Sutra 22

Devanagari script

शुष्कचर्मवृत्तशर्कराकोशकैर्गोमहिषोष्ट्रयूथैर्वा त्रस्नुभिरकृतहस्त्यश्वं भिन्नमभिन्नः प्रतिनिवृत्तं हन्यात् ॥ कZ_१०.३.२२ ॥

Transliteration

śuṣkacarma-vṛtta-śarkarā-kośakaiḥ gomahiṣoṣṭra-yūthair vā trasnubhiḥ akṛta-hastyaśvaṃ bhinnaṃ abhinnaḥ pratinivṛttaṃ hanyāt

Translation

โดยใช้ถุง/ภาชนะจากหนังแห้งที่ใส่ก้อนหินกลมและกรวด หรือโดยต้อนฝูงวัว ควาย หรืออูฐ—เพื่อทำให้กองกำลังที่ไม่ชำนาญการใช้ช้างและม้าตื่นกลัว—กองกำลังที่ยังคงเป็นระเบียบควรเข้าตีศัตรูที่แตกพ่ายและกำลังถอยกลับ.

Word by Word

• शुष्क-चर्म-वृत्त-शर्करा-कोशकैः: with decoy/casing devices such as dry-hide coverings and round pebble/sugar-like casings
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन्/शर्करा/कोशक (समास)
• Form: तृतीया-बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-समाहार (करण-कारक); समासे ‘शुष्कचर्म’ (कर्मधारय), ‘वृत्तशर्करा’ (कर्मधारय), ‘शर्कराकोशक’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय) इत्यादि

• गो-महिष-उष्ट्र-यूथैः: with herds of cows, buffaloes, and camels
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो/महिष/उष्ट्र/यूथ
• Form: तृतीया-बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (यूथ) / समाहारार्थ; करण-कारक

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• त्रस्नुभिः: with frighteners/harassing agents
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रस्नु
• Form: तृतीया-बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; करण-कारक

• अकृत: not made/unused; untrained
• Type: Participle
• Root: कृ
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; ‘हस्त्यश्वम्’ विशेषणम्

• हस्ति-अश्वम्: the elephant-and-horse (force)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तिन्/अश्व
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); कर्म-कारक

• भिन्नम्: broken/dispersed
• Type: Participle
• Root: भिद्
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); द्वितीया-एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘हस्त्यश्वम्’ विशेषणम्

• अभिन्नः: (while) oneself is unbroken/intact
• Type: Participle
• Root: भिद्
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; कर्तृ (अभिन्नः = अव्याहत/अविभक्तः)

• प्रतिनिवृत्तम्: turned back/retreating
• Type: Participle
• Root: वृत् (नि+वृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; द्वितीया-एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘हस्त्यश्वम्’ विशेषणम्

• हन्यात्: should strike/kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; विधि/आदेश

Entities Mentioned

• cows
• buffaloes
• camels
• enemy troops (untrained)
• elephants/horses (as training reference)

More Details

FAQs

How do gravel bags and herds function as tactics?

They create noise, dust, and sudden movement that triggers panic—especially in troops not habituated to large animals and cavalry/elephant effects.

What is the command principle about pursuing a retreating enemy?

Strike when the enemy is disordered (bhinna) and you remain cohesive (abhinna); cohesion is treated as the decisive advantage.