Sutra 11

Devanagari script

जनपदं चैकस्थं शैलवननदीदुर्गेष्वटवीव्यवहितेषु वा पुत्रभ्रातृपरिगृहीतं स्थापयेत् ॥ कZ_१२.५.११ ॥

Transliteration

janapadaṃ caikasthaṃ śailavanadīnadi durgeṣv aṭavīvyavahiteṣu vā putrabhrātṛparigṛhītaṃ sthāpayet

Translation

ଜନପଦର ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କୁ ଏକ ସ୍ଥାନରେ ସଂକଳିତ କରି ସ୍ଥାପନ କରିବା ଉଚିତ—ପର୍ବତ/ବନ/ନଦୀ/ଦୁର୍ଗରେ ସୁରକ୍ଷିତ ସ୍ଥାନଗୁଡ଼ିକରେ, କିମ୍ବା ଅଟବୀ ଦ୍ୱାରା ବିଚ୍ଛିନ୍ନ ସ୍ଥାନରେ—ଏବଂ ପୁତ୍ର ଓ ଭ୍ରାତାମାନଙ୍କ ଅଧୀନରେ।

Word by Word

• जनपदम्: a territory/district (janapada)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनपद
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• एकस्थम्: situated/kept in one place
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकस्थ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; जनपदम् इति विशेषणम्

• शैलवननदीदुर्गेषु: in mountain/forest/river forts (defensive strongholds)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल-वन-नदी-दुर्ग
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहारद्वन्द्व-प्राय), सप्तमी-बहुवचन; अधिकरणे

• अटवीव्यवहितेषु: in (places) separated by wilderness
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अटवी-व्यवहित
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-बहुवचन; (दुर्गेषु) इति विशेषणम्

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• पुत्रभ्रातृपरिगृहीतम्: occupied/held by sons and brothers
• Type: Adjective (past passive participle)
• Root: पुत्र-भ्रातृ-परिगृहीत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; जनपदम् इति विशेषणम्; कृदन्त (परि+ग्रह् → परिगृहीत)

• स्थापयेत्: should establish/station
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (णिच्)
• Form: परस्मैपदी; विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative of √स्था = ‘cause to be placed/establish’

Entities Mentioned

• janapada
• putra (sons)
• bhrātṛ (brothers)
• durga (fort)
• aṭavī (wilderness)

More Details

FAQs

Why emphasize ‘eka-stha’ (single consolidated settlement)?

Consolidation simplifies protection, provisioning, intelligence, and command-and-control under wartime disruption.

Why appoint sons/brothers as custodians?

Kauṭilya treats kin as comparatively more dependable for holding critical demographic and fiscal assets, reducing defection risk in crisis.