Abhiyasyatkarma Adhyaya 2 Sutra 9 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 9

Devanagari script

सैन्यमनेकमनेकस्थमुक्तमनुक्तं वा विलोपार्थं यदुत्तिष्ठति तदौत्साहिकं अभक्तवेतनं विलोपविष्टिप्रतापकरं भेद्यं परेषामभेद्यं तुल्यदेशजातिशिल्पप्रायं संहतं महत् । इति बलोपादानकालाह् ॥ कZ_०९.२.०९ ॥

Transliteration

sainyam anekam aneka-stham uktaṃ anuktaṃ vā vilopārthaṃ yad uttiṣṭhati tad autsāhikaṃ; abhakta-vetanaṃ vilopa-viṣṭi-pratāpa-karaṃ bhedyaṃ pareṣām abhedyaṃ tulya-deśa-jāti-śilpa-prāyaṃ saṃhataṃ mahat | iti bala-upādāna-kālāḥ |

Translation

Une force qui se soulève en de nombreux lieux, composée de nombreux éléments—qu’elle ait été appelée ou non—principalement pour le pillage, est une force « d’élan/d’entreprise » (autsāhika). Elle n’est pas payée ou l’est irrégulièrement, vit de saisies et de corvées, est redoutable; elle peut être divisée/retournée (bhedya) bien qu’il soit difficile pour d’autres de la diviser; et elle est en grande partie unie par une même localité, une même communauté et un même métier; elle est cohésive et vaste. Telles sont les conditions relatives au moment de lever des troupes.

Word by Word

सैन्यम्army; military force

अनेकम्many; numerous

अनेकस्थम्stationed in many places; dispersed over many locations

उक्तम्spoken; announced; ordered

अनुक्तम्unspoken; not announced; not ordered

वाor

विलोपार्थम्for the purpose of plunder/raiding/destruction

यत्that which; whatever

उत्तिष्ठतिrises up; sets out; mobilizes

तत्that

औत्साहिकम्voluntary/impetuous (enthusiasm-driven)

अभक्तवेतनम्without rations and without pay

विलोपविष्टिप्रतापकरम्producing plunder, forced labour, and oppressive intimidation

भेद्यम्liable to be divided; susceptible to dissension

परेषाम्of others; of enemies

अभेद्यम्not divisible; not susceptible to being split (by enemies)

तुल्यदेशजातिशिल्पप्रायम्mostly of the same region, community, and occupation/craft

संहतम्compact; united; well-knit

महत्great; large

इतिthus

बलोपादानकालाःthe occasions/times for raising/collecting forces

Entities Mentioned

autsāhika sainya (ad hoc/raiding force)

FAQs

What makes an autsāhika force politically dangerous?

It is sustained by plunder and coercion rather than regular pay, so it can drift into predation, indiscipline, and bargaining/defection when incentives change.

Why note that it is both “bhedya” and “pareṣām abhedya”?

Internally it can be induced to split through targeted incentives and leadership manipulation; externally, its shared identity and cohesion can make rival attempts at splitting it harder unless intelligence is precise.