Sutra 20

Devanagari script

उत्साहहीनः श्रेणीप्रवीरपुरुषाणां चोरगणाटविकम्लेच्छजातीनां परापकारिणां गूढपुरुषाणां च यथालाब्भमुपचयं कुर्वीत ॥ कZ_०७.१४.२७ ॥

Transliteration

utsāhahīnaḥ śreṇīpravīrapuruṣāṇāṃ coragaṇāṭavikamlecchajātīnāṃ parāpakāriṇāṃ gūḍhapuruṣāṇāṃ ca yathālābbhamupacayaṃ kurvīta

Translation

หากขาดแรงฮึด/ความริเริ่ม (utsāha) เขาพึงเพิ่มพูน (upacaya) กำลังของตนตามที่หาได้ โดยอาศัย: คนเก่งจากสมาคมอาชีพ, กองโจร/กลุ่มโจร, ชาวป่า, กลุ่ม ‘มเลจฉะ’ ชายแดน, ผู้ที่มุ่งทำร้ายศัตรู, และสายลับ/เจ้าหน้าที่ลับ.

Word by Word

• उत्साहहीनः: one who is lacking in initiative/energy
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्साह + हीन
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण (कर्तृपदस्य)

• श्रेणी: of guilds
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेणी
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन (समासे पूर्वपद-सम्बन्धः)

• प्रवीरपुरुषाणाम्: of leading men/champions
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + वीर + पुरुष
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• चोरगण: of bands of thieves
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोर + गण
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन (समासे पूर्वपद-सम्बन्धः)

• आटविक: of forest-tribes/forest people
• Type: Noun
• Root: आटविक
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन (समासे पूर्वपद-सम्बन्धः); ‘आटविक’ = वनचर/वनवासी (tribal/forest people)

• म्लेच्छजातीनाम्: of mleccha peoples/tribes
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लेच्छ + जाति
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (जाति)

• परापकारिणाम्: of those who do harm to others
• Type: Noun (agent)
• Root: परा + अपकारिन्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘अपकारिन्’ (कर्तरि)

• गूढपुरुषाणाम्: of concealed men; secret agents
• Type: Noun
• Root: गूढ + पुरुष
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

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

• यथा: according to; as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/अनुरूपार्थे

• लाभम्: gain; profit
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• उपचयम्: increase; accumulation
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचय
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्मपद

• कुर्वीत: should do; should bring about
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष-एकवचन

Entities Mentioned

• śreṇī (guilds)
• cora-gaṇa (thief bands)
• āṭavika (forest groups)
• mleccha-jāti (frontier groups)
• gūḍhapuruṣa (spies/agents)

More Details

FAQs

What is the policy mechanism implied by ‘upacaya’ in this verse?

Incremental capacity-building by co-opting available human networks—formal (guilds) and informal/irregular (bands, frontier groups), plus intelligence assets.

How should a ruler interpret this ethically and administratively?

As a realist contingency tool: co-opt and regulate disruptive groups to redirect their capabilities toward state objectives, while managing risks through oversight and intelligence.