Sutra 25

Devanagari script

तेषामसम्भाषायां याचकमत्तोन्मत्तसुप्तप्रलापैः पुण्यस्थानदेवगृहचित्रलेख्यसंज्ञाभिर्वा चारमुपलभेत ॥ कZ_०१.१६.२५ ॥

Transliteration

teṣām asambhāṣāyāṃ yācaka-matta-unmatta-supta-pralāpaiḥ puṇyasthāna-devagṛha-citralekhya-saṃjñābhir vā cāram upalabheta.

Translation

त्यांच्याशी थेट संभाषण शक्य नसल्यास, भिक्षुक, मद्यपी, उन्मत्त व झोपेत बडबड करणाऱ्यांच्या प्रलापातून, किंवा पुण्यस्थाने, देवगृहे तसेच चित्र/लेख्यात ठेवलेल्या पूर्वनिश्चित संकेत/संदेशांद्वारे गुप्तवार्ता मिळवावी।

Word by Word

तेषाम्of them / their

असम्भाषायाम्in the state of not conversing / when there is no conversation

याचकa beggar / petitioner

मत्तan intoxicated person

उन्मत्तa madman / deranged person

सुप्तa sleeping person

प्रलापैःby ramblings / incoherent talk

पुण्यस्थानsacred places / holy sites

देवगृहtemple-houses / shrines

चित्रलेख्यpictures and writings / drawings (inscriptions)

संज्ञाभिःby signs / signals / agreed indications

वाor

चारम्a spy / secret agent (or spy-information)

उपलभेतhe should find out / detect / obtain

Entities Mentioned

agents

targets (prakṛtis)

beggars

drunkards

madmen

sleep-talkers

holy sites

temples

FAQs

Why use marginal figures like beggars or drunkards?

They attract little suspicion, move freely, and can overhear or elicit information while appearing socially irrelevant.

What modern concept parallels ‘saṃjñā’ at temples/paintings?

Coded signals and dead-drop communication embedded in public or semi-public spaces.