Sutra 9

Devanagari script

उत्साहवतश्च प्रभाववन्तो जित्वा क्रीत्वा च स्त्रियो बालाः पङ्गवोऽन्धाश्च पृथिवीं जिग्युरिति ॥ कZ_०९.१.०९ ॥

Transliteration

utsāhavataś ca prabhāvavanto jitvā krītvā ca striyo bālāḥ paṅgavo ’ndhāś ca pṛthivīṃ jigyur iti

Translation

Se dice que quienes están dotados de iniciativa (utsāha) y de poder eficaz (prabhāva) han conquistado la tierra—ya sea por conquista o por compra—aun cuando fueran mujeres, niños, cojos o ciegos.

Word by Word

उत्साहवतस्(those) possessing energy/enterprise

चand

प्रभाववन्तःpowerful/influential

जित्वाhaving conquered

क्रीत्वाhaving bought (won over by purchase)

चand

स्त्रियःwomen

बालाःchildren / boys (the young)

पङ्गवःthe lame

अन्धाःthe blind

चand

पृथिवीम्the earth; the realm/kingdom

जिग्युःthey conquered / they won

इतिthus (it is said)

Entities Mentioned

king/leader (implicit)

territory (pṛthivī)

FAQs

What administrative claim is being made by listing women, children, the lame, and the blind?

That sovereignty depends less on conventional markers of capability and more on initiative and effective power; the examples stress that organizational force can overcome personal limitations.

Why does Kautilya include ‘purchase’ alongside ‘conquest’?

He treats acquisition of territory as a strategic outcome achievable through multiple instruments—military force or economic/transactional means—whichever is more expedient.