Sutra 8

Devanagari script

मध्ये चान्ते च स्थानवानात्मधारणः परधारणश्चापदि स्वारक्षः स्वाजीवः शत्रुद्वेषी शक्यसामन्तः पङ्कपाषाणोषरविषमकण्टकश्रेणीव्यालमृगाटवीहीनः कान्तः सीताखनिद्रव्यहस्तिवनवान् गव्यः पौरुषेयो गुप्तगोचरः पशुमानदेवमातृको वारिस्थलपथाभ्यामुपेतः सारचित्रबहुपण्यो दण्डकरसहः कर्मशीलकर्षकोऽबालिशस्वाम्यवरवर्णप्रायो भक्तशुचिमनुष्य इति जनपदसम्पत् ॥ कZ_०६.१.०८ ॥

Transliteration

madhye cānte ca sthānavān ātmadhāraṇaḥ paradhāraṇaś cāpadi svārakṣaḥ svājīvaḥ śatrudveṣī śakyasāmantaḥ paṅkapāṣāṇoṣaraviṣamakaṇṭakaśreṇīvyālamṛgāṭavīhīnaḥ kāntaḥ sītākhanidravyahastivanavān gavyaḥ pauruṣeyo guptagocaraḥ paśumān adevamātṛko vāristhalapathābhyām upetaḥ sāracitrabahupaṇyo daṇḍakarasahaḥ karmaśīlakarṣako'bāliśasvāmyavaravarṇaprāyo bhaktaśucimanuṣya iti janapadasampat

Translation

Keunggulan janapada (wilayah/kerajaan) ialah: permukiman yang stabil di bagian tengah dan perbatasan; mampu menopang diri sendiri dan juga menopang pihak lain; saat bencana mampu melindungi diri dan mempertahankan mata pencaharian; bersikap memusuhi musuh; memiliki para feudatori yang dapat dikendalikan; bebas dari rawa, batu-batuan, tanah asin tandus, medan terjal tak rata, daerah berduri, barisan perampok, serta hutan yang dipenuhi binatang buas; menyenangkan; memiliki tanah garapan mahkota (sīta), tambang, sumber daya materi, dan hutan gajah; kaya ternak sapi; berpenduduk kuat/berani; memiliki jalur/lahan tersembunyi yang cocok untuk operasi intelijen; kaya ternak dan tidak berlebihan bergantung pada penjelasan nasib-ilahi (bersikap praktis); memiliki air, tanah yang mantap, dan jalan; memiliki barang dagangan yang bernilai, beragam, dan melimpah; mampu menanggung pajak dan denda; rakyatnya rajin bertani; tidak didominasi tuan yang bodoh dan sebagian besar terdiri dari golongan terhormat; serta rakyat yang setia dan bersih/tertib—itulah janapada-sampat.

Word by Word

मध्येin the middle (of the country)

चand

अन्तेat the end / on the border

चand

स्थानवान्having settlements/established sites

आत्मधारणःself-sustaining / able to support itself

परधारणःable to support/maintain others

चand

आपदिin times of calamity

स्वारक्षःcapable of self-defense

स्वाजीवःhaving independent means of livelihood

शत्रुद्वेषीhostile to enemies / enemy-hating

शक्यसामन्तःhaving neighbors/feudatories that can be controlled

पङ्कपाषाणोषरविषमकण्टकश्रेणीव्यालमृगाटवीहीनःfree from marshes, rocks, saline wasteland, uneven ground, thorny thickets/obstacle-belts, wild beasts, and forests

कान्तःpleasant / attractive

सीताखनिद्रव्यहस्तिवनवान्possessing crown-farms (sīta), mines, wealth/commodities, and elephant-forests

गव्यःabounding in cattle / cattle-wealthy

पौरुषेयःrich in manpower / manly (strong population)

गुप्तगोचरःhaving concealed routes/approaches (secret access ways)

पशुमान्having livestock

देवमातृकःhaving temples/cults as a supporting base (religiously well-founded)

वारिwith water

स्थलwith land/firm ground

पथाभ्याम्with routes/roads (both kinds)

उपेतःendowed with / provided with

सारचित्रबहुपण्यःhaving excellent, varied, and abundant merchandise

दण्डकरसहःable to bear punishment (discipline) and taxation

कर्मशीलःindustrious / hardworking

कर्षकःcultivator / farmer

अबालिशस्वाम्यवरवर्णप्रायःmostly composed of sensible people, loyal to their lord, and not predominantly of undesirable lower elements

भक्तloyal / devoted

शुचिclean / pure (in conduct)

मनुष्यःpeople / inhabitants

इतिthus

जनपदसम्पत्the prosperity/excellence of the countryside (janapada)

Entities Mentioned

janapada (realm/territory)

sāmanta (feudatory/neighboring chief)

sīta (crown land)

khani (mines)

hasti-vana (elephant forests)

gupta-gocara (concealed routes/spy terrain)

FAQs

Why does Kauṭilya include ‘roads, water, firm ground’ in janapada excellence?

They are logistics prerequisites: movement of troops, trade, taxation, and administrative reach depend on transport and survivable terrain.

What is the administrative meaning of ‘daṇḍa-kara-saha’?

A fiscally resilient tax base: the population and economy can sustain revenue extraction and penalties without collapse or revolt.