Arthashastra

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तुल्य सामन्त व्यसने यातव्यम् अमित्रं वा इत्य् अमित्रम् अभियायात्, तत् सिद्धौ यातव्यम् ॥

WHEN two enemies, one an assailable enemy and another a strong enemy, are equally involved in troubles, which of them is to be marched against first?

english translation

tulya sAmanta vyasane yAtavyam amitraM vA ity amitram abhiyAyAt, tat siddhau yAtavyam ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

अमित्र सिद्धौ हि यातव्यः साहाय्यं दद्यान् न अमित्रो यातव्य सिद्धौ ॥

The strong enemy is to be marched against first; after vanquishing him, the assailable enemy is to be attacked, for, when a strong enemy has been vanquished, an assailable enemy will volunteer of his own accord to help the conqueror; but not so, a strong enemy.

english translation

amitra siddhau hi yAtavyaH sAhAyyaM dadyAn na amitro yAtavya siddhau ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

गुरु व्यसनं यातव्यं लघु व्यसनम् अमित्रं वा इति "गुरु व्यसनं सौकर्यतो यायाद्" इत्य् आचार्याः ॥

Which is to be marched against---an assailable enemy involved in troubles to a greater degree or a strong enemy troubled to a lesser degree? My teacher says that as a matter of easy conquest, the assailable enemy under worse troubles should be marched against first.

english translation

guru vyasanaM yAtavyaM laghu vyasanam amitraM vA iti "guru vyasanaM saukaryato yAyAd" ity AcAryAH ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

न इति कौटिल्यः ॥

Not so, says Kautilya.

english translation

लघु व्यसनम् अमित्रं यायात् ॥

The conqueror should march against the strong enemy under less troubles.

english translation

laghu vyasanam amitraM yAyAt ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript