Sangrama Adhyaya 3 Sutra 45 - Arthashastra | Malay | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 45

Devanagari script

सेनापतिरर्थमानाभ्यामभिसंस्कृतमनीकमाभाषेत शतसाहस्रो राजवधः पञ्चाशत्साहस्रः सेनापतिकुमारवधः दशसाहस्रः प्रवीरमुख्यवधः पञ्चसाहस्रो हस्तिरथवधः साहस्रोऽश्ववधः शत्यः पत्तिमुख्यवधः शिरो विंशतिकं भोगद्वैगुण्यं स्वयं ग्राहश्च इति ॥ कZ_१०.३.४५ ॥

Transliteration

senāpatir arthamānābhyām abhisaṃskṛtam anīkam ābhāṣeta śatasāhasro rājavadhaḥ pañcāśatsāhasraḥ senāpatikumāravadhaḥ daśasāhasraḥ pravīramukhyavadhaḥ pañcasāhasro hastirathavadhaḥ sāhasro'śvavadhaḥ śatyaḥ pattimukhyavadhaḥ śiro viṃśatikaṃ bhogadvaiguṇyaṃ svayaṃ grāhaś ca iti

Translation

Panglima hendaklah berucap kepada pasukan yang disiapkan melalui ganjaran dan penghormatan: “Seratus ribu untuk membunuh raja musuh; lima puluh ribu untuk membunuh pewaris panglima musuh; sepuluh ribu untuk membunuh juara utama; lima ribu untuk membunuh pahlawan gajah atau kereta perang; seribu untuk membunuh penunggang kuda; seratus untuk membunuh ketua infantri. Untuk membawa kepala—dua puluh (unit). Untuk harta rampasan yang ditawan—hak menikmati dua kali ganda. Dan untuk menangkap tawanan hidup—(ganjaran),” demikianlah.

Word by Word

सेनापतिःthe commander (general)

अर्थमानाभ्याम्by (reference to) money and valuation/honour

अभिसंस्कृतम्duly assessed/regulated

अनीकम्the troop/unit (formation)

आभाषेतshould announce/proclaim

शतसाहस्रःone hundred thousand

राजवधःkilling of the king

पञ्चाशत्साहस्रःfifty thousand

सेनापतिकुमारवधःkilling of the general’s son

दशसाहस्रःten thousand

प्रवीरमुख्यवधःkilling of a chief champion/hero

पञ्चसाहस्रःfive thousand

हस्तिरथवधःkilling involving elephant/chariot (troops)

साहस्रःone thousand

अश्ववधःkilling of a horse / horseman (category)

शत्यःone hundred

पत्तिमुख्यवधःkilling of a chief infantryman

शिरःa head

विंशतिकम्twenty (as an amount)

भोगद्वैगुण्यम्doubling of the benefit/enjoyment

स्वयम्personally

ग्राहःthe captor

चand

इतिthus

Entities Mentioned

senāpati

rājan

pravīra

hasti

ratha

aśva

patti

FAQs

What is the policy logic behind graded rewards?

It aligns individual risk-taking with strategic value: higher payouts for high-impact targets (king, commanders, champions) and smaller payouts for lower-impact kills.

Why reward prisoner-taking and heads?

Heads serve as verifiable proof for claims; prisoners provide intelligence, leverage, and bargaining value—so policy incentivizes capture, not only killing.