Sutra 7

Devanagari script

दूष्यामित्राभ्यां मूलहरेण वा ज्यायसा विगृहीतं त्रातुकामस्तथाविधमुपकारं कारयितुकामः सम्बन्धावेक्षी वा तदात्वे चायत्यां च लाभं न प्रतिगृह्णीयात् ॥ कZ_०७.८.०७ ॥

Transliteration

dūṣyāmitrābhyāṃ mūlahareṇa vā jyāyasā vigṛhītaṃ trātukāmas tathāvidham upakāraṃ kārayitukāmaḥ sambandhāvekṣī vā tadātve cāyatyāṃ ca lābhaṃ na pratigṛhṇīyāt

Translation

Si l’on veut secourir quelqu’un attaqué par une puissance hostile (ou par un destructeur des racines) ou par une partie plus forte; ou si l’on veut faire accomplir un tel bienfait; ou si l’on tient compte des obligations de relation—on ne doit accepter aucun profit, ni sur-le-champ ni plus tard.

Word by Word

दूष्यby a corrupt/tainted (person/party)

अमित्राभ्याम्by two enemies / by enemies

मूलहरेणby an uprooter / one who destroys the base

वाor

ज्यायसाby a stronger (person/party)

विगृहीतम्seized / taken away

त्रातुकामःwishing to rescue/protect

तथाin such a manner / similarly

विधम्of that kind / such

उपकारम्a benefit / assistance / favor

कारयितुकामःwishing to cause (it) to be done / wishing to render (such) a service in return

सम्बन्धrelationship / connection

अवेक्षीconsidering / taking into account

वाor

तदात्वेat that time / in the present occasion

चand

आयत्याम्in the future

चand

लाभम्gain / benefit

नnot

प्रतिगृह्णीयात्should accept (receive) / (with negation) should not accept

Entities Mentioned

stronger power (jyāyas)

root-destroyer (mūlahara)

hostile enemy (amitra)

protected party (implicit)

FAQs

Why would Kautilya advise refusing profit even later in a rescue context?

To signal credible protective commitment, preserve relationships, and build reputation capital that yields broader strategic returns than transactional extraction.