Vinayaadhikaarika Adhyaya 3 Sutra 12 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 12

Devanagari script

परिव्राजकस्य जितेन्द्रियत्वमनारम्भो निष्किंचनत्वं सङ्गत्यागो भैक्षव्रतमनेकत्रारण्ये च वासो बाह्याभ्यन्तरं च शौचम् ॥ कZ_०१.३.१२ ॥

Transliteration

parivrājakasya jitendriyatvam anārambho niṣkiṃcanatvaṃ saṅgatyāgo bhaikṣavratam anekatrāraṇye ca vāso bāhyābhyantaraṃ ca śaucam

Translation

Pour un ascète errant (parivrājaka), la discipline consiste en : la maîtrise des sens, le fait de ne pas entreprendre, le détachement de toute possession, le renoncement aux fréquentations, vivre d’aumônes, demeurer en divers lieux—surtout en forêt— et la pureté extérieure comme intérieure.

Word by Word

परिव्राजकस्यof the wandering ascetic (mendicant)

जितेन्द्रियत्वम्self-control; the state of having conquered the senses

अनारम्भःnon-initiation (refraining from undertakings/enterprises)

निष्किंचनत्वम्poverty; having no possessions

सङ्गत्यागःabandonment of attachment/association

भैक्षव्रतम्the vow/practice of living on alms

अनेकत्रin many places; not in one fixed place

अरण्येin the forest

चand

वासःdwelling; residence

बाह्यम्external

आभ्यन्तरम्internal

चand

शौचम्purity; cleanliness (external and internal)

Entities Mentioned

parivrājaka

FAQs

What is the strategic objective (Artha) of this verse?

To define a rigorous template of self-discipline and non-attachment that supports trustworthy conduct; Kautilya treats personal restraint and integrity as foundational inputs for effective statecraft and stable governance.

How does this apply to modern governance?

It maps to modern integrity frameworks: conflict-of-interest controls (possessionlessness), limits on undue influence (renouncing associations), ethical fitness (internal purity), and compliance/hygiene standards (external purity), all of which reduce corruption and improve administrative reliability.

What is the specific duty of the ruler/official mentioned?

No ruler or office-holder is directly tasked here; the verse specifies the conduct-code of a wandering ascetic as an ethical benchmark, implying that those advising or serving the state should cultivate comparable self-control, low attachment, and moral cleanliness to protect decision-making from bias and capture.