Sutra 3

Devanagari script

तत्रापि स्थलनदीपर्वतदुर्गाणामुत्तरोत्तरं श्रेयः ॥ कZ_०७.१२.०३ ॥

Transliteration

tatrāpi sthalanadīparvatadurgāṇāmuttarottaraṃ śreyaḥ

Translation

Incluso entre las fortalezas, las fortalezas de tierra, de río y de montaña son, sucesivamente, preferibles (en ese orden de superioridad creciente).

Word by Word

• तत्र: there; in that context
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• अपि: also; even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-कार)

• स्थल: land (plain); land-fort (as a type)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• नदी: river; river-fort (as a type)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• पर्वत: mountain; mountain-fort (as a type)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• दुर्गाणाम्: of the forts (namely land-, river-, and mountain-forts)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः: स्थल-नदी-पर्वत-दुर्ग (समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व) + षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध

• उत्तर-उत्तरम्: each successive one; in ascending order
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘क्रमेण/अनुक्रमेण’ (each succeeding one)

• श्रेयः: is better; is preferable
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

Entities Mentioned

• sthala-durga
• nadī-durga
• parvata-durga

More Details

FAQs

What principle underlies the preference from land to river to mountain forts?

Increasing reliance on terrain-imposed obstacles that raise attacker cost and reduce defender resource burden.