Arthashastra 7.13.42: Shadgunya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 42

Devanagari script

एवं मण्डलमात्मार्थं विजिगीषुर्निवेशयेत् ।

पृष्ठतश्च पुरस्ताच्च मित्रप्रकृतिसम्पदा ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 7.13.42

Transliteration

evaṃ maṇḍalam ātmārthaṃ vijigīṣur niveśayet

pṛṣṭhataś ca purastāc ca mitraprakṛtisampadā

Translation

इस तरह से अपने चारों तरफ के राज्यों का सर्कल अपने फायदे के लिए सेट करो। जो राजा जीतना चाहता है, उसको यह पूरा सिस्टम अपने हाथ में रखना है। अपने मित्रों की ताकत और दौलत से आगे और पीछे दोनों तरफ मज़बूत रहो। जब तुम्हारे पास दोस्त हैं और उनके पास पैसा-ताकत है, तब तुम सामने और पीछे दोनों तरफ सुरक्षित हो।

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Word by Word

• एवम्: thus; in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्
• Form: अव्यय; manner-adverb (‘thus/in this way’)

• मण्डलम्: the (political) circle of states/kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (कर्म)
• In statecraft: राजमण्डलम्—circle/system of kings (the interstate political sphere)

• आत्मार्थम्: for one’s own interest/advantage
• Type: Noun (compound used adverbially)
• Root: आत्मन् + अर्थ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (‘for one’s own purpose/interest’)
• Compound: Tatpurusha (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
• In statecraft: स्वार्थः—one’s own interest (raison d’état)

• विजिगीषुः: the would-be conqueror; the king who seeks to conquer
• Type: Noun (agent noun)
• Root: वि + जि (√जि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; इच्छार्थक-कृदन्त (उणादि/इच्छार्थ ‘-ईषु’): ‘one who desires to conquer’
• In statecraft: विजिगीषु—would-be conqueror (the king pursuing conquest as policy)

• निवेशयेत्: should establish/arrange/organize (it)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विश् (√विश्)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; causative (णिच्): ‘should cause to be arranged/established’
• In statecraft: निवेशन—strategic placing/establishment (of alliances, positions, arrangements within the mandala)

• पृष्ठतः: from behind; in the rear
• Type: Noun (used adverbially)
• Root: पृष्ठ
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; पृष्ठ-शब्दात्; अर्थे—‘पश्चात्/पृष्ठभागे’

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• पुरस्तात्: from the front; ahead
• Type: Noun (used adverbially)
• Root: पुरस्
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; पुरस्-शब्दात्; अर्थे—‘अग्रे/पुरतः’

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• मित्रप्रकृतिसम्पदा: the prosperity/strength of the ally’s constituent elements (state-factors)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्पद् (सम्+पद्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम्; ‘मित्रस्य प्रकृतिः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मित्रप्रकृति-); तस्याः ‘सम्पद्/सम्पदा’ इति—‘मित्रप्रकृतिसम्पदा’ = मित्रप्रकृतेः सम्पद् (समृद्धिः/संपन्नता)
• Compound: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (समास)
• In statecraft: मित्रप्रकृति = ally’s constituent elements of state (prakṛtis: e.g., स्वामी, अमात्य, जनपद, दुर्ग, कोष, दण्ड, मित्र); तेषां सम्पद् = their prosperity/strength

Sandhi Notes

• ‘आत्मार्थम्’ is an internal compound (आत्मन् + अर्थ) functioning adverbially (‘for one’s own interest’)
• पृष्ठतश्च = पृष्ठतः + च (विसर्ग-लोपः/ओकारान्त-तसिल् अव्ययस्य परे ‘च’)
• पुरस्ताच्च = पुरस्तात् + च (तकारस्य परे ‘च’ इति संयोगः)
• मित्रप्रकृतिसम्पदा = मित्रप्रकृति + सम्पदा (समास/पदसंयोगः, बाह्य-सन्धिः विशेषः न)

Entities Mentioned

• vijigīṣu
• maṇḍala
• mitra
• prakṛti

Topic and Governance

Prakarana (topic)

Maṇḍala-nīti: arranging the entire circle of states for one’s own interest

Governance domain

Grand strategy; system-level statecraft

Vocabulary Breakdown

Technical Terms

FAQs

What does ‘niveśayet’ imply in strategic terms?

Not merely ‘place’, but architect a stable configuration of alliances, pressures, and buffers so outcomes systematically favor the ruler.

Why emphasize allies’ ‘prakṛti-sampad’?

Because allies are only reliable if their internal state-capacities are intact; weak allies collapse, defect, or become liabilities.