Sutra 20

Devanagari script

व्यवहितयोरपि दण्डधारणात्मधारणा वा भूमिरिति आत्मधारणा श्रेयसी ॥ कZ_०७.१०.२० ॥

Transliteration

vyavahitayor api daṇḍa-dhāraṇā ātma-dhāraṇā vā bhūmir iti; ātma-dhāraṇā śreyasī.

Translation

แม้ในบรรดาดินแดนที่อยู่ไกล ก็อาจยึดไว้ได้ด้วยกำลังบังคับหรือเป็นดินแดนที่พึ่งตนเองได้; ดินแดนที่พึ่งตนเองได้ย่อมดีกว่า

Word by Word

• व्यवहितयोः: of/when the two are separated (kept apart)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: वि+अव+√धा (धारण/न्यास/स्थापन) → व्यवहित (ppp)
• Form: षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचन? actually षष्ठी-द्विवचन (genitive dual) of व्यवहित ‘separated/kept apart’; used with locative sense ‘in the case of two separated (things/persons)’

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Particle
• Root: अपि
• Form: निपात; concessive ‘even/also’

• दण्डधारण: maintenance/holding of punishment (coercive authority)
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: दण्ड + धारण (from √धृ ‘to hold’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन stem used as first member in compound with आत्मधारणा

• आत्मधारणा: self-maintenance; maintaining one’s own position/resources
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + धारणा (from √धृ ‘to hold/maintain’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (also used as option in a vā-construction)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात ‘or’

• भूमिः: land; territory
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• इति: thus; ‘so (it is said/defined)’
• Type: Quotative particle
• Root: इति
• Form: इत्यर्थे अव्यय; marks end of cited alternative/definition

• आत्मधारणा: self-maintenance
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + धारणा (from √धृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (topic resumed for evaluation)

• श्रेयसी: better; preferable
• Type: Adjective (predicative)
• Root: श्रेयस् (comparative of √श्री/श्री ‘to prosper’, via adjective श्रेयस् ‘better’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; agrees with आत्मधारणा

Entities Mentioned

• daṇḍa (coercive power)
• kośa (implied in next verses)
• ātma-dhāraṇā-bhūmi (self-sustaining land)

More Details

FAQs

How does this verse refine the ‘near vs far’ rule?

If distance cannot be avoided, choose the territory that can maintain order and revenue with minimal external coercive inputs—i.e., lower marginal cost of control.