Sutra 19

Devanagari script

संधिनैकतो विग्रहेणैकतश्चेत्कार्यसिद्धिं पश्येज्ज्यायानपि द्वैधीभूतस्तिष्ठेत् ॥ कZ_०७.३.१९ ॥

Transliteration

saṃdhinā ekato vigraheṇa ekataś cet kāryasiddhiṃ paśyet jyāyān api dvaidhībhūtas tiṣṭhet

Translation

एका बाजूशी संधी करून आणि दुसऱ्या बाजूशी विग्रह (युद्ध) करून कार्यसिद्धी दिसत असेल, तर अधिक बलवानाविरुद्धही द्वैधीभाव (दुहेरी भूमिका) ठेवावी.

Word by Word

सन्धिनाby/through alliance (treaty)

एकतःon one side / in one way

विग्रहेणby/through hostility (war)

एकतःon the other side / in another way

चand

चेत्if

कार्यसिद्धिम्accomplishment of the objective

पश्येत्should see / should perceive

ज्यायान्even if (the opponent is) stronger/superior

अपिeven / although

द्वैधीभूतःhaving adopted a dual policy (double posture)

तिष्ठेत्should remain / should maintain (that stance)

Entities Mentioned

king (implicitly)

ally/peace partner

enemy/war target

stronger power (jyāyān)

FAQs

What is dvaidhībhāva in practical terms here?

A deliberate split strategy: treaty/peace with one actor while simultaneously prosecuting conflict with another to achieve a specific goal.

Why does Kauṭilya allow this even against a stronger power?

Because the criterion is kāryasiddhi (objective success); dual alignment can offset superior strength through positioning and selective engagement.