Sutra 27

Devanagari script

उच्छेदनीयो ह्यनपाश्रयो दुर्बलापाश्रयो वाभियुक्तः कोशदण्डावादायापसर्तुकामः प्रकृतिभिस्त्यज्यते न पीडनीयो दुर्गमित्रप्रतिष्टब्धः ॥ कZ_०७.१०.२७ ॥

Transliteration

ucchedanīyo hy anapāśrayo durbalāpāśrayo vābhiyuktaḥ kośadaṇḍāvādāyāpasartukāmaḥ prakṛtibhis tyajyate na pīḍanīyo durgamitrapratiṣṭabdhaḥ

Translation

Musuh dianggap ‘boleh dihapuskan’ apabila, setelah diserang, dia tidak mempunyai sokongan yang boleh dipercayai atau hanya bergantung pada sokongan yang lemah; dan ketika dia mahu melarikan diri setelah mengaut perbendaharaan dan kekuatan tentera, dia ditinggalkan oleh rakyat/penyokongnya sendiri. Tidak demikian bagi musuh ‘yang hanya boleh diganggu’, yang disokong oleh kubu dan sekutu.

Word by Word

उच्छेदनीयःfit to be uprooted / to be eliminated

हिindeed / for

अनपाश्रयःwithout support / without refuge

दुर्बल-अपाश्रयःhaving only weak support / backed by the weak

वाor

अभियुक्तःaccused / proceeded against

कोश-दण्डौthe treasury and the coercive power (army/punitive force)

आदायhaving taken / having seized

अपसर्तु-कामःdesirous of withdrawing / fleeing

प्रकृतिभिःby the prakṛtis (state elements/officials)

त्यज्यतेis abandoned / is deserted

नnot

पीडनीयःfit to be oppressed/harassed

दुर्ग-मित्र-प्रतिष्टब्धःpropped up by a fort and an ally

Entities Mentioned

prakṛti (constituents of the state)

kośa (treasury)

daṇḍa (force/army)

durga (fort)

mitra (ally)

FAQs

What is the practical test for an ‘ucchedanīya’ enemy in this verse?

Under attack he cannot hold loyalty: he tries to exit with cash and troops, and his own prakṛtis defect—making elimination and annexation feasible.