Vyasanadhikarana Adhyaya 4 Sutra 13 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 13

Devanagari script

स्वचक्रपरचक्रयोः स्वचक्रमतिमात्राभ्यां दण्डकराभ्यां पीडयत्यशक्यं च वारयितुम् परचक्रं तु शक्यं प्रैयोद्धुमुपसारेण संधिना वा मोक्षयितुमित्याचार्याः ॥ कZ_०८.४.१३ ॥

Transliteration

svacakraparacakrayoḥ svacakram ati-mātrābhyāṃ daṇḍa-karābhyāṃ pīḍayati aśakyaṃ ca vārayitum; paracakraṃ tu śakyaṃ praiyoddhum upasāreṇa saṃdhinā vā mokṣayitum iti ācāryāḥ

Translation

Regarding pressure from one’s own establishment and from an external power: one’s own establishment oppresses by excessive punishment and taxation and is hard to restrain; but an external power can be fought, or neutralized by conciliation or by treaty—so say the teachers.

Word by Word

स्वचक्रपरचक्रयोःof one’s own realm and the enemy realm

स्वचक्रम्one’s own realm

अतिमात्राभ्याम्by excessive measures / to an excessive extent (twofold instrument)

दण्डकराभ्याम्by punishment and taxation

पीडयतिoppresses / afflicts

अशक्यम्impossible (to do)

चand

वारयितुम्to prevent / to ward off

परचक्रम्the enemy realm

तुbut

शक्यम्possible

प्रैforth/forward (preverb ‘pra-’)

योद्धुम्to fight

उपसारेणby approaching / by advance

संधिनाby treaty / by alliance

वाor

मोक्षयितुम्to release / to get rid of (it)

इतिthus

आचार्याःthe teachers (authorities)

Entities Mentioned

svacakra (own regime apparatus)

paracakra (external enemy)

ācārya (teachers/authorities)

FAQs

Why is internal pressure considered harder to stop than external pressure?

Because it is generated by the state’s own instruments (tax and punishment) and thus persists through routine administration unless deliberately restrained.

What policy toolkit is recommended for external threats?

Military resistance, conciliation/approach, or treaty-making—selecting among them pragmatically.