Sutra 20

Devanagari script

जात्यादजात्यो हि लुप्तदायादसंतानत्वादाधातुं श्रेयान्प्राज्ञादप्राज्ञो मन्त्रशक्तिलोपात् शूरादशूर उत्साहशक्तिलोपात्कृतास्त्रादकृतास्त्रः प्रहर्तव्यसम्पल्लोपात् एकपुत्रादनेकपुत्रो निरपेक्षत्वात् ॥ कZ_०७.१७.२० ॥

Transliteration

jātyādajātyo hi luptadāyādasaṃtānatvād ādhātuṃ śreyān prājñād aprājño mantraśaktilopāt śūrād aśūra utsāhaśaktilopāt kṛtāstrād akṛtāstraḥ prahartavyasampallopāt ekaputrād anekaputro nirapekṣatvāt

Translation

जात्यस्य विरुद्धे अजात्यः हि लुप्तदायाद-असंतानत्वात् आधातुं श्रेयान्—अतः सः अधिकं धार्यः। प्राज्ञस्य विरुद्धे अप्राज्ञः मन्त्रशक्तिलोपात्, शूरस्य विरुद्धे अशूरः उत्साहशक्तिलोपात्, कृतास्त्रस्य विरुद्धे अकृतास्त्रः प्रहर्तव्यसम्पल्लोपात्, एकपुत्रस्य विरुद्धे अनेकपुत्रः निरपेक्षत्वात् श्रेयान्।

Word by Word

जात्यात्from (good) lineage/caste-status

अजात्यःone not of good lineage; low-born/ignoble

हिindeed/for

लुप्त-दायाद-संतानत्वात्because he has no heirs/issue (succession is cut off)

आधातुम्to appoint/establish (him)

श्रेयान्better/preferable

प्राज्ञात्than a wise/competent man

अप्राज्ञःan incompetent/unwise man

मन्त्र-शक्ति-लोपात्because of loss of capacity for counsel/strategy

शूरात्than a brave man

अशूरःa coward/non-valiant man

उत्साह-शक्ति-लोपात्because of loss of energy/initiative

कृत-अस्त्रात्than one trained in weapons

अकृत-अस्त्रःone untrained in weapons

प्रहर्तव्य-सम्पत्-लोपात्because the requisite capability/resources for striking are lost

एक-पुत्रात्than one with a single son

अनेक-पुत्रःone with many sons

निरपेक्षत्वात्because of being independent/not dependent (on a single contingency)

Entities Mentioned

jātya/ajātya (high/low status agent)

prājña/aprājña (wise/unwise)

śūra/aśūra (brave/unbrave)

kṛtāstra/akṛtāstra (trained/untrained)

ekaputra/anekaputra (sole vs many dependents)

FAQs

What is the core ‘nīti’ mechanism across these comparisons?

Strengths can be selectively denied or rendered irrelevant (counsel blocked, morale blunted, weapons removed), while ‘controllability’ and risk appetite (attachment vs indifference) determine who is more usable or more dangerous in a given contest.