Abhiyasyatkarma Adhyaya 3 Sutra 1 - Arthashastra | Marathi | Vedapath

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Sutra 1

Devanagari script

अल्पः पश्चात्कोपो महान्पुरस्ताल्लाभ इति अल्पः पश्चात्कोपो गरीयान् ॥ कZ_०९.३.०१ ॥

Transliteration

alpaḥ paścātkopo mahān purastāl lābha iti alpaḥ paścātkopo garīyān

Translation

उशिरा होणारा प्रतिघात जरी लहान असला आणि तात्काळ लाभ मोठा असला, तरीही नीतिनिर्णयात उशिरा होणारा प्रतिघात अधिक जड/निर्णायक ठरतो.

Word by Word

अल्पःsmall, slight

पश्चात्afterwards, later

कोपःanger; (political) hostile reaction

महान्great, large

पुरस्तात्in front; beforehand, earlier

लाभःgain, profit, acquisition

इतिthus; ‘so’ (marking the statement)

अल्पःsmall, slight

पश्चात्afterwards, later

कोपःanger; (political) hostile reaction

गरीयान्heavier, weightier, more important

Entities Mentioned

paścāt-kopa (deferred backlash)

purastāt-lābha (immediate gain)

How is this a political-science insight rather than a moral maxim?

It prioritizes regime security: backlash can mobilize coalitions, insurgency, or elite defection that outweighs short-term material gains.