Sutra 34

Devanagari script

यदि वा मन्येत न मे शक्तः परः कर्माण्युपहन्तुं नाहं तस्य कर्मोपघाती वा व्यसनमस्य श्ववराहयोरिव कलहे वा स्वकर्मानुष्ठानपरो वा वर्धिष्ये इत्यासनेन वृद्धिमातिष्ठेत् ॥ कZ_०७.१.३४ ॥

Transliteration

yadi vā manyeta na me śaktaḥ paraḥ karmāṇy upahantuṃ nāhaṃ tasya karmopaghātī vā vyasanam asya śvavarāhayor iva kalahe vā svakarmānuṣṭhānaparo vā vardhiṣye ity āsanena vṛddhim ātiṣṭhet

Translation

Hoặc nếu xét rằng: “Kẻ thù không đủ khả năng phá rối hoạt động của ta; ta cũng không ở vị thế phá rối hoạt động của hắn. Hắn bị rắc rối bủa vây—như chó và lợn rừng quấn chặt trong cuộc đấu—hoặc ta có thể lớn mạnh bằng cách chuyên tâm thi hành công việc của mình,” thì nên theo đuổi sự gia tăng bằng cách giữ trung lập (āsana).

Word by Word

यदिif

वाor

मन्येतhe should think/consider

नnot

मेof me / to me

शक्तःable, capable

परःanother (person), the other/foe

कर्माणिactions, undertakings

उपहन्तुम्to harm, to obstruct, to damage

नnot

अहम्I

तस्यof him/that (person)

कर्मोपघातीa destroyer/obstructor of (his) actions

वाor

व्यसनम्calamity/misfortune

अस्यof him/this (person)

श्ववराहयोःof a dog and a boar

इवlike, as if

कलहेin a quarrel/fight

वाor

स्वकर्मानुष्ठानपरःdevoted to the performance of one’s own duties/undertakings

वाor

वर्धिष्येI shall grow/prosper

इतिthus

आसनेनby (the policy of) remaining seated/quiet (strategic inaction)

वृद्धिम्increase, growth, advantage

आतिष्ठेत्he should undertake/maintain (it), he should resort to

Entities Mentioned

para (enemy)

FAQs

When does Kautilya recommend āsana instead of war?

When neither side can effectively disrupt the other, and growth is better achieved through internal administration or when the enemy is preoccupied with other troubles.

Why the ‘dog and boar’ simile?

It signals an enemy entangled in a draining conflict—creating an opportunity to wait and strengthen rather than incur war costs.