Sutra 8

Devanagari script

यश्च मुख्यः पक्षवान्दुर्गाटवीस्थो वा वैगुण्यं भजेत तमुपग्राहयेत् ॥ कZ_०५.६.०८ ॥

Transliteration

yaś ca mukhyaḥ pakṣavān durgāṭavīstho vā vaiguṇyaṃ bhajeta tam upagrāhayet

Translation

ज्या कोणत्या प्रमुख व्यक्तीमागे पक्ष/समर्थक आहेत—तो दुर्गात असो वा अरण्यात—जर तो असंतोष किंवा शिथिलता दाखवेल, तर त्याला प्रलोभन व जिव्हाळ्याने आपल्या वशात आणावे।

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• मुख्यः: the chief, principal
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• पक्षवान्: having a side/party; supported; faction-backed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्षवत्
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (वत्)

• दुर्गाटवीस्थः: situated in a fort or in the forest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गाटवीस्थ
• Form: समासान्त-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; दुर्ग-आटवी-स्थ (= in a fort/forest)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय

• वैगुण्यम्: a fault; deficiency; lapse
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैगुण्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• भजेत: should resort to; should incur/commit
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज्
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• तम्: him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• उपग्राहयेत्: should win over; should bring to one’s side
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-ग्रह् (causative)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative); विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

Entities Mentioned

• factional leader
• fort-based actors
• forest-based actors (āṭavī)

More Details

FAQs

What is the strategic logic of ‘upagraha’ here?

It is cheaper and faster to absorb a wavering power-broker than to fight him; co-optation prevents factional consolidation against the state.

Why mention both fort and forest?

Kauṭilya treats both frontier garrisons and forest polities as potential bases of alternative power requiring political handling.