Sutra 28
Devanagari script
परमिश्राप्रतीकारमाबलीयसं वा परेषु प्रयुञ्जीत ॥ कZ_०७.१४.२८ ॥
Transliteration
paramiśrāpratīkāramābalīyasaṃ vā pareṣu prayuñjīta
Translation
परेषु प्रतीकारार्थं परमिश्रं प्रतीकारम् अथवा अबलीयसं यथायोग्यं प्रयुञ्जीत।
Word by Word
परमिश्राप्रतीकारम्a highly mixed/combined and hard-to-counter countermeasure
परमिश्राप्रतीकारम्:
TypeNoun
Rootप्रतीकार
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; समासः—परमिश्र + अप्रतीकार (नञ्-समास) → परमिश्राप्रतीकारम्
आबलीयसम्the stronger (more forceful) one
आबलीयसम्:
TypeAdjective (used substantively)
Rootआबलीयस्
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (आ-बल + ईयस् प्रत्यय)
वाor
वा:
TypeParticle
Rootवा
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय
परेषुagainst enemies / in the case of adversaries
परेषु:
TypeNoun/Adjective
Rootपर
Formपुंलिङ्ग (पर-शब्दः), बहुवचन, सप्तमी; ‘पर’ = अन्य/शत्रु
प्रयुञ्जीतshould employ / should apply
प्रयुञ्जीत:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-युज्
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; लट्-आदेशे विधिः—‘should employ/apply’
Entities Mentioned
R
rājā (implied)P
pare (rivals/enemies)FAQs
Kauṭilya advises matching the response to context: use a composite, forceful package when necessary, but prefer a smaller, cheaper measure when it can still achieve the objective.
It implies combining instruments—diplomacy, money, covert action, and force—into an integrated counter-policy rather than relying on a single tool.