Sutra 11

Devanagari script

कृतमहामात्रापसर्पः पौरजानपदानपसर्पयेत् ॥ कZ_०१.१३.०१ ॥

Transliteration

kṛtamahāmātrāpasarpaḥ paurajānapadānapasarpayet

Translation

เมื่อจัดวางสายลับที่ปลอมเป็นขุนนางชั้นผู้ใหญ่แล้ว เขายังพึงส่งสายลับไปในหมู่ชาวเมืองและชาวชนบท (ชนบท/ชุมชนต่างจังหวัด) ด้วย

Word by Word

• कृत: made, effected; having done/arranged
• Type: Participle
• Root: कृ
• Form: कृ (करणे) धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; विशेषणम् (महामात्रापसर्पः इत्यस्य)

• महामात्र: high officer; senior state official
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्र (मातृ-सम्बद्धः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (समासाङ्ग) ‘महान् चासौ मात्रः/अमात्यः’ इति; समासपूर्वपदम् (महामात्रापसर्पः इत्यत्र)

• अपसर्पः: removal/expulsion (of the high officers)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृप् (गत्याम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; ‘अप-’ उपसर्गपूर्वक ‘सृप्’ धातोः घञ्/अच्-प्रत्ययान्त भाव/कर्तृवाचक-नाम; समस्तपदम्: महामात्र-अपसर्पः = महामात्राणाम् अपसर्पः/अपसारणम्

• पौर: city-dwellers; citizens
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: पुर्/पुर (नगर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्; ‘पुर’ शब्दात् अण्-प्रत्ययः; पौराः = नगरवासिनः; विशेष्यः (जानपदान् इत्यनेन सह द्वन्द्वार्थे)

• जानपदान्: country people; inhabitants of the provinces
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनपद
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्; जनपद-शब्दः (देश/प्रान्त)

• अपसर्पयेत्: should remove/drive away (should cause to withdraw)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृप् (गत्याम्)
• Form: अप-उपसर्गपूर्वक causative (णिच्) धातु: अपसर्पयति; विधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; कर्ता (अध्याहृतः) = राजा/स्वामी

Entities Mentioned

• mahāmātra
• paura
• jānapada
• apasarpa (spy/agent)

More Details

FAQs

Why use agents disguised as high officials (mahāmātra)?

Such cover grants access, credibility, and fear/authority effects, allowing realistic testing of grievances, corruption signals, and loyalty without alerting local power-holders.

What is the administrative intent of sending agents among both towns and countryside?

To avoid urban bias and capture the full tax-and-security base: markets, guilds, villages, and frontier/rural communities where early discontent can grow.