Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 3 Sutra 15 - Arthashastra | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 15

Devanagari script

बहिर्जानुभञ्जनीशूलप्रकरकूपकूटावपातकण्टकप्रतिसराहिपृष्ठतालपत्त्रशृङ्गाटकश्वदंष्ट्रार्गलोपस्कन्दनपादुकाम्बरीषोदपानकैः प्रतिच्छन्नं छन्नपथं कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.३.१५ ॥

Transliteration

bahir jānubhañjanīśūlaprakarakūpakūṭāvapātakaṇṭakapratisarāhipṛṣṭhatālapattraśṛṅgāṭakaśvadaṃṣṭrārgalopaskandanapādukāmbarīṣodapānakaiḥ praticchannaṃ channapathaṃ kārayet

Translation

बहिः छन्नपथं कारयेत्, जानुभञ्जनी-शूल-प्रकर-कूप-कूटावपात-कण्टकप्रतिसर-अहिपृष्ठ-तालपत्त्र-शृङ्गाटक-श्वदंष्ट्रा-अर्गला-उपस्कन्दन-प्रतिषेध-आदिभिः प्रतिच्छन्नम्; उदपानकैश्च।

Word by Word

बहिःoutside; externally

जानुknee

भञ्जनी(device) that breaks/bends; a breaker

शूलspike; spear; stake

प्रकरenclosure/arrangement; defensive structure

कूपwell; pit

कूटhidden; false; concealed (thing)

अवपातpitfall; sudden drop

कण्टकthorn; spike

प्रतिसरcounter-barrier; protective obstruction

अहिsnake

पृष्ठback (surface)

तालpalm (tree)

पत्त्रleaf

शृङ्गाटकcaltrop; spiked obstacle

श्वदंष्ट्राdog-tooth (thorny plant); thorn

अर्गलाbar; bolt; latch

उपस्कन्दनambush; sudden attack/approach

पादुकाsandal; (here) sandal-like trap/obstacle

अम्बरीषa vessel/pot; (here) a defensive contrivance so named

उदपानकwith wells/pits (as devices)

प्रतिच्छन्नम्covered over; concealed

छन्नपथम्a hidden path/covered way

कारयेत्should cause (it) to be made/constructed

Entities Mentioned

concealed path (channapatha)

pits, spikes, caltrops

counter-ditches

water points

FAQs

Why combine a concealed route with an obstacle belt outside the fort?

It channels enemy movement into predictable lanes while preserving protected mobility for defenders—maximizing response speed and minimizing exposure.

What governance idea is reflected in listing many obstacle types?

Layered redundancy: if one measure fails or is neutralized, others still impose cost, delay, and confusion on the attacker.