Arthashastra

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मन्त्रि पुरोहित सखः सामान्येष्व् अधिकरणेषु स्थापयित्वा अमात्यान् उपधाभिः शोधयेत् ॥

ASSISTED by his prime minister (mantri) and his high priest, the king shall, by offering temptations, examine the character of ministers (amátya) appointed in government departments of ordinary nature.

english translation

mantri purohita sakhaH sAmAnyeSv adhikaraNeSu sthApayitvA amAtyAn upadhAbhiH zodhayet ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

पुरोहितम् अयाज्य याजन अध्यापने नियुक्तम् अमृष्यमाणं राजा अवक्षिपेत् ॥

The king shall dismiss a priest who, when ordered, refuses to teach the Vedás to an outcaste person or to officiate in a sacrificial performance (apparently) undertaken by an outcaste person (ayájya).

english translation

purohitam ayAjya yAjana adhyApane niyuktam amRSyamANaM rAjA avakSipet ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

स सत्त्रिभिः शपथ पूर्वम् एकैकम् अमात्यम् उपजापयेत् "अधार्मिको अयं राजा, साधु धार्मिकम् अन्यम् अस्य तत् कुलीनम् अपरुद्धं कुल्यम् एक प्रग्रहं सामन्तम् आटविकम् औपपादिकं वा प्रतिपादयामः, सर्वेषाम् एतद् रोचते, कथं वा तव" इति ॥

Then the dismissed priest shall, through the medium of spies under the guise of class-mates (satri), instigate each minister one after another, saying on oath "this king is unrighteous; well let us set up in his place another king who is righteous, or who is born of the same family as of this king, or who is kept imprisoned, or a neighbouring king of his family and of self-sufficiency (ekapragraha), or a wild chief (atavika), or an upstart (aupapádika); this attempt is to the liking of all of us; what dost thou think ?"

english translation

sa sattribhiH zapatha pUrvam ekaikam amAtyam upajApayet "adhArmiko ayaM rAjA, sAdhu dhArmikam anyam asya tat kulInam aparuddhaM kulyam eka pragrahaM sAmantam ATavikam aupapAdikaM vA pratipAdayAmaH, sarveSAm etad rocate, kathaM vA tava" iti ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

प्रत्याख्याने शुचिः । इति धर्म उपधा ॥

If any one or all of the ministers refuse to acquiesce in such a measure, he or they shall be considered pure. This is what is called religious allurement.

english translation

pratyAkhyAne zuciH । iti dharma upadhA ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

सेना पतिर् असत् प्रग्रहेण अवक्षिप्तः सत्त्रिभिर् एकैकम् अमात्यम् उपजापयेत् लोभनीयेन अर्थेन राज विनाशाय, "सर्वेषाम् एतद् रोचते, कथं वा तव" इति ॥

A commander of the army, dismissed from service for receiving condemnable things (asatpragraha) may, through the agency of spies under the guise of class-mates (satri), incite each minister to murder the king in view of acquiring immense wealth, each minister being asked "this attempt is to the liking of all of us; what dost thou think?"

english translation

senA patir asat pragraheNa avakSiptaH sattribhir ekaikam amAtyam upajApayet lobhanIyena arthena rAja vinAzAya, "sarveSAm etad rocate, kathaM vA tava" iti ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript