Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 33 Sutra 8 - Arthashastra | Lao | 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

ລາວຄວນປະເມີນຄວາມໜ້າເຊື່ອຖືແລະຈຸດອ່ອນຂອງກອງທັບມໍລະດົກຂອງກະສັດ, ກອງຈ້າງ, ກອງຈາກສະຫະກຸ່ມ/ສະຫະກິດ, ກອງພັນທະມິດ, ກອງສັດຕູ, ແລະກອງຊົນເຜົ່າປ່າ. ແລະຄວນຝຶກພວກເຂົາໃຫ້ຊໍານານການຮົບແລະການເຄື່ອນໄຫວໃຫ້ເໝາະກັບພື້ນທີ່ຕໍ່າ, ພື້ນທີ່ໂລ່ງ, ຈຸດຊ່ອນ/ດັກຊຸ່ມ, ການຂຸດອຸໂມງ/ຂຸດທະລຸ, ແລະ (ເມື່ອເໝາະ) ຈຸດສູງ/ເທິງສູງ, ພ້ອມທັງການປະຕິບັດການກາງວັນແລະກາງຄືນ—ໂດຍຮູ້ວ່າເມື່ອໃດຄວນນໍາໃຊ້ ຫຼືບໍ່ຄວນນໍາໃຊ້ໃນວຽກງານສະເພາະ.

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.