Sutra 12

Devanagari script

तमभ्यवपद्येत परेषामपि भयात् ॥ कZ_१२.१.१२ ॥

Transliteration

tamabhyavapadyeta pareṣāmapi bhayāt

Translation

ఇతర (శక్తుల) భయంతో కూడా అతనికి లోబడాలి.

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that person
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एकवचन; द्वितीया विभक्ति; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भानुसार)

• अभ्यवपद्येत: should take refuge with / should submit to (seek protection from)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-अव-पद्
• Form: धातु: पद् (गत्यर्थ/पद्); उपसर्ग: अभि+अव; लिङ् (विधिलिङ्/आज्ञार्थे); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; परस्मैपद-रूपं न; अर्थ: ‘शरणं गच्छेत/आश्रयं याचेत’

• परेषाम्: of others / of the enemy side
• Type: Noun/Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: पर
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यत:); ‘परे’ = others/enemies/foreigners (contextual)

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Particle
• Root: अपि
• Form: निपात; समुच्चय/अपवाद/अतिशयार्थे (here: ‘even’)

• भयात्: from fear; out of fear
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; हेतौ/अपादाने (ablative of cause: ‘out of fear’)

More Details

FAQs

What modern concept does this resemble?

Bandwagoning/hedging: aligning with a dominant but rule-bound power to reduce vulnerability to more predatory rivals.

What is the administrative payoff of such submission?

Stability for internal governance—time to rebuild revenue, army, and alliances under reduced immediate threat.