Abhiyasyatkarma Adhyaya 2 Sutra 6 - Arthashastra | Malay | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 6

Devanagari script

प्रभूतं मे शत्रुबलं शत्रुबलेन योधयिष्यामि नगरस्थानमटवीं वा तत्र मे श्ववराहयोः कलहे चण्डालस्येवान्यतरसिद्धिर्भविष्यतिण् आसाराणामटवीनां वा कण्टकमर्दनमेतत्करिष्यामिण् अत्युपचितं वा कोपभयान्नित्यमासन्नमरिबलं वासयेदन्यत्राभ्यन्तरकोपशङ्कायाः शत्रुयुद्धावरयुद्धकालश्च इत्यमित्रबलकालः ॥ कZ_०९.२.०६ ॥

Transliteration

prabhūtaṃ me śatrubalaṃ śatrubalena yodhayiṣyāmi nagarasthānam aṭavīṃ vā; tatra me śvavarāhayoḥ kalahe caṇḍālasya ivānyatarasiddhir bhaviṣyati; āsārāṇām aṭavīnāṃ vā kaṇṭakamardanam etat kariṣyāmi; atyupacitaṃ vā kopabhayān nityam āsannam aribalaṃ vāsayed anyatrābhyantarakopaśaṅkāyāḥ; śatruyuddhāvarayuddhakālaś ca—iti amitrabalakālaḥ

Translation

Apabila aku mempunyai banyak kekuatan musuh yang boleh dipalingkan untuk digunakan, aku akan berperang dengan menggunakan kekuatan musuh itu sendiri—sama ada di kota berkubu atau di medan hutan; di situ, seperti pergaduhan antara anjing dan babi hutan, seorang ejen hina (seperti caṇḍāla) memperoleh kejayaan tidak kira pihak mana menang. Dengan itu aku akan melaksanakan penghancuran “duri”—iaitu serangan dan halangan hutan. Selain itu, jika kekuatan bermusuhan telah membesar berlebihan, maka kerana takut membangkitkan kemarahannya, aku patut menempatkan pasukan musuh itu di tempat lain, kerana mengekalkannya sentiasa dekat berisiko mencetuskan pemberontakan dalaman. Inilah keadaan bagi perang terhadap musuh dan perang proksi—iaitu penggunaan kekuatan musuh.

Word by Word

प्रभूतम्abundant, very great

मेof me, my

शत्रु-बलम्the enemy’s force

शत्रु-बलेनby/with the enemy’s force

योधयिष्यामिI will make (them) fight / I will engage (them) in battle

नगर-स्थानम्a city location / town area

अटवीम्a forest

वाor

तत्रthere

मेof me, my

श्व-वराहयोःof a dog and a boar / between dog and boar

कलहेin a quarrel/fight

चण्डालस्यof a caṇḍāla (outcaste)

इवlike, as if

अन्यतर-सिद्धिःthe success of either one (party)

भविष्यतिwill happen / will be

आसाराणाम्of marauders/raiders (predatory elements)

अटवीनाम्of forests / forest-tracts

वाor

कण्टक-मर्दनम्crushing/suppression of thorns (troublemakers)

एतत्this

करिष्यामिI will do / I will carry out

अत्युपचितम्overgrown, excessively increased

वाor

कोप-भयात्from fear of (their) anger

नित्यम्always, constantly

आसन्नम्near, close at hand

अरि-बलम्the enemy’s force

वासयेत्should station / should quarter (it)

अन्यत्रelsewhere

अभ्यन्तर-कोप-शङ्कायाःof/owing to suspicion of internal anger (uprising)

शत्रु-युद्धenemy-war

अवर-युद्ध-कालःthe time for a lesser/secondary war

चand

इतिthus

अमित्र-बल-कालःthe occasion/time concerning the enemy’s force

Entities Mentioned

enemy forces (śatru/amitra)

fortified town (nagarasthāna)

forest theatre (aṭavī)

third party operator (caṇḍāla metaphor)

FAQs

What is the strategic principle behind the dog–boar metaphor?

Let rival forces exhaust each other; a third party can secure advantage regardless of which side prevails, provided it manages timing and positioning.

Why quarter an enemy force elsewhere if it becomes too strong?

To prevent a nearby, concentrated hostile contingent from turning into an internal coup or revolt risk.