Abhiyasyatkarma Adhyaya 7 Sutra 6 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 6

Devanagari script

यथा सामन्तानामामिषभूतः सामन्तव्यसनजो लाभः शत्रुप्रार्थितो वा स्वभावाधिगम्यो लाभः पश्चात्कोपेन पार्ष्णिग्राहेण वा विगृहीतः पुरस्ताल्लाभः मित्रोच्छेदेन संधिव्यतिक्रमेण वा मण्डलविरुद्धो लाभः इत्यापदर्थः ॥ कZ_०९.७.०६ ॥

Transliteration

yathā sāmantānām āmiṣabhūtaḥ sāmantavyasanajo lābhaḥ śatruprārthito vā svabhāvādhigamyo lābhaḥ paścāt kopena pārṣṇigrāheṇa vā vigṛhītaḥ purastāl lābhaḥ mitrocchedena saṃdhivyatikrameṇa vā maṇḍalaviruddho lābhaḥ ity āpadarthaḥ

Translation

Par exemple : un gain servant d’appât pour les chefs frontaliers (sāmantas) ; un gain né du malheur d’un sāmanta ; un gain recherché par l’ennemi ou obtenu par simple concours de circonstances ; un gain qui, ensuite, suscite l’hostilité ou est saisi par l’ennemi de l’arrière (pārṣṇigrāha) ; et un gain qui, dès l’origine, s’oppose à l’ordre du mandala—parce qu’il exige d’éliminer un allié ou de violer un traité—tout cela constitue des « gains de crise » (āpad-artha).

Word by Word

यथाas, in the manner that

सामन्तानाम्of the frontier vassals/neighboring chiefs

आमिषभूतःhaving become a bait (a lure)

सामन्तव्यसनजःarising from the calamity/distress of the frontier chiefs

लाभःgain, acquisition

शत्रुenemy

प्रार्थितःrequested, solicited

वाor

स्वभावाधिगम्यःobtainable by one’s own nature/normal means

लाभःgain

पश्चात्afterwards, later

कोपेनby anger

पार्ष्णिग्राहेणby the rear-enemy (heel-grasper)

वाor

विगृहीतःseized/attacked; estranged; made hostile

पुरस्तात्in front; earlier/beforehand

लाभःgain

मित्रally, friend

उच्छेदेनby destruction/eradication

संधिtreaty, alliance, peace

व्यतिक्रमेणby transgression/violation

वाor

मण्डलविरुद्धःopposed to the mandala (circle of states)

लाभःgain

इतिthus

आपदर्थःthis is the purport regarding calamity/distress

Entities Mentioned

sāmanta (frontier chief)

śatru (enemy)

pārṣṇigrāha (rear-enemy)

mitra (ally)

maṇḍala (circle of states)

FAQs

Why is a gain 'maṇḍalaviruddha' treated as risky?

Because it disrupts the relational geometry of the circle of states—triggering balancing coalitions, reputational loss, and strategic isolation.

What is the warning about exploiting a neighbor’s misfortune?

Such opportunism can make you the next target, create resentful survivors, and invite rival intervention—turning short-term profit into long-term insecurity.