Abhiyasyatkarma Adhyaya 1 Sutra 15 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 15

Devanagari script

प्रज्ञाशास्त्रचक्षुर्हि राजाल्पेनापि प्रयत्नेन मन्त्रमाधातुं शक्तः परानुत्साहप्रभाववतश्च सामादिभिर्योगोपनिषद्भ्यां चातिसंधातुम् ॥ कZ_०९.१.१५ ॥

Transliteration

prajñāśāstracakṣur hi rājā alpenāpi prayatnena mantram ādhātuṃ śaktaḥ parān utsāha-prabhāvavataś ca sāmādibhir yogopaniṣadbhyāṃ ca atisaṃdhātum

Translation

Un roi doté de sagesse et de l’œil de la science politique peut, même avec peu d’effort, élaborer une stratégie solide ; et il peut déjouer des adversaires pourvus d’initiative et d’un pouvoir efficace au moyen de procédés tels que la conciliation et les autres expédients, ainsi que par des méthodes secrètes.

Word by Word

प्रज्ञा-शास्त्र-चक्षुःthe eye (insight) of wisdom and the treatise (i.e., scriptural/political knowledge as vision)

हिindeed, for

राजाthe king

अल्पेनwith little

अपिeven

प्रयत्नेनby effort

मन्त्रम्counsel; state policy/advice

आधातुम्to establish/lay down (a policy); to adopt counsel

शक्तःis able

परान्others (opponents)

उत्साह-प्रभाव-वतश्who possess energy and power/influence

चand

साम-आदिभिःby conciliation and the other means (gift, punishment, dissension, etc.)

योग-उपनिषद्भ्याम्by stratagems (yoga) and secret devices/counsels (upanisads)

चand

अतिसंधातुम्to outmaneuver/overreach (them); to overcome by superior combination of means

Entities Mentioned

king

opponents/enemies

FAQs

What is the core claim about knowledge (‘śāstra-cakṣuḥ’)?

That trained political understanding multiplies effectiveness—reducing required effort and enabling indirect methods to defeat materially stronger adversaries.

How should ‘yogopaniṣad’ be read here?

As confidential/secret techniques of statecraft—covert operations, deception, psychological tactics, and hidden arrangements used alongside open diplomacy.