Yogavritta Adhyaya 1 Sutra 4 - Arthashastra | Hindi | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 4

Devanagari script

राज्योपघातिनस्तु वल्लभाः संहता वा ये मुख्याः प्रकाशमशक्याः प्रतिषेद्धुं दूष्याः तेषु धर्मरुचिरुपांशुदण्डं प्रयुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०५.१.०४ ॥

Transliteration

rājyopaghātinastu vallabhāḥ saṃhatā vā ye mukhyāḥ prakāśamaśakyāḥ pratiṣeddhuṃ dūṣyāḥ teṣu dharmarucirupāṃśudaṇḍaṃ prayuñjīta

Translation

परंतु जो प्रियपात्र या संगठित प्रमुख व्यक्ति राज्य को हानि पहुँचाते हों—जिन्हें खुले रूप से रोका नहीं जा सकता, पर जिन्हें कलंकित/फँसाया जा सकता है—उन पर ‘धर्म-रुचि’ (धर्म जैसा दिखने वाला) गुप्त दंड प्रयोग करना चाहिए।

Word by Word

राज्योपघातिनःthose who harm the state

तुhowever / but

वल्लभाःfavorites (close, influential persons)

संहताःunited / banded together

वाor

येwho / those who

मुख्याःprincipal / leading

प्रकाशम्openly / in public

अशक्याःnot possible (to be) / impossible (to)

प्रतिषेद्धुम्to prevent / to forbid

दूष्याःto be discredited / to be corrupted (as a measure)

तेषुagainst them / in their case

धर्मरुचिम्(a) ‘dharma-pleasing’ / appearing righteous (as an epithet of the covert punishment)

उपांशुदण्डम्a covert/secret punishment

प्रयुञ्जीतshould employ / should apply

Entities Mentioned

vallabha (favorite)

rājya (state)

FAQs

What is ‘dharmaruci upāṃśudaṇḍa’ as a governance technique?

Discreet neutralization framed as lawful/morally acceptable, used when open confrontation would be politically costly or infeasible.