Sutra 17

Devanagari script

शिबिरमार्गसेतुकूपतीर्थशोधनकर्म यन्त्रायुधावरणोपकरणग्रासवहनमायोधनाच्च प्रहरणावरणप्रतिविद्धापनयनमिति विष्टिकर्माणि ॥ कZ_१०.४.१७ ॥

Transliteration

śibiramārga-setu-kūpa-tīrtha-śodhana-karma yantrāyudhāvaraṇopakaraṇa-grāsa-vahanam āyodhanāc ca praharaṇāvaraṇa-pratividdhāpanayanam iti viṣṭikarmāṇi

Translation

वेठबिगारी/सहाय्यक कामे अशी: छावणी, मार्ग, पूल, विहिरी व उतार/घाट यांची स्वच्छता व तयारी; यंत्रे, शस्त्रे, कवच/संरक्षणसामग्री, उपकरणे व चारा वाहून नेणे; तसेच रणांगणातून अडकलेली/रुतलेली शस्त्रे व कवच (इ. अडथळे) काढून टाकणे।

Word by Word

• शिबिर: camp (military encampment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबिर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• मार्ग: road/route (for movement of troops)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• सेतु: bridge/causeway/dam (crossing structure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• कूप: well
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• तीर्थ: ford/ghat (crossing place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• शोधन: cleaning/clearing/purification
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: शुध्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त (ल्युट्) (समासपूर्वपद)

• कर्म: work/task
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• यन्त्र: machines/engines/devices
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• आयुध: weapons
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• आवरण: covering/protection/defensive covering
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवरण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• उपकरण: equipment/implements
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपकरण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• ग्रास: rations/food; fodder
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• वहन: carrying/transport
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: वह्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त (ल्युट्) (समासपूर्वपद)

• मायोधनात्: from/with regard to deceptive fighting (stratagem warfare)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मायोधन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अपादान (समासोत्तरपद)

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

• प्रहरण: weapon/implement for striking
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहरण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• आवरण: covering/protection
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवरण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• प्रतिविद्ध: pierced/perforated/damaged
• Type: Noun/Participle (past passive)
• Root: प्रतिव्यध्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त) (समासपूर्वपद)

• अपनयनम्: removal/taking away
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: अप-नी
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त (ल्युट्)

• इति: thus (ending the enumeration)
• Type: Particle/Quotative
• Root: इति
• Form: इत्यर्थक अव्यय; सूची-समापनसूचक

• विष्टिकर्माणि: corvée/forced-labour duties (required public works)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: विष्टि + कर्मन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समास

Entities Mentioned

• śibira (camp)
• mārga (routes)
• setu (bridge)
• kūpa (well)
• tīrtha (ford)
• yantra (engines)
• āyudha (weapons)
• āvaraṇa (armour/protection)
• grāsa (fodder)

More Details

FAQs

What does this verse show about Kautilya’s view of warfare administration?

Combat is treated as the visible tip of a larger administrative system: engineering, transport, provisioning, and recovery/clearance are formalized as state-directed functions.

Why mention wells and fords specifically?

They are critical mobility and sustainment nodes; controlling and maintaining them reduces march attrition and prevents bottlenecks.