Sutra 68

Devanagari script

प्रत्यासन्नो वा दूष्यस्य सत्त्री प्रणिहितमभिषेकभाण्डममित्रशासनं च कापटिकमुखेनाचक्षीत कारणं च ब्रूयात् ॥ कZ_०५.२.६८ ॥

Transliteration

pratyāsanno vā dūṣyasya sattrī praṇihitam abhiṣekabhāṇḍam amitraśāsanaṃ ca kāpaṭika-mukhena ācakṣīta kāraṇaṃ ca brūyāt.

Translation

Una agente encubierta (mujer), situada cerca de una persona sospechosa/manchada, debe—por boca o mediación de un impostor disfrazado—revelar un recipiente de unción real colocado adrede (es decir, una prueba que sugiere preparación para la usurpación) y una supuesta instrucción del enemigo, y además exponer una narración de «motivo» verosímil para ello.

Word by Word

प्रत्यासन्नःone who is nearby / in close proximity

वाor

दूष्यस्यof the corruptible/one to be suborned

सत्त्रीa spy / secret agent

प्रणिहितम्planted / stationed / placed

अभिषेकभाण्डम्a coronation vessel/utensil

अमित्रशासनम्an enemy’s command/edict

चand

कापटिकमुखेनthrough the mouth/agency of a deceitful person

आचक्षीतshould inform / should report

कारणम्a reason / cause / pretext

चand

ब्रूयात्should say / should state

Entities Mentioned

sattrī (female agent)

kāpaṭika (impostor/decoy)

dūṣya (suspect person)

amitra (enemy)

FAQs

What administrative purpose does the ‘abhiṣekabhāṇḍa’ serve here?

It functions as a symbolic trigger/evidence item to test whether a suspect is entertaining usurpation or can be induced to reveal disloyal intent.

Why use a kāpaṭika (impostor) as the ‘mouth’?

To preserve deniability and compartmentalize the operation: the message appears to come from an untraceable intermediary rather than the state.