Sutra 6

Devanagari script

यथा सामन्तानामामिषभूतः सामन्तव्यसनजो लाभः शत्रुप्रार्थितो वा स्वभावाधिगम्यो लाभः पश्चात्कोपेन पार्ष्णिग्राहेण वा विगृहीतः पुरस्ताल्लाभः मित्रोच्छेदेन संधिव्यतिक्रमेण वा मण्डलविरुद्धो लाभः इत्यापदर्थः ॥ कZ_०९.७.०६ ॥

Transliteration

yathā sāmantānām āmiṣabhūtaḥ sāmantavyasanajo lābhaḥ śatruprārthito vā svabhāvādhigamyo lābhaḥ paścāt kopena pārṣṇigrāheṇa vā vigṛhītaḥ purastāl lābhaḥ mitrocchedena saṃdhivyatikrameṇa vā maṇḍalaviruddho lābhaḥ ity āpadarthaḥ

Translation

مثلاً: وہ فائدہ جو سامنتوں کے لیے لالچ/چارہ (آمِش) بن جائے؛ وہ فائدہ جو کسی سامنت کی بدحالی/لت سے پیدا ہو؛ وہ فائدہ جسے دشمن چاہتا ہو یا جو محض حالات کے باعث مل جائے؛ وہ فائدہ جو بعد میں عداوت بھڑکائے یا پچھلا دشمن (پار্ষṇिग्रاہ) چھین لے؛ اور وہ فائدہ جو ابتدا ہی سے منڈل-نظام کے خلاف ہو—کیونکہ اس کے لیے دوست کا خاتمہ یا معاہدے کی خلاف ورزی کرنا پڑے—یہ سب ‘آپد-ارتھ’ ہیں۔

Word by Word

यथाas, in the manner that

सामन्तानाम्of the frontier vassals/neighboring chiefs

आमिषभूतःhaving become a bait (a lure)

सामन्तव्यसनजःarising from the calamity/distress of the frontier chiefs

लाभःgain, acquisition

शत्रुenemy

प्रार्थितःrequested, solicited

वाor

स्वभावाधिगम्यःobtainable by one’s own nature/normal means

लाभःgain

पश्चात्afterwards, later

कोपेनby anger

पार्ष्णिग्राहेणby the rear-enemy (heel-grasper)

वाor

विगृहीतःseized/attacked; estranged; made hostile

पुरस्तात्in front; earlier/beforehand

लाभःgain

मित्रally, friend

उच्छेदेनby destruction/eradication

संधिtreaty, alliance, peace

व्यतिक्रमेणby transgression/violation

वाor

मण्डलविरुद्धःopposed to the mandala (circle of states)

लाभःgain

इतिthus

आपदर्थःthis is the purport regarding calamity/distress

Entities Mentioned

sāmanta (frontier chief)

śatru (enemy)

pārṣṇigrāha (rear-enemy)

mitra (ally)

maṇḍala (circle of states)

FAQs

Why is a gain 'maṇḍalaviruddha' treated as risky?

Because it disrupts the relational geometry of the circle of states—triggering balancing coalitions, reputational loss, and strategic isolation.

What is the warning about exploiting a neighbor’s misfortune?

Such opportunism can make you the next target, create resentful survivors, and invite rival intervention—turning short-term profit into long-term insecurity.