Arthashastra

siva.sh/arthashastra/sadgunya/17/27

बह्व् एक पुत्रयोर् बहु पुत्र एकं दत्त्वा शेष प्रतिष्टब्धः संधिम् अतिक्रामति, न इतरः ॥

sanskrit

With regard to a king having many sons and another an only son, the former, giving one of his sons as a hostage and being contented with the rest, is able to break the peace but not the latter.

english translation

bahv eka putrayor bahu putra ekaM dattvA zeSa pratiSTabdhaH saMdhim atikrAmati, na itaraH ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

siva.sh/arthashastra/sadgunya/17/27

बह्व् एक पुत्रयोर् बहु पुत्र एकं दत्त्वा शेष प्रतिष्टब्धः संधिम् अतिक्रामति, न इतरः ॥

sanskrit

With regard to a king having many sons and another an only son, the former, giving one of his sons as a hostage and being contented with the rest, is able to break the peace but not the latter.

english translation

bahv eka putrayor bahu putra ekaM dattvA zeSa pratiSTabdhaH saMdhim atikrAmati, na itaraH ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript