Sutra 3
Devanagari script
अभृतव्याधितयोरभृतं तदात्वकृतवेतनं युध्येत न व्याधितमकर्मण्यम् ॥ कZ_०८.५.०३ ॥
Transliteration
abhṛtavyādhitayor abhṛtaṃ tadātvakṛtavetanaṃ yudhyeta na vyādhitam akarmaṇyam
Translation
Between unpaid and sick forces, he should fight the unpaid—especially those paid only at the moment (ad hoc wages); he should not fight the sick, who are unfit for action.
Word by Word
अभृतव्याधितयोःof the unpaid (soldier) and the sick (soldier)
अभृतव्याधितयोः:
TypeNoun/Adjective (compound)
Rootअभृत; व्याधित
Formषष्ठी-द्विवचनम् (genitive dual); compound of two adjectives used substantively: अभृत + व्याधित
अभृतम्the unpaid (one)
अभृतम्:
TypeAdjective (used as noun)
Rootअभृत
Formप्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; ‘unpaid’ (one)
तदात्वकृतवेतनम्(one) whose wages are paid immediately (on the spot)
तदात्वकृतवेतनम्:
TypeNoun/Adjective (compound)
Rootतदात्व; कृत; वेतन
Formप्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; qualifier of अभृतम्: तदात्व (at that time/immediately) + कृत (made/paid) + वेतन (wages)
युध्येतshould fight
युध्येत:
TypeVerb
Rootयुध्
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; ‘should fight’
नnot
न:
TypeParticle (negation)
Rootन
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्
व्याधितम्the sick (one)
व्याधितम्:
TypeAdjective (used as noun)
Rootव्याधित
Formप्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; ‘sick (one)’
अकर्मण्यम्(one) unfit for work / incapable of action
अकर्मण्यम्:
TypeAdjective (used as noun)
Rootअकर्मण्य
Formप्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; ‘incapable of work/action’
Entities Mentioned
E
enemy troops (implicit)P
paymasters (implicit)FAQs
Unpaid troops may be demotivated and brittle, but still organized; sick troops can create unpredictable contagion/attrition dynamics and may be non-engageable in decisive battle—leading to wasted effort or stalemate.