Sutra 43

Devanagari script

पत्त्यश्वरथद्विपानां सारत्रिभागमुरस्यं स्थापयेत्द्वौ त्रिभागौ कक्षं पक्षं चोभयतः अनुलोममनुसारम् प्रतिलोमं तृतीयसारम् फल्गु प्रतिलोमम् ॥ कZ_१०.५.४३ ॥

Transliteration

pattyaśvarathadvipānāṃ sāratribhāgam urasyaṃ sthāpayet dvau tribhāgau kakṣaṃ pakṣaṃ ca ubhayataḥ anulomam anusāram pratilomam tṛtīyasāram phalgu pratilomam

Translation

ในกองทหารราบ ทหารม้า รถศึก และช้างศึก ให้จัดกำลังชั้นยอดหนึ่งในสาม (สารถ) ไว้แนวหน้า; อีกสองในสามให้วางไว้ทั้งสองข้างเป็นปีกและแนวข้าง (คักษะ/ปักษะ). จัดกองหนุนติดตาม (อนุสาร) ตามลำดับปกติ; วางกำลังแกนระดับที่สามไว้ด้านหลัง/ตามลำดับย้อน; และจัดกำลังเบา (ผลคุ) ตามลำดับย้อนเช่นกัน.

Word by Word

• पत्त्य: of the infantry
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (पुं.)

• अश्व: of the cavalry (horses)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (पुं.)

• रथ: of the chariots
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (पुं.)

• द्विपानाम्: of the elephants
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (पुं.)

• सार: the core/central portion
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• त्रि-भागम्: as a threefold division / into three parts
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं./नपुं.); ‘त्रि’ संख्यापूर्वपदम्

• उरस्यं: in the front (chest-side) position
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उरस्य
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.); विशेषणम् (सारम् इति)

• स्थापयेत्: should place / should deploy
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (स्थापयति)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; causative (णिच्)

• द्वौ: two
• Type: Numeral
• Root: द्वि
• Form: द्वितीया-बहुवचनम् (पुं.); ‘भागौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• त्रि-भागौ: two (remaining) third-portions
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग
• Form: द्वितीया-बहुवचनम् (पुं.); ‘त्रि’ संख्यापूर्वपदम्

• कक्षम्: the flank/side-guard position
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्ष
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं.)

• पक्षम्: the wing (flank)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं.)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• उभयतः: on both sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उभयतः
• Form: अव्ययम् (दिशा/पक्ष-द्योतक)

• अनुलोमम्: in regular/forward order
• Type: Adjective/Adverb
• Root: अनुलोम
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.) / क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः

• अनुसारम्: according to (the sequence)
• Type: Noun/Adverbial
• Root: अनुसार
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं./नपुं.); क्रियाविशेषणवत् (‘अनुसारम्’ = according to)

• प्रतिलोमम्: in reverse order
• Type: Adjective/Adverb
• Root: प्रतिलोम
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.) / क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• तृतीय: the third
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.) / विशेषणम् (‘सारम्’ इति)

• सारम्: the core/central portion
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• फल्गु: weak/light (as a feint or lesser force)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल्गु
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.) / क्रियाविशेषणवत्; विशेषणम् (प्रतिलोमम् इति)

• प्रतिलोमम्: in reverse order
• Type: Adjective/Adverb
• Root: प्रतिलोम
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.) / क्रियाविशेषणवत्

Entities Mentioned

• infantry
• cavalry
• chariots
• elephants
• sāra troops
• phalgu troops
• anusāra (support echelon)

More Details

FAQs

What is the strategic logic of putting ‘sāra’ forward and ‘phalgu’ in reverse?

Maximize shock and cohesion at first contact while insulating weaker elements from immediate collapse; keep depth and controlled withdrawal/rotation options.