Sutra 59

Devanagari script

सामवायिकानामपुरोगस्य तु यात्रामध्यान्तगोऽनर्थः संशयो श्रेयानुपसम्प्राप्तुमनिर्बन्धगामित्वात् ॥ कZ_०९.७.५९ ॥

Transliteration

sāmavāyikānām apurogasya tu yātrā-madhyānta-go 'narthaḥ saṃśayo vā śreyān upasamprāptum anirbandha-gāmitvāt

Translation

ਸਾਂਝੇ ਉਪਰਾਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਜੇ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਅਗੂ ਨਾ ਹੋਵੇ, ਤਾਂ ਯਾਤਰਾ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ, ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਜਾਂ ਅੰਤ—ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਪੜਾਅ ‘ਤੇ ਅਨਰਥ ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ; ਇਸ ਲਈ ਜਦੋਂ ਨਤੀਜੇ ਅਣਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਹੋਣ, ਤਾਂ ਸਾਵਧਾਨੀ ਨਾਲ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧਣਾ ਅਤੇ ਕਠੋਰ ਬੱਧਤਾ ਤੋਂ ਬਚਣਾ ਹੀ ਚੰਗਾ ਹੈ, ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਅਜੇਹੇ ਉਪਰਾਲੇ ਪੱਕੀ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਭਟਕਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• सामवायिकानाम्: of the confederates / allied associates
• Type: Noun (Adjective used substantively)
• Root: सामवायिक
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Gen. pl.); पुंलिङ्गे (contextually ‘of the confederates/associates’)

• अपुरोगस्य: of one who is not at the front / of a leaderless (advance)
• Type: Noun (Adjective)
• Root: अपुरोग
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Gen. sg.); पुंलिङ्गे; ‘one who is not in front/without a leader at the front’

• तु: but / however
• Type: Particle
• Root: तु
• Form: निपातः; विरोध/विशेषार्थे

• यात्रा: expedition / march
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); स्त्रीलिङ्गे

• मध्य: middle
• Type: Noun (used adverbially in compound)
• Root: मध्य
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण; ‘in the middle’

• अन्त: end
• Type: Noun (used adverbially in compound)
• Root: अन्त
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण; ‘at the end’

• गः: going / being (located)
• Type: Noun (agentive/participial, as second member of compound)
• Root: ग (गम्)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); पुंलिङ्गे; ‘going/being situated’

• अनर्थः: harm / misfortune
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनर्थ
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); पुंलिङ्गे

• संशयः: doubt / uncertainty
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); पुंलिङ्गे

• श्रेयान्: better / preferable
• Type: Adjective (comparative)
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); पुंलिङ्गे; श्रेयस्-शब्दस्य तुलनात्मक-प्रयोगः

• उपसम्प्राप्तुम्: to reach / to attain
• Type: Verb (Infinitive)
• Root: उप-सम्-प्राप्
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive); ‘to reach/attain’

• अनिर्बन्ध: without firm resolve
• Type: Noun (as first member of compound)
• Root: अनिर्बन्ध
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण; ‘without firm resolve/without insistence’

• गामित्वात्: because of the tendency to go / because of going (in that manner)
• Type: Noun (abstract)
• Root: गामित्व
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनम् (Abl. sg.); नपुंसकलिङ्गे; -त्व (भाव) + तसिल्/त् (abl.)

Entities Mentioned

• collective enterprise
• leaderless organization

More Details

FAQs

What administrative risk does Kautilya highlight in leaderless collective undertakings?

Coordination failure: without a clear leader, harm can arise at any phase, so the state should avoid rigid commitment and keep options open.

What is the implied governance prescription?

Assign accountable leadership and maintain controllable commitments; otherwise treat the venture as high-variance and proceed cautiously.