Sutra 12

Devanagari script

कर्शनीयं वास्य मित्रं मध्यमो लिप्सेत प्रतिस्तम्भयेदेनं अहं त्वा त्रायेय इति आ कर्शनात् ॥ कZ_०७.१८.१२ ॥

Transliteration

karśanīyaṃ vā 'sya mitraṃ madhyamo lipseta pratistambhayet enaṃ ahaṃ tvā trāyeya iti ā karśanāt

Translation

Ou bien, le Madhyama peut chercher à s’approprier son allié, propre à être épuisé; il doit le maintenir à flot par la promesse : «Je te protégerai», jusqu’à ce qu’il soit exténué.

Word by Word

• कर्शनीयम्: one who should be drawn over (to one’s side)
• Type: Adjective (verbal derivative)
• Root: कृष्
• Form: कृदन्त (अनीयर्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थक ‘-नीय’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; ‘कर्षणीयम्’ = ‘कर्षितुं योग्यं/कर्षणीयम्’

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• अस्य: of him / of this (person)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक; ‘of him/this’

• मित्रम्: ally; friend
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया

• मध्यमः: the middle king (intermediate power)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (political category)
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; राजमण्डल-प्रकारः

• लिप्सेत: should seek to obtain (win over)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप्स् (लभ्-इच्छार्थक desiderative)
• Form: लृट्/लिङ्?—विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; desiderative sense ‘to desire to obtain’

• प्रतिस्तम्भयेत्: should prop him up / should hold him steady (support/bolster)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तम्भ् (प्रति-स्तम्भ्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative nuance possible in usage: ‘to prop up/steady/hold back’

• एनम्: him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुं; ‘him’

• अहम्: I
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्वा: you
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन (enclitic/short form of त्वाम्)

• त्रायेय: (that) I would protect (you)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘I should protect/rescue’

• इति: thus
• Type: Quotative particle
• Root: इति
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय

• आ: up to / until
• Type: Preverb/Particle
• Root: आ
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘up to, until’ (with ablative)

• कर्शनात्: until (the act of) drawing over / winning over
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: कर्षण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुं as action-noun by usage), एकवचन, पञ्चमी (ablative); ‘from/ until the drawing over’

Entities Mentioned

• madhyama
• mitra

More Details

FAQs

Why would a ruler ‘protect’ an ally only to exhaust him?

To convert an ally into a dependent: sustained but calibrated support prevents collapse while draining autonomy and bargaining power.