Sutra 3

Devanagari script

तेषां जनपदभिजनमवग्रहं चाप्ततः परीक्षेत समानविद्येभ्यः शिल्पं शास्त्रचक्षुष्मत्तां च कर्मारम्भेषु प्रज्ञां धारयिष्णुतां दाक्ष्यं च कथायोगेषु वाग्मित्वं प्रागल्भ्यं प्रतिभानवत्त्वं च संवासिभ्यः शीलबलारोग्यसत्त्वयोगमस्तम्भमचापलं च प्रत्यक्षतः सम्प्रियत्वमवैरत्वं च ॥ कZ_०१.९.०३ ॥

Transliteration

teṣāṃ janapadabhijanamavagrahaṃ cāptataḥ parīkṣeta samānavidyebhyaḥ śilpaṃ śāstracakṣuṣmattāṃ ca karmārambheṣu prajñāṃ dhārayiṣṇutāṃ dākṣyaṃ ca kathāyogeṣu vāgmitvaṃ prāgalbhyaṃ pratibhānavattvaṃ ca saṃvāsibhyaḥ śīlabalārogyasattvayogamastambhamacāpalaṃ ca pratyakṣataḥ sampriyatvamavairatvaṃ ca

Translation

เขาควรตรวจสอบพวกเขาดังนี้: จากผู้ให้ข่าวที่เชื่อถือได้ ให้ดูถิ่นกำเนิด/แคว้นและฐานะตระกูล รวมทั้งข้อบกพร่องที่ทำให้ขาดคุณสมบัติ; จากผู้ที่ฝึกในสาขาเดียวกัน ให้ดูทักษะเชิงช่าง/เทคนิคและความสามารถในการใช้เหตุผลตามคัมภีร์; ในการเริ่มงาน ให้ดูปัญญา ความมั่นคง และความชำนาญเชิงปฏิบัติ; ในการปรึกษาหารือ ให้ดูวาทศิลป์ ความมั่นใจ และไหวพริบ; จากผู้ร่วมพำนัก ให้ดูความประพฤติ กำลัง สุขภาพ และความกล้าหาญ พร้อมทั้งความไม่โอหังและไม่โลเล; และจากการสังเกตโดยตรง ให้ดูความน่าคบหาและความไร้ศัตรู.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them (i.e., of those persons)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (पुं./नपुं.), सर्वनाम

• जनपद: the country/territory (janapada)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनपद
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं.)

• अभिजनम्: lineage, noble birth
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिजन
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं.)

• अवग्रहम्: comprehension, grasp
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवग्रह
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं.)

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

• आप्ततः: from trustworthy persons
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आप्ततः
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययम् (आप्त + तस्)

• परीक्षेत: should examine, should test
• Type: Verb
• Root: परीक्ष्
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्?—विधिलिङ्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम् (परि+ईक्ष्)

• समानविद्येभ्यः: from those of equal learning
• Type: Noun
• Root: समानविद्या
• Form: पञ्चमी-बहुवचनम् (स्त्री.)

• शिल्पम्: skill, craft-competence
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्प
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• शास्त्रचक्षुष्मत्ताम्: having ‘śāstra as one’s eyes’; scriptural/disciplinary insight
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्रचक्षुष्मत्ता
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (स्त्री.)

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

• कर्मारम्भेषु: in the commencement of tasks/undertakings
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मारम्भ
• Form: सप्तमी-बहुवचनम् (पुं.)

• प्रज्ञाम्: intelligence, discernment
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रज्ञा
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (स्त्री.)

• धारयिष्णुताम्: steadfastness; capacity to sustain/maintain
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारयिष्णुता
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (स्त्री.); धृ-धातोः इच्छार्थ/शीलार्थ ‘इष्णु’ प्रत्ययान्त भाव

• दाक्ष्यम्: skillfulness, efficiency
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्ष्य
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

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

• कथायोगेषु: in conversations/discussions
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथायोग
• Form: सप्तमी-बहुवचनम् (पुं.)

• वाग्मित्वम्: eloquence
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाग्मित्व
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• प्रागल्भ्यम्: confidence, boldness
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रागल्भ्य
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• प्रतिभानवत्त्वम्: quick-wittedness, presence of mind
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिभानवत्
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

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

• संवासिभ्यः: from cohabitants/associates
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवासिन्
• Form: पञ्चमी-बहुवचनम् (पुं.); ‘संवासिन्’ (सहवासकर्ता)

• शील: character, conduct
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• बल: strength
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• आरोग्य: health
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरोग्य
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• सत्त्व: spirit, courage
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.)

• योगम्: fitness, suitability
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं.)

• अस्तम्भम्: non-obstinacy; not stiff/overbearing
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्तम्भ
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुं./नपुं.); नञ्-समासभावः (a-स्तम्भ)

• अचापलम्: non-fickleness; steadiness
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचापल
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.); नञ्-समासभावः (a-चापल)

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

• प्रत्यक्षतः: directly, by personal observation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्यक्षतः
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययम् (प्रत्यक्ष + तस्)

• सम्प्रियत्वम्: agreeableness; being liked
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्प्रियत्व
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.); सम्+प्रिय + त्व

• अवैरत्वम्: non-enmity; being without hostility
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवैरत्व
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (नपुं.); नञ्-समासभावः (a-वैर + त्व)

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

Entities Mentioned

• king (implied appointing authority)
• āpta (trusted informants)
• peers/same-discipline evaluators
• co-residents/neighbors

More Details

FAQs

What is Kautilya’s method for evaluating candidates for state service in this verse?

A layered, multi-source assessment: informant reports for origin/lineage and disqualifying marks; peer review for skill and śāstra-based judgment; task-start observation for intelligence and execution ability; deliberation settings for communication and presence of mind; neighborhood testimony for conduct/health/courage; and direct observation for social acceptability and absence of active enmities.

What modern administrative principle does this verse anticipate?

Triangulated verification (background checks + peer evaluation + performance observation) to reduce appointment risk and information asymmetry.