Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 33 Sutra 8 - Arthashastra | Gujarati | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 8

Devanagari script

स मौलभृतश्रेणिमित्रामित्राटवीबलानां सारफल्गुतां विद्यात् निम्नस्थलप्रकाशकूटखनकाकाशदिवारात्रियुद्धव्यायामं च आयोगमयोगं च कर्मसु ॥ कZ_०२.३३.०८ ॥

Transliteration

sa maulabhṛtaśreṇimitrāmitrāṭavībalānāṃ sāraphalgutāṃ vidyāt nimnasthalaprakāśakūṭakhanakākāśadivārātriyuddhavyāyāmaṃ ca āyogam ayogaṃ ca karmasu

Translation

તે રાજાના મૌલ (વંશપરંપરાગત) સૈન્ય, ભૃત (ભાડૂતી) સૈન્ય, શ્રેણી (ગિલ્ડ) દળ, મિત્રબળ, અમિત્ર (શત્રુ) બળ અને આટવી (વન્ય-જન) બળ—એમની વિશ્વસનીયતા અને દુર્બળતા જાણે; તેમજ નીચાણવાળી જમીન, ખુલ્લું મેદાન, છુપા/ઘાતસ્થાન, ખનન/સૅપિંગ અને (જ્યાં લાગુ પડે ત્યાં) ઊંચા/આકાશીય સ્થાનોને અનુરૂપ દિવસ-રાત યુદ્ધાભ્યાસ કરાવે—અને કયા કાર્યમાં તેમને વાપરવા કે ન વાપરવા તે પણ સમજે।

Word by Word

सःhe (the king/commander/agent in context)

मौलभृतstanding/hereditary troops

श्रेणिguilds

मित्रallies

अमित्रenemies

आटवीforest (tribal) forces / forest region

बलानाम्of the forces (troops)

सारstrength, solidity, substance

फल्गुताweakness, insignificance, hollowness

सारफल्गुताम्(their) strength and weakness (true worth vs. hollowness)

विद्यात्should know/should ascertain

निम्नlow-lying

स्थलground, terrain

प्रकाशopen/visible (ground), exposure

कूटconcealment/ambush; hidden (positions)

खनकdigging/excavation (works)

आकाशopen space/sky

दिवाby day / daytime

रात्रिnight

युद्धbattle, fighting

व्यायामexercise, training

निम्नस्थलप्रकाशकूटखनकाकाशदिवारात्रियुद्धव्यायामम्(the factors of) low ground, terrain, openness, concealment/ambush, digging works, open space, day-and-night (operations), battle, and training

चand

आयोगम्proper employment/fitness (effective arrangement)

अयोगम्improper employment/unfitness

चand

कर्मसुin actions/operations

Entities Mentioned

standing troops (maula)

hired troops (bhṛta)

guild contingents (śreṇi)

allied forces (mitra)

enemy forces (amitra)

forest/tribal forces (āṭavī-bala)

FAQs

What is the administrative intent behind listing multiple troop types (maula, bhṛta, śreṇi, etc.)?

To institutionalize differentiated assessment and tasking: each troop category has varying loyalty, endurance, and suitability, so the state must evaluate and employ them accordingly.

What niti concept is prominent here?

Capability-based deployment: assign missions based on tested strength/weakness and context (terrain, time, method), not on labels or assumptions.