Vinayaadhikaarika Adhyaya 17 Sutra 50 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

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Sutra 50

Devanagari script

वृद्धस्तु व्याधितो वा राजा मातृबन्धुकुल्यगुणवत्सामन्तानामन्यतमेन क्षेत्रे बीजमुत्पादयेत् ॥ कZ_०१.१७.५० ॥

Transliteration

vṛddhas tu vyādhito vā rājā mātṛbandhukulyaguṇavatsāmantānām anyatamena kṣetre bījam utpādayet

Translation

Mais si le roi est âgé ou malade, il doit assurer la production de la semence (un héritier) dans un champ approprié (une épouse autorisée), par l’intermédiaire de l’un des suivants : un parent maternel, un parent du clan, un homme au mérite éprouvé, ou un chef subordonné (sāmanta).

Word by Word

वृद्धःaged, old

तुbut, however

व्याधितःafflicted by illness

वाor

राजाthe king

मातृof mothers / maternal (relatives)

बन्धुof kinsmen, relatives

कुल्यof clan-relatives / family connections

गुणवत्of the virtuous/qualified

सामन्तानाम्of the vassal/feudatory chiefs

अन्यतमेनby one of them (by any one among them)

क्षेत्रेin/through the ‘field’ (i.e., the woman/wife as the procreative field)

बीजम्seed (semen; procreative seed)

उत्पादयेत्should cause to be produced / should beget (produce offspring)

Entities Mentioned

king

maternal kinsman

clan kinsman

virtuous/competent man

sāmanta (subordinate chief)

authorized consort (kṣetra)

FAQs

Why list specific categories of potential progenitors?

To balance legitimacy (kin/clan links), capability (guṇavat), and political manageability (sāmanta), ensuring an heir acceptable to elite and administrative stakeholders.

What is the statecraft rationale behind ‘kṣetra’ and ‘bīja’ language?

It frames succession as an institutional necessity—continuity of sovereignty—handled through regulated, socially intelligible categories to minimize contestation.