Sutra 9

Devanagari script

तत्रापि बहुकुण्ठाल्पशूरयोः अल्पशूरं श्रेयः शूरेषु हि युद्धमल्पाः शूरा बहूनशूरान्भञ्जन्ति ते भग्नाः स्वसैन्यावघातिनो भवन्ति इत्याचार्याः ॥ कZ_०७.१२.०९ ॥

Transliteration

tatrāpi bahukuṇṭhālpaśūrayoḥ alpaśūraṃ śreyaḥ śūreṣu hi yuddhamalpāḥ śūrā bahūnaśūrānbhañjanti te bhagnāḥ svasainyāvaghātino bhavanti ityācāryāḥ

Translation

Di sini juga, antara (pasukan) yang ramai tetapi tumpul dan (pasukan) yang sedikit tetapi berani, yang sedikit tetapi berani adalah lebih baik: kerana apabila yang berani bertempur, sejumlah kecil yang berani mematahkan ramai yang tidak berani; dan setelah dipatahkan, mereka (yang tidak berani) menjadi mudarat kepada tentera mereka sendiri—demikian kata para guru.

Word by Word

तत्रthere; in that context

अपिalso; even

बहुmany; numerous

कुण्ठdull; blunted; timid/ineffective (as fighters)

अल्पfew; small in number

शूरयोःof/among two (groups of) heroes/brave men

अल्पशूरम्the small (but) brave force; few heroes

श्रेयःis better; preferable

शूरेषुamong heroes; when (there are) brave men

हिfor; indeed

युद्धम्battle; fighting

अल्पाःfew

शूराःheroes; brave warriors

बहून्many

अशूरान्non-heroes; unbrave/ineffective fighters

भञ्जन्तिbreak; rout; shatter

तेthey

भग्नाःbroken; routed; defeated

स्वown

सैन्यarmy; troops

अवघातिनःharmful; causing destruction

भवन्तिbecome; are

इतिthus; so (quotative)

आचार्याःthe teachers/authorities (say)

Entities Mentioned

ācāryas (teachers/authorities)

śūra (brave troops)

aśūra (non-brave troops)

FAQs

What is the 'negative externality' Kautilya’s teachers identify with non-brave troops?

When they break, they spread disorder and collisions in retreat, damaging friendly formations and morale—thus harming their own side.