Sutra 12

Devanagari script

परिव्राजकस्य जितेन्द्रियत्वमनारम्भो निष्किंचनत्वं सङ्गत्यागो भैक्षव्रतमनेकत्रारण्ये च वासो बाह्याभ्यन्तरं च शौचम् ॥ कZ_०१.३.१२ ॥

Transliteration

parivrājakasya jitendriyatvam anārambho niṣkiṃcanatvaṃ saṅgatyāgo bhaikṣavratam anekatrāraṇye ca vāso bāhyābhyantaraṃ ca śaucam

Translation

ਪਰਿਵ੍ਰਾਜਕ ਲਈ—ਇੰਦ੍ਰਿਯ-ਜਯ; ਕੋਈ ਨਵਾਂ ਉੱਦਮ/ਆਰੰਭ ਨਾ ਕਰਨਾ; ਨਿਸ਼ਕਿੰਚਨਤਾ (ਸੰਪਤੀ ਰਹਿਤਤਾ); ਸੰਗਤ ਤਿਆਗ; ਭਿਖਿਆ‑ਵ੍ਰਤ; ਕਈ ਥਾਵਾਂ—ਖ਼ਾਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਜੰਗਲ ਵਿੱਚ—ਵਾਸ; ਅਤੇ ਬਾਹਰੀ ਤੇ ਅੰਦਰੂਨੀ ਸ਼ੌਚ।

Word by Word

परिव्राजकस्यof the wandering ascetic (mendicant)

जितेन्द्रियत्वम्self-control; the state of having conquered the senses

अनारम्भःnon-initiation (refraining from undertakings/enterprises)

निष्किंचनत्वम्poverty; having no possessions

सङ्गत्यागःabandonment of attachment/association

भैक्षव्रतम्the vow/practice of living on alms

अनेकत्रin many places; not in one fixed place

अरण्येin the forest

चand

वासःdwelling; residence

बाह्यम्external

आभ्यन्तरम्internal

चand

शौचम्purity; cleanliness (external and internal)

Entities Mentioned

parivrājaka

FAQs

What is the strategic objective (Artha) of this verse?

To define a rigorous template of self-discipline and non-attachment that supports trustworthy conduct; Kautilya treats personal restraint and integrity as foundational inputs for effective statecraft and stable governance.

How does this apply to modern governance?

It maps to modern integrity frameworks: conflict-of-interest controls (possessionlessness), limits on undue influence (renouncing associations), ethical fitness (internal purity), and compliance/hygiene standards (external purity), all of which reduce corruption and improve administrative reliability.

What is the specific duty of the ruler/official mentioned?

No ruler or office-holder is directly tasked here; the verse specifies the conduct-code of a wandering ascetic as an ethical benchmark, implying that those advising or serving the state should cultivate comparable self-control, low attachment, and moral cleanliness to protect decision-making from bias and capture.