Sutra 6
Devanagari script
प्रतिहतहताग्रवेगयोः प्रतिहतमग्रपातभग्नं प्रवीरपुरुषसंहतं युध्येत न हताग्रवेगमग्रपातहतवीरम् ॥ कZ_०८.५.०६ ॥
Transliteration
pratihatahatāgravegayoḥ pratihatam agrapātabhagnaṃ pravīrapuruṣasaṃhataṃ yudhyeta na hatāgravegam agrapātahatavīram
Translation
Entre une force contenue et une force dont l’élan vers l’avant est détruit, il doit combattre la force contenue—dont le premier assaut est brisé mais dont les braves restent soudés ; il ne doit pas combattre celle dont l’élan de l’avant-garde est détruit et dont les héros de tête sont tués au premier choc.
Word by Word
प्रतिहत-हत-अग्र-वेगयोःof the two (forces/conditions): (one) with vanguard momentum checked and (one) with vanguard momentum destroyed
प्रतिहत-हत-अग्र-वेगयोः:
TypeNoun (compound)
Rootप्रतिहत (ppp √हन्), हत (ppp √हन्), अग्र, वेग
Formषष्ठी-द्विवचन; समासपद (द्वन्द्व): (प्रतिहतहताग्रवेग) = ‘whose vanguard-impetus is checked and whose vanguard-impetus is destroyed’; overall genitive dual ‘of the two (cases/forces) …’
प्रतिहतम्checked; repulsed
प्रतिहतम्:
TypeAdjective (PPP used substantively)
Root√हन् (ppp प्रतिहत)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextually object-qualifier); ‘checked/repulsed’
अग्रपात-भग्नम्broken due to a forward collapse/charge-fall at the front
अग्रपात-भग्नम्:
TypeNoun/Adjective (compound)
Rootअग्रपात, √भञ्ज् (ppp भग्न)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; ‘broken in/at the अग्रपात’
प्रवीर-पुरुष-संहतम्a compact formation/body of elite fighting men
प्रवीर-पुरुष-संहतम्:
TypeNoun/Adjective (compound)
Rootप्रवीर, पुरुष, √हन्/√हृ? (संहत = ppp √हन्? actually √हन् not; here ‘संहत’ from √हन् is unlikely; standard ‘संहत’ = ‘assembled/compacted’ from √हन्? better: from √हन् is ‘हत’; ‘संहत’ is adjectival ‘compact’ from √हन्?; lexically ‘saṃhata’ = ‘collected/compact’ from √हन्/√हृ is not right; treat as adjective stem संहत-
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; ‘a compact body/mass of elite warriors/men’
युध्येतone should fight
युध्येत:
TypeVerb
Root√युध्
Formलिङ् (विधिलिङ्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should fight’
नnot
न:
TypeParticle (negation)
Rootन
Formनिषेध
हत-अग्र-वेगम्(a force) with its vanguard momentum destroyed
हत-अग्र-वेगम्:
TypeNoun (compound)
Root√हन् (ppp हत), अग्र, वेग
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; ‘(one) whose vanguard momentum is destroyed’
अग्रपात-हत-वीरम्(a force) whose warriors are killed due to a front-line collapse/forward fall
अग्रपात-हत-वीरम्:
TypeNoun (compound)
Rootअग्रपात, √हन् (ppp हत), वीर
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextually army/force as neuter), एकवचन, द्वितीया; ‘(one) whose heroes are slain due to the front-collapse/forward fall’
Entities Mentioned
E
enemy vanguardE
elite fighters (vīra)FAQs
A cohesive enemy can be fixed and decisively defeated; a collapsing one may fragment, flee, or turn into dispersed violence—raising costs of pursuit and control.