confederacy/corporate polity)

rājakula (dynasty)

tantra (governing apparatus/system)

FAQs

Why are saṃghas and dynasties singled out as especially vulnerable?

Their stability depends heavily on internal consensus and kin/elite cohesion; gambling accelerates rival camps and grievances, quickly converting private disputes into constitutional or succession crises.

What does ‘tantra’ mean in this context?

The operative machinery of rule—procedures, discipline, coordination, and authority structures; gambling corrodes these by factionalizing decision-making and loyalty.