Sutra 13

Devanagari script

कारणाभावे बलसमुच्छ्रये वा परस्य दुर्गमुन्मुच्यापगच्छेत् ॥ कZ_०७.१५.१३ ॥

Transliteration

kāraṇābhāve balasamucchraye vā parasya durgam unmucyāpagacchet

Translation

ആദ്യ കാരണമില്ലാതാകുകയോ ശത്രുവിന്റെ ശക്തി ഗണ്യമായി ഉയരുകയോ ചെയ്താൽ, ശത്രുവിന്റെ കോട്ടയെ വിട്ട് (അമർത്ത്/മുറ്റുപിടിത്തം നിർത്തി) പിന്മാറണം.

Word by Word

• कारण-अभावे: in the absence of a (valid) cause/justification
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण; अभाव
• Form: पुं/नपुं? (कारण) + पुं (अभाव); समासः ‘कारणस्य अभावे’; एकवचन, सप्तमी

• बल-समुच्छ्रये: or when there is a build-up/concentration of forces
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल; समुच्छ्रय
• Form: समासः ‘बलस्य समुच्छ्रये’; एकवचन, सप्तमी

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

• परस्य: of the enemy/other (king)
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: पर (अन्य/शत्रु); एकवचन, षष्ठी

• दुर्गम्: the fort
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन, द्वितीया

• उन्मुच्य: having released/abandoned (the attempt/pressure)
• Type: Verb (absolutive)
• Root: मुच्
• Form: क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्) अव्ययकृदन्त; उपसर्गः उत्/उन्-; धातुः मुच् (मोचने); अर्थः ‘त्यक्त्वा/विमोच्य’

• अपगच्छेत्: he should withdraw/retreat
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः अप-; धातुः गम् (गतौ)

Entities Mentioned

• enemy fort
• enemy forces

More Details

FAQs

What two triggers justify disengagement according to this sutra?

(1) The initial strategic cause no longer holds; (2) the enemy’s power has substantially increased.

What modern strategic principle does this resemble?

Adaptive decision-making and force preservation—reassessing assumptions and disengaging when the cost-benefit balance reverses.