Sutra 3

Devanagari script

प्रभूतं मे भृतबलमल्पं च मौलबलम्ण् परस्याल्पं विरक्तं वा मौलबलम् फल्गुप्रायमसारं वा भृतसैन्यम्ण् मन्त्रेण योद्धव्यमल्पव्यायामेनण् ह्रस्वो देशः कालो वा तनुक्षयव्ययह्ण् अल्पावापं शान्तोपजापं विश्वस्तं वा मे सैन्यम्ण् परस्याल्पः प्रसारो हन्तव्यह्ण् भृतबलकालः ॥ कZ_०९.२.०३ ॥

Transliteration

prabhūtaṃ me bhṛtabalam alpaṃ ca maulabalam; parasyālpaṃ viraktaṃ vā maulabalam; phalguprāyam asāraṃ vā bhṛtasainyam; mantreṇa yoddhavyam alpavyāyāmena; hrasvo deśaḥ kālo vā tanukṣayavyayaḥ; alpāvāpaṃ śāntopajāpaṃ viśvastaṃ vā me sainyam; parasyālpaḥ prasāro hantavyaḥ—iti bhṛtabalakālaḥ

Translation

Cuando yo tengo abundantes tropas mercenarias y sólo una pequeña fuerza permanente; cuando las tropas permanentes del enemigo son pocas o están desafeccionadas; cuando las tropas mercenarias del enemigo son en su mayoría débiles y sin sustancia; cuando la lucha debe ganarse mediante consejo/estratagema con poco esfuerzo físico; cuando el teatro o el tiempo es corto, de modo que las pérdidas y los gastos son leves; cuando mis tropas son poco susceptibles al soborno, están serenas frente a la subversión y son dignas de confianza; y cuando la extensión del enemigo es pequeña y puede ser golpeada—éstas son las ocasiones para emplear tropas mercenarias.

Word by Word

प्रभूतम्abundant, large (in amount)

मेof me, my

भृतबलम्paid force; mercenary troops

अल्पम्small, little

चand

मौलबलम्the king’s own (hereditary/standing) troops

परस्यof the enemy/other (king)

अल्पम्small

विरक्तम्disaffected, not loyal

वाor

मौलबलम्own standing troops

फल्गुप्रायम्mostly weak/insignificant

असारम्without substance; ineffective

वाor

भृतसैन्यम्paid army; mercenary troops

मन्त्रेणby counsel/strategy

योद्धव्यम्should be fought/engaged (one must fight)

अल्पव्यायामेनwith little exertion/effort

ह्रस्वःshort, small

देशःterritory/region

कालःtime/season

वाor

तनुक्षयव्ययःloss of men (bodily depletion) and expenditure

अल्पावापम्yielding little gain/return

शान्तोपजापम्pacified/controlled through inducement and subornation

विश्वस्तम्trusted, reliable

वाor

मेmy

सैन्यम्army

परस्यof the enemy

अल्पःsmall, limited

प्रसारःdeployment/spread/extension

हन्तव्यःshould be struck down/destroyed

भृतबलकालःthe occasion/time for using paid troops

Entities Mentioned

hired troops (bhṛtaka)

standing troops (maula)

enemy standing troops

enemy hired troops

FAQs

What is the implied risk-control condition for using hired troops?

Use them when the operation is short, the plan relies on stratagem more than endurance, and the hired force is assessed as trustworthy and not easily bribed or subverted.