Sutra 33

Devanagari script

यदि वा पश्येत् आयुधीयप्रायः श्रेणीप्रायो वा मे जनपदः शैलवननदीदुर्गैकद्वारारक्षो वा शक्ष्यति पराभियोगं प्रतिहन्तुम् विषयान्ते दुर्गमविषह्यमपाश्रितो वा शक्ष्यामि परकर्माण्युपहन्तुं ॥ कZ_०७.१.३३अ ॥

Transliteration

yadi vā paśyet āyudhīyaprāyaḥ śreṇīprāyo vā me janapadaḥ śailavananadīdurgaikadvārārakṣo vā śakṣyati parābhiyogaṃ pratihantum viṣayānte durgam aviṣahyam apāśrito vā śakṣyāmi parakarmāṇy upahantuṃ

Translation

Ou bien, s’il prévoit : « Mon territoire est en grande partie martial et organisé en formations de type corporatif ; ou il est protégé par des montagnes, des forêts, des rivières, des forteresses et des accès étroits gardés, et peut ainsi repousser une attaque ennemie ; ou, réfugié dans une forteresse imprenable à la frontière, je peux frapper les opérations de l’autre »—alors (sur cette base) il peut choisir la politique qui permet de saper l’adversaire tout en demeurant en sécurité.

Word by Word

यदिif

वाor

पश्येत्he should see/observe; he may find

आयुधीय-प्रायःmostly consisting of armed men / predominantly military

श्रेणी-प्रायःmostly consisting of guilds (organized corporations)

वाor

मेof me / my

जनपदःthe countryside/territory (of my state)

शैल-वन-नदी-दुर्ग-एकद्वार-रक्षः(a territory) protected by mountains, forests, rivers, a fort, and a single gate/access

वाor

शक्ष्यतिwill be able

पर-अभियोगम्an enemy’s attack/expedition

प्रतिहन्तुम्to repel/counterstrike

विषय-अन्तेat the edge/frontier of the district/territory

दुर्गम्a fort

अविषह्यम्unendurable; hard to overcome

अपाश्रितःhaving taken refuge (in it)

वाor

शक्ष्यामिI shall be able

पर-कर्माणिthe enemy’s actions/operations

उपहन्तुम्to strike at; to damage; to thwart

Entities Mentioned

janapada

guilds (śreṇī)

fortress (durga)

frontier

FAQs

What state capacities justify a more aggressive posture despite threat?

A militarized/organized populace, strong natural and fort defenses, controlled chokepoints, and access to an unassailable frontier fortress enabling safe offensive disruption.

What is the niti principle?

Build resilience (terrain, forts, social organization) so the state can absorb attack while continuing to degrade the adversary’s capacity.