Sutra 10

Devanagari script

मिथः कथनमन्येन जनवादे द्वन्द्वकथनम् राज्ञो वेषमुद्धतकुहकानां च रत्नातिशयप्रकाशाभ्यर्थनमेकाक्ष्योष्ठनिर्भोगं भ्रुकुटीकर्म वाक्यावक्षेपणं च ब्रुवति बलवत्संयुक्तविरोधं स्त्रीभिः स्त्रीदर्शिभिः सामन्तदूतैर्द्वेष्यपक्षावक्षिप्तानर्थ्यैश्च प्रतिसंसर्गमेकार्थचर्यां संघातं च वर्जयेत् ॥ कZ_०५.४.१० ॥

Transliteration

mithaḥ kathanam anyena janavāde dvandvakathanam rājño veṣam uddhatakuhakānāṃ ca ratnātiśayaprakāśābhyarthanam ekākṣyoṣṭhanirbhogaṃ bhrukuṭīkarma vākyāvakṣepaṇaṃ ca bruvati balavat-saṃyuktavirodhaṃ strībhiḥ strīdarśibhiḥ sāmantadūtair dveṣyapakṣāvakṣiptānarthyaiś ca pratisaṃsargaṃ ekārthacaryāṃ saṃghātaṃ ca varjayet

Translation

He should avoid: whispering with another amid public talk; speaking in a divided/paired (factional) manner; imitating the king’s dress; soliciting showy displays of “superior gems” from arrogant deceivers; making suggestive facial gestures (one-eyed looks, lip contortions), frowning, and disparaging interruptions. He should also avoid strong, coalition-backed opposition; and avoid close association, acting with a single shared agenda, or forming cliques—with women, womanizers, envoys of frontier vassals, and with worthless persons planted by hostile factions.

Word by Word

मिथःmutually, with one another

कथनम्talking, conversation

अन्येनwith another (person)

जनवादेin public talk/rumor

द्वन्द्वकथनम्quarrelsome/argumentative talk (talk of contention)

राज्ञःof the king

वेषम्disguise, dress

उद्धतकुहकानाम्of the arrogant and the deceivers

चand

रत्नातिशयप्रकाशाभ्यर्थनम्soliciting (someone) by displaying exceptional jewels/treasures

एकाक्ष्योष्ठनिर्भोगम्(making) one-eyed looks and lip-gestures (covert facial signals)

भ्रुकुटीकर्मfrowning; knitting the eyebrows

वाक्यावक्षेपणम्casting/throwing words (insinuation, verbal slight)

चand

ब्रुवति(the treatise) says; one should say/utter

बलवत्संयुक्तविरोधम्a strong/forcible combined opposition (entangling hostility)

स्त्रीभिःwith women

स्त्रीदर्शिभिःwith woman-seekers/men who look for women

सामन्तदूतैःwith envoys of (neighboring/subordinate) chiefs

द्वेष्यपक्षावक्षिप्तानर्थ्यैःwith harmful persons planted/instigated by the hostile faction

चand

प्रतिसंसर्गम्counter/close association; repeated contact

एकार्थचर्याम्acting with a single common aim

संघातम्a gathering/combination (clique)

चand

वर्जयेत्should avoid

Entities Mentioned

king

frontier vassals (sāmanta)

envoys (dūta)

hostile factions

FAQs

Why are 'whispering' and 'paired talk' treated as risks?

They are observable markers of faction-making and covert coordination, which undermine unified decision-making and invite suspicion or manipulation.