Sutra 5

Devanagari script

एको ह्यत्यासेवितो धर्मार्थकामानामात्मानमितरौ च पीडयति ॥ कZ_०१.७.०५ ॥

Transliteration

eko hy atyāsevito dharmārthakāmānām ātmānam itarau ca pīḍayati

Translation

ധർമ്മം, അർത്ഥം, കാമം—ഇവയിൽ ഏതെങ്കിലും ഒന്നിനെ അതിരുകടന്ന് പിന്തുടർന്നാൽ അത് ഭരണാധികാരിയെയും ശേഷിക്കുന്ന രണ്ടുലക്ഷ്യങ്ങളെയും ദോഷപ്പെടുത്തും.

Word by Word

• एकः: one (alone/only one)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम् (विशेषणरूपेण)

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Particle
• Root: हि
• Form: निपातः (हेतौ/खलु-अर्थे)

• अति-आसेवितः: over-indulged in, excessively practiced/pursued
• Type: Participle
• Root: सेव् (आसेवते)
• Form: कृदन्तः; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), उपसर्गः आ-; अव्ययपूर्वपदं अति-; प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्

• धर्म-अर्थ-कामानाम्: of dharma, artha, and kāma (the three aims)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म / अर्थ / काम
• Form: समासः (धर्म+अर्थ+काम); षष्ठी-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्

• इतरौ: the other two
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: इतर
• Form: द्वितीया-द्विवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम् (अन्यौ द्वौ)

• च: and
• Type: Conjunction
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• पीडयति: harms, afflicts, oppresses
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड्
• Form: लट्-लकारः, परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Entities Mentioned

• ruler (implicit)
• dharma
• artha
• kāma

More Details

FAQs

How does this sūtra map to modern governance language?

It warns against optimizing one objective (e.g., revenue, ideology, or consumption) at the expense of institutional health and citizen welfare—creating systemic risk.