Sutra 33

Devanagari script

सुमहतापि क्षयव्ययेन शत्रुविनाशोऽभ्युपगन्तव्यः ॥ कZ_०७.१३.३३ ॥

Transliteration

sumahatāpi kṣayavyayena śatruvināśo 'bhyupagantavyaḥ

Translation

Walaupun dengan kerugian dan perbelanjaan yang sangat besar, pemusnahan musuh patut diterima—apabila ia benar-benar dapat dicapai dan bersifat menentukan.

Word by Word

• सु-महता: even by a very great (cost/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मह्
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनम् (करणे), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिकम्: सुमहत् (सु + महत्)

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Particle
• Root: अपि
• Form: निपातः (समुच्चय/अपवाद/अपि = ‘even/also’)

• क्षय-व्ययेन: by depletion and expenditure (i.e., at the cost of losses and outlay)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षि (क्षय) / व्यय (वि+इ)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गः; समासः: क्षयः च व्ययः च → क्षयव्यय-; करणार्थे

• शत्रु-विनाशः: the destruction of the enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु / नश्
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गः; समासः: शत्रोः विनाशः

• अभ्युपगन्तव्यः: should be undertaken/accepted
• Type: Verb (Gerundive)
• Root: गम् (अभि+उप+गम्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्) → भाव्य/कर्तव्य-अर्थः; प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः; विधिलिङ्गार्थकः: ‘should be undertaken/accepted’

Entities Mentioned

• śatru (enemy)

More Details

FAQs

How does this reconcile with warnings against attrition and exhaustion?

Kautilya distinguishes wasteful protraction from decisive outcomes: avoid draining stalemates, but accept heavy costs if they permanently remove the threat and improve future security.