Sutra 14

Devanagari script

दूष्यमहामात्रयोर्वा यः पुत्रः पितुः पिता वा पुत्रस्य दारानधिचरति भ्राता वा भ्रातुः तयोः कापटिकमुखः कलहः पूर्वेण व्याख्यातः ॥ कZ_०५.१.१४ ॥

Transliteration

dūṣyamahāmātrayor vā yaḥ putraḥ pituḥ pitā vā putrasya dārān adhicarati bhrātā vā bhrātuḥ tayoḥ kāpaṭikamukhaḥ kalahaḥ pūrveṇa vyākhyātaḥ

Translation

In the case of a tainted person or a high official: if a son has illicit relations with his father’s wife, or a father with his son’s wife, or a brother with a brother’s wife—then the quarrel, with deception as its opening (kāpaṭika-mukha), has been explained by the earlier method.

Word by Word

दूष्यa culpable/accused person (one liable to punishment)

महामात्रयोःof two high officers (mahāmātras)

वाor

यःwho (he who)

पुत्रःa son

पितुःof (his) father

पिताa father

वाor

पुत्रस्यof (his) son

दारान्(his) wife/wives

अधिचरतिhas illicit intercourse with / commits adultery with

भ्राताa brother

वाor

भ्रातुःof (his) brother

तयोःof those two / of both

कापटिकमुखःhaving a deceitful face; deceit-motivated

कलहःquarrel/dispute

पूर्वेणby what has been stated earlier / according to the previous rule

व्याख्यातःhas been explained

Entities Mentioned

dūṣya

mahāmātra

son

father

brother

wives/dārāḥ

FAQs

What does ‘kāpaṭika-mukhaḥ kalahaḥ’ imply as a technique?

Begin the conflict with a planted deception (rumor, staged evidence, entrapment), so the resulting quarrel appears organic and self-caused.