Sutra 68

Devanagari script

प्रत्यासन्नो वा दूष्यस्य सत्त्री प्रणिहितमभिषेकभाण्डममित्रशासनं च कापटिकमुखेनाचक्षीत कारणं च ब्रूयात् ॥ कZ_०५.२.६८ ॥

Transliteration

pratyāsanno vā dūṣyasya sattrī praṇihitam abhiṣekabhāṇḍam amitraśāsanaṃ ca kāpaṭika-mukhena ācakṣīta kāraṇaṃ ca brūyāt.

Translation

Une agente secrète (femme), placée près d’une personne suspecte/entachée, doit—par la bouche ou l’entremise d’un imposteur déguisé—révéler un vase d’onction royale préalablement placé (c’est-à-dire une preuve suggérant une préparation à l’usurpation) ainsi qu’une prétendue instruction de l’ennemi, et fournir aussi un récit de « raison » plausible à ce sujet.

Word by Word

प्रत्यासन्नःone who is nearby / in close proximity

वाor

दूष्यस्यof the corruptible/one to be suborned

सत्त्रीa spy / secret agent

प्रणिहितम्planted / stationed / placed

अभिषेकभाण्डम्a coronation vessel/utensil

अमित्रशासनम्an enemy’s command/edict

चand

कापटिकमुखेनthrough the mouth/agency of a deceitful person

आचक्षीतshould inform / should report

कारणम्a reason / cause / pretext

चand

ब्रूयात्should say / should state

Entities Mentioned

sattrī (female agent)

kāpaṭika (impostor/decoy)

dūṣya (suspect person)

amitra (enemy)

FAQs

What administrative purpose does the ‘abhiṣekabhāṇḍa’ serve here?

It functions as a symbolic trigger/evidence item to test whether a suspect is entertaining usurpation or can be induced to reveal disloyal intent.

Why use a kāpaṭika (impostor) as the ‘mouth’?

To preserve deniability and compartmentalize the operation: the message appears to come from an untraceable intermediary rather than the state.