Sutra 2

Devanagari script

तयोर्यो दैवकृतमविषह्यमल्पव्ययारम्भं दुर्गं कारयति सोऽतिसंधत्ते ॥ कZ_०७.१२.०२ ॥

Transliteration

tayoryo daivakṛtamaviṣahyamalpavyayārambhaṃ durgaṃ kārayati so'tisaṃdhatte

Translation

Daripada dua rakan sekutu itu, sesiapa yang membina sebuah kubu yang secara semula jadi kukuh (daiva-kṛta), tidak dapat ditembusi, dan boleh dimulakan dengan perbelanjaan yang kecil—dialah yang memperoleh kelebihan berlebihan dalam pakatan (atisaṃdhi).

Word by Word

• तयोः: of the two (among the two)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: षष्ठी-द्विवचनम् (Genitive Dual), सर्वनाम

• यः: who (he who)
• Type: Pronoun (Relative)
• Root: यद्
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्ग (Nominative Singular Masculine), सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• दैवकृतम्: made by nature / providence-made
• Type: Adjective/Participle (Karmadhāraya compound)
• Root: दैवकृत (दैव + कृत)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Nom./Acc. Singular Neuter); कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP sense: 'made')

• अविषह्यम्: irresistible; unconquerable
• Type: Adjective (from verbal root सह्)
• Root: वि + सह् (with neg. अ-)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Nom./Acc. Singular Neuter)

• अल्पव्ययारम्भम्: having a small expenditure at the start; low-cost to begin
• Type: Adjective (compound)
• Root: अल्प + व्यय + आरम्भ
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Nom./Acc. Singular Neuter)

• दुर्गम्: a fort
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Accusative Singular Neuter)

• कारयति: causes to be made; has built
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; णिच् (causative): 'causes to be made'

• सः: he
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्ग (Nominative Singular Masculine)

• अतिसंधत्ते: overreaches; makes an excessive/superior arrangement
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + सं + धा
• Form: लट्-लकारः, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धा-धातु (to place/arrange), उपसर्गत्रययुक्त

Entities Mentioned

• alliance partners
• durga (fort)

More Details

FAQs

Why does Kautilya warn about a 'naturally strong, low-cost' fort in a joint project?

Because it creates an asymmetry: one ally captures strategic security at minimal cost, shifting the alliance’s net benefit toward himself.