Vinayaadhikaarika Adhyaya 16 Sutra 24 - Arthashastra | Hindi | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 24

Devanagari script

कृत्यपक्षोपजापमकृत्यपक्षे गूढप्रणिधानं रागापरागौ भर्तरि रन्ध्रं च प्रकृतीनां तापसवैदेहकव्यञ्जनाभ्यामुपलभेत तयोरन्तेवासिभिश्चिकित्सकपाषण्डव्यञ्जनोभयवेतनैर्वा ॥ कZ_०१.१६.२४ ॥

Transliteration

kṛtyapakṣopajāpam akṛtyapakṣe gūḍhapraṇidhānaṃ rāgāparāgau bhartari randhraṃ ca prakṛtīnāṃ tāpasavaidehakavyañjanābhyām upalabheta tayor antevāsibhiś cikitsakapāṣaṇḍavyañjanobhayavetanair vā.

Translation

‘कृत्य-पक्ष’ (राजा/उचित पक्ष) की ओर फूट/विमुखता कराना और ‘अकृत्य-पक्ष’ (विरोधी/अनुचित पक्ष) में गुप्तचर बैठाना—इनके लिए राजा को प्रजा-तत्त्वों (प्रकृतियों) का अपने स्वामी के प्रति राग या अराग (आसक्ति/विरक्ति) और उनके भीतर की कमजोरियाँ (रन्ध्र) जाननी चाहिए; यह वह तपस्वी और वैदेहक के वेश वाले एजेंटों से, या उनके शिष्यों/अन्तेवासियों से, या वैद्य और पाषण्डी के वेश वाले एजेंटों से, या दोहरा वेतन पाने वाले एजेंटों से पता करे।

Word by Word

कृत्यपक्षेin the loyal/‘to-be-done’ faction (the king’s side)

उपजापम्secret inducement/instigation (to win over)

अकृत्यपक्षेin the hostile/‘not-to-be-done’ faction (opposition side)

गूढप्रणिधानम्covert placement/assignment (of spies)

रागापरागौattachment and non-attachment (favour and disfavour)

भर्तरिtowards/in the master (the king)

रन्ध्रम्a weak point/vulnerability

चand

प्रकृतीनाम्of the state’s constituents (prakṛtis)

तापसby (means of) an ascetic

वैदेहकand a vaidehaka (a particular agent/disguise type)

व्यञ्जनाभ्याम्by means of (their) disguises

उपलभेतshould ascertain/find out

तयोःof those two / in those two

अन्तेवासिभिःby (their) resident pupils/disciples

चिकित्सकby physicians

पाषण्डby sectarians/heretics

व्यञ्जनby (their) disguises

उभयवेतनैःby double-paid (agents)

वाor

Entities Mentioned

king

prakṛtis (state constituents)

ascetic-disguised agents

Vaidehaka-disguised agents

pupils/disciples

physician-disguised agents

pāṣaṇḍa-disguised agents

double-paid agents

FAQs

What is the administrative intent of this sūtra?

To institutionalize loyalty assessment and controlled defection operations using layered intelligence covers, while identifying exploitable vulnerabilities in key constituencies.

What is ‘randhra’ in governance terms?

Actionable weakness—personal, financial, moral, or procedural—through which an official or group can be influenced, neutralized, or recruited.