Sutra 21

Devanagari script

लगुसमुत्थमल्पं मित्रं कार्यकालं नातिपातयति दौर्बल्याच्च यथेष्टभोग्यं भवति नेतरत्प्रकृष्टभौमम् ॥ कZ_०७.९.२१ ॥

Transliteration

lagusamuttham alpam mitraṃ kāryakālaṃ nātipātayati daurbalyāc ca yatheṣṭabhogyaṃ bhavati na itarat prakṛṣṭabhaumam

Translation

दुर्बल आधारातून उद्भवलेला लहान मित्र कार्यकाळाची मर्यादा ओलांडत नाही; आणि आपल्या दुर्बलतेमुळे तो इच्छेनुसार वापरता येतो—दुसऱ्यासारखा नाही, जो श्रेष्ठ भू-बल (प्रदेशीय सत्ता) आहे.

Word by Word

लघु-समुत्थम्(a friend) of small/quick rise (i.e., easily raised/obtained)

अल्पम्small; insignificant

मित्रम्ally; friend

कार्य-कालम्the time for action; the proper occasion

नnot

अति-पातयतिlets (it) pass excessively; misses/overruns

दौर्बल्यात्from weakness; due to weakness

चand

यथा-इष्ट-भोग्यम्enjoyable/usable as one wishes; at will

भवतिbecomes; turns out to be

नnot

इतरत्otherwise; the other (case)

प्रकृष्ट-भौमम्excellent in land/territory; territorially superior

Entities Mentioned

small ally

strong territorial power (prakṛṣṭabhauma)

FAQs

What is the administrative meaning of ‘not exceeding the time of action’?

A manageable ally is less likely to delay, renegotiate, or expand objectives; it allows the ruler to act within the required operational window.