Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 33 Sutra 8 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 8

Devanagari script

स मौलभृतश्रेणिमित्रामित्राटवीबलानां सारफल्गुतां विद्यात् निम्नस्थलप्रकाशकूटखनकाकाशदिवारात्रियुद्धव्यायामं च आयोगमयोगं च कर्मसु ॥ कZ_०२.३३.०८ ॥

Transliteration

sa maulabhṛtaśreṇimitrāmitrāṭavībalānāṃ sāraphalgutāṃ vidyāt nimnasthalaprakāśakūṭakhanakākāśadivārātriyuddhavyāyāmaṃ ca āyogam ayogaṃ ca karmasu

Translation

Il doit évaluer la fiabilité et les faiblesses des troupes héréditaires du roi, des troupes mercenaires, des contingents de guildes, des forces alliées, des forces ennemies et des forces des tribus forestières ; et il doit les entraîner au combat et aux manœuvres adaptées aux terrains bas, aux terrains découverts, aux positions dissimulées/d’embuscade, aux travaux de mine/sape et (le cas échéant) aux positions élevées, ainsi qu’aux opérations de jour et de nuit—en sachant quand les employer ou ne pas les employer pour des tâches particulières.

Word by Word

सःhe (the king/commander/agent in context)

मौलभृतstanding/hereditary troops

श्रेणिguilds

मित्रallies

अमित्रenemies

आटवीforest (tribal) forces / forest region

बलानाम्of the forces (troops)

सारstrength, solidity, substance

फल्गुताweakness, insignificance, hollowness

सारफल्गुताम्(their) strength and weakness (true worth vs. hollowness)

विद्यात्should know/should ascertain

निम्नlow-lying

स्थलground, terrain

प्रकाशopen/visible (ground), exposure

कूटconcealment/ambush; hidden (positions)

खनकdigging/excavation (works)

आकाशopen space/sky

दिवाby day / daytime

रात्रिnight

युद्धbattle, fighting

व्यायामexercise, training

निम्नस्थलप्रकाशकूटखनकाकाशदिवारात्रियुद्धव्यायामम्(the factors of) low ground, terrain, openness, concealment/ambush, digging works, open space, day-and-night (operations), battle, and training

चand

आयोगम्proper employment/fitness (effective arrangement)

अयोगम्improper employment/unfitness

चand

कर्मसुin actions/operations

Entities Mentioned

standing troops (maula)

hired troops (bhṛta)

guild contingents (śreṇi)

allied forces (mitra)

enemy forces (amitra)

forest/tribal forces (āṭavī-bala)

FAQs

What is the administrative intent behind listing multiple troop types (maula, bhṛta, śreṇi, etc.)?

To institutionalize differentiated assessment and tasking: each troop category has varying loyalty, endurance, and suitability, so the state must evaluate and employ them accordingly.

What niti concept is prominent here?

Capability-based deployment: assign missions based on tested strength/weakness and context (terrain, time, method), not on labels or assumptions.