Sutra 5

Devanagari script

स्वधर्मश्चैष क्षत्रियस्य युद्धे जयः पराजयो वा इति विशालाक्षः ॥ कZ_१२.१.०५ ॥

Transliteration

svadharmaścaiṣa kṣatriyasya yuddhe jayaḥ parājayo vā iti viśālākṣaḥ

Translation

‘ക്ഷത്രിയന്റെ സ്വധർമ്മം ഇതുതന്നെ—യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ജയമോ പരാജയമോ’—എന്ന് വിശാലാക്ഷൻ പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्वधर्मः: one’s own duty; prescribed duty (here: the Kṣatriya’s duty)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृ (धारणे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; समासः—स्वस्य धर्मः

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• एषः: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक

• क्षत्रियस्य: of the Kṣatriya; of the warrior/ruler class
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन

• युद्धे: in battle; in war
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (समाहारे/संप्रहारे) → युद्ध
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन

• जयः: victory
• Type: Noun
• Root: जि (जये) → जय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• पराजयः: defeat
• Type: Noun
• Root: जि (जये) → जय; उपसर्गः परा-
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• इति: thus; as follows (quotative)
• Type: Particle
• Root: इति
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-सूचक-अव्यय

• विशालाक्षः: Viśālākṣa (a cited authority)
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: विशालाक्ष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; आचार्य/मत-प्रवर्तक-नाम

Entities Mentioned

• Viśālākṣa
• kṣatriya

More Details

FAQs

What administrative intent does this verse support in the Arthashastra?

It frames war as an accepted instrument of policy for a ruler: the state must be prepared to fight despite uncertain outcomes, rather than treating uncertainty as a reason for paralysis.

Does it glorify war, or normalize calculated risk?

In Arthashastra terms it normalizes calculated risk: a ruler’s role includes coercive capacity; victory is desired but defeat is an acknowledged possibility that must be planned for.