Sutra 27

Devanagari script

कुल्यकुमारमुख्यानुपांशुदण्डेन वा साधयित्वा स्वयं राज्यं गृह्णीयात् ॥ कZ_०५.६.२७ ॥

Transliteration

kulyakumāra-mukhyān upāṃśu-daṇḍena vā sādhayitvā svayaṃ rājyaṃ gṛhṇīyāt

Translation

Ou bien, après avoir soumis les princes collatéraux et les hommes en vue par un châtiment clandestin, il peut s’emparer lui-même du royaume.

Word by Word

• कुल्यकुमारमुख्यान्: the leading (persons) among the kulya-kumāras (noble/royal-affiliated youths)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (compound)
• Root: मुख्य (मुख्य) / कुमार / कुल्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; ‘मुख्य’ (प्रधान) विशेषण-प्रधान समासः—कुल्यकुमाराणां मुख्यान् = कुल्यकुमारमुख्यान्

• उपांशु-दण्डेन: by a covert/secret punishment (coercive measure)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; उपांशु (गुप्तम्/मन्दम्) + दण्ड (दण्डः = दण्डनम्/दण्डोपायः)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (option ‘or’)

• साधयित्वा: having subdued/managed (them), having accomplished (the task)
• Type: Verb (absolutive)
• Root: साध्
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; धातु: साध् (साधने); अर्थ: ‘साधयित्वा’ = सिद्धिं नीत्वा/वशं कृत्वा

• स्वयम्: personally; himself
• Type: Adverb
• Root: स्वयम्
• Form: अव्यय; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• राज्यम्: the kingdom; sovereignty
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• गृह्णीयात्: should take/assume (the kingship)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; धातु: ग्रह्; ‘गृह्णीयात्’ = गृह्णीयात्/आददीत (should take)

Entities Mentioned

• royal minister
• collateral princes
• chief nobles

More Details

FAQs

What is ‘upāṃśu-daṇḍa’?

Punishment applied quietly—through secret arrests, hidden sanctions, clandestine coercion—so resistance cannot easily mobilize.

What is the end-goal suggested here?

If conditions permit, the minister can convert control over rivals into direct seizure of sovereignty.