Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 3 Sutra 7 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 7

Devanagari script

वप्रस्योपरि प्राकारं विष्कम्भद्विगुणोत्सेधमैष्टकं द्वादशहस्तादूर्ध्वमोजं युग्मं वा आ चतुर्विंशतिहस्तादिति कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.३.०७अ ॥

Transliteration

vapras yopari prākāraṃ viṣkambhadviguṇotsedham aiṣṭakaṃ dvādaśahastād ūrdhvam ojaṃ yugmaṃ vā ā caturviṃśatihastād iti kārayet

Translation

Sur le rempart, il doit élever un mur de brique, d’une hauteur égale au double de son épaisseur, s’élevant au-dessus de 12 hastas—de préférence en nombres pairs—jusqu’à 24 hastas.

Word by Word

वप्रस्यof the moat/rampart (of the ditch)

उपरिon/above

प्राकारम्a rampart/wall

विष्कम्भ-द्वि-गुण-उत्सेधम्having a height twice its thickness

इष्टकम्made of bricks

द्वादश-हस्तात्from twelve cubits (i.e., exceeding twelve cubits)

ऊर्ध्वम्upwards; above; higher

ओजम्(with) an odd (number as measure)

युग्मम्or even (numbered)

वाor

आup to

चतुर्विंशति-हस्तात्from twenty-four cubits (i.e., up to/exceeding twenty-four cubits as the upper limit)

इतिthus

कारयेत्should cause (it) to be built/constructed

Entities Mentioned

vapra (rampart)

prākāra (wall)

brick construction

hasta (measure)

FAQs

Why specify a height-to-thickness ratio for the wall?

It encodes stability and defensibility into a rule that supervisors can verify—reducing collapse risk and ensuring a predictable defensive profile.