Sutra 24

Devanagari script

अभ्यन्तरानभ्यन्तरेषूपजपत्सु यथार्हमुपायं प्रयुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०९.५.२४ ॥

Transliteration

abhyantarān abhyantareṣu upajapatsu yathārham upāyaṃ prayuñjīta

Translation

Lorsque des gens de l’intérieur excitent d’autres gens de l’intérieur, il faut appliquer, selon le cas, la mesure (upāya) appropriée.

Word by Word

• अभ्यन्तरान्: internal (persons/agents/parties)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यन्तर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचन; (कर्मपद)

• अभ्यन्तरेषु: among/with respect to internal (ones)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यन्तर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-बहुवचन; (अधिकरण)

• उपजपत्सु: among those who are secretly intriguing/instigating (whispering, plotting)
• Type: Noun (present participle used substantively)
• Root: उपजप्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-बहुवचन; वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ) ‘उपजपत्’; (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/अधिकरण)

• यथा-अर्हम्: as appropriate; according to what is deserved/fit
• Type: Indeclinable (Avyaya)
• Root: यथा, अर्ह
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• उपायम्: a means/measure/expedient
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (कर्म)

• प्रयुञ्जीत: should employ/apply
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + युज्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; वर्तमान; (आदेश/विधान)

Entities Mentioned

• abhyantara (insider agents)

More Details

FAQs

Why is the response to insider-instigation not fixed (unlike outsiders)?

Insiders are embedded in administration and legitimacy structures; blunt coercion can backfire. Hence Kautilya recommends case-by-case calibration.

What factors would determine 'yathārham'?

Rank, evidence strength, factional balance, public perception, operational risk, and whether reconciliation, isolation, or punishment best preserves stability.