Yogavritta Adhyaya 1 Sutra 3 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 3

Devanagari script

राजानमवगृह्योपजीविनः शत्रुसाधारणा वा ये मुख्यास्तेषु गूढपुरुषप्रणिधिः कृत्यपक्षोपग्रहो वा सिद्धिः यथोक्तं पुरस्तादुपजापोऽपसर्पो वा यथा पारग्रामिके वक्ष्यामः ॥ कZ_०५.१.०३ ॥

Transliteration

rājānamavagṛhyopajīvinaḥ śatrusādhāraṇā vā ye mukhyāsteṣu gūḍhapuruṣapraṇidhiḥ kṛtyapakṣopagraho vā siddhiḥ yathoktaṃ purastādupajāpo'pasarpo vā yathā pāragrāmike vakṣyāmaḥ

Translation

As for principal dependents who have gained the king’s confidence yet are common to (i.e., accessible by or alignable with) the enemy: success lies in placing secret agents among them, or in drawing them into the side of one’s own operatives; as earlier stated—through inducement or through causing them to withdraw—according to the methods described (and as will be detailed) in operations concerning external/other communities.

Word by Word

राजानम्the king

अवगृह्यhaving seized/controlled

उपजीविनःdependents/retainers (those who live by another’s support)

शत्रु-साधारणाःcommon to the enemy as well / shared with the enemy

वाor

येwho/which

मुख्याःprincipal/important

तेषुamong them / in them

गूढ-पुरुष-प्रणिधिःdeployment/planting of secret agents

कृत्य-पक्ष-उपग्रहःsecuring/bringing over a faction (one’s side) through operatives

वाor

सिद्धिःsuccess/accomplishment

यथा-उक्तम्as stated

पुरस्तात्earlier/previously

उपजापःsecret inducement/subornation (to cause defection)

अपसर्पःcovert withdrawal/escape

वाor

यथाas / in the manner (that)

पार-ग्रामिकेin the section on ‘across/other-village (foreign)’ matters

वक्ष्यामःwe shall explain

Entities Mentioned

rājā (king)

upajīvinaḥ (dependents/retainers)

śatru (enemy)

gūḍhapuruṣa (secret agents)

FAQs

Who are ‘śatrusādhāraṇa’ key dependents in modern terms?

High-value insiders whose loyalties or access are contestable—e.g., courtiers, commanders, or officials vulnerable to rival recruitment.

What are the two main tools recommended here?

Penetration (placing covert agents) and conversion (co-opting the person into one’s controlled operational faction), supported by inducement or engineered withdrawal.