Kautilya's Arthashastra 7.8: Chapter 8 (Sections 114; 115): Conduct of the King about to be Attacked; Allies Fit to be Helped

7.8.1

yātavyo 'bhiyāsyamānaḥ saṃdhikāraṇam ādātukāmo vihantukāmo vā sāmavāyikānām anyatamaṃ lābhadvaiguṇyena paṇeta //

WHEN an assailable enemy who is in danger of being attacked is desirous of taking upon himself the condition which led one king to combine with another against himself, or of splitting them from each other, he may propose peace to one of the kings on the condition of himself paying twice the amount of profit accruing from the combination. The agreement having been made, he may describe to that king the loss of men and money, the hardships of sojourning abroad, the commission of sinful deeds, and the misery and other personal troubles to which that king would have been subjected. When the king is convinced of the truth, the amount promised may be paid; or having made that king to incur enmity with other kings, the agreement itself may be broken off.

7.8.2

paṇamānaḥ kṣayavyayapravāsapratyavāyaparopakāraśarīrābādhāṃś cāsya varṇayet //

7.8.3

pratipannam arthena yojayet //

7.8.4

vairaṃ vā parair grāhayitvā visaṃvādayet //

7.8.5

durārabdhakarmāṇaṃ bhūyaḥ kṣayavyayābhyāṃ yoktukāmaḥ svārabdhāṃ vā yātrāsiddhiṃ vighātayitukāmo mūle yātrāyāṃ vā prahartukāmo yātavyasaṃhitaḥ punar yācitukāmaḥ pratyutpannārthakṛcchras tasminn aviśvasto vā tadātve lābham alpam icchet, āyatyāṃ prabhūtam //

When a king is inclined to cause to another, loss of men and money in the ill-considered undertakings of the latter or to frustrate the latter in the attempt of achieving large profits from well-begun undertakings; or when he means to strike another at his (another's) own place or while marching; or when he intends to exact subsidy again in combination with the latter's assailable enemy; or when he is in need of money and does not like to trust to his ally, he may, for the time being, be satisfied with a small amount of profit.

7.8.6

mitropakāram amitropaghātam arthānubandham avekṣamāṇaḥ pūrvopakārakaṃ kārayitukāmo bhūyas tadātve mahāntaṃ lābham utsṛjyāyatyām alpam icchet //

When a king has in view the necessity of helping a friend or of destroying an enemy, or the possibility of acquiring much wealth (in return for the present help) or when he intends to utilize in future the services of the one now obliged by him, he may reject the offer of large profit at the present in preference of a small gain in future.

7.8.7

dūṣyāmitrābhyāṃ mūlahareṇa vā jyāyasā vigṛhītaṃ trātukāmas tathāvidham upakāraṃ kārayitukāmaḥ sambandhāvekṣī vā tadātve cāyatyāṃ ca lābhaṃ na pratigṛhṇīyāt //

When a king means to help another from the clutches of traitors or enemies or of a superior king threatening the very existence of the latter, and intends thereby to set an example of rendering similar help to himself in future, he should receive no profit either at the present or in the future.

7.8.8

kṛtasaṃdhir atikramitukāmaḥ parasya prakṛtikarśanaṃ mitrāmitrasaṃdhiviśleṣaṇaṃ vā kartukāmaḥ parābhiyogāt śaṅkamāno lābham aprāptam adhikaṃ vā yāceta //

When a king means to harass the people of an enemy or to break the agreement of peace between a friend and a foe, or when he suspects of another's attack upon himself, and when owing to any of these causes, he wants to break peace with his ally, he may demand from the latter an enhanced amount of profit long before it is due. The latter under these circumstances may demand for a procedure (krama) either at the present or in the future. The same procedure explains the cases treated of before.

7.8.9

tam itaras tadātve cāyatyāṃ ca kramam avekṣeta //

7.8.10

tena pūrve vyākhyātāḥ //

7.8.11

arivijigīṣvos tu svaṃ svaṃ mitram anugṛhṇatoḥ śakyakalyabhavyārambhisthirakarmānuraktaprakṛtibhyo viśeṣaḥ //

The conqueror and his enemy helping their respective friends differ according as their friends are such or are not such as undertake possible, praiseworthy or productive works and as are resolute in their undertakings and are provided with loyal and devoted subjects.

7.8.12

śakyārambhī viṣahyaṃ karmārabhate, kalyārambhī nirdoṣam, bhavyārambhī kalyāṇodayam //

Whoever undertakes tolerable work is a beginner possible work: whoever undertakes an unblemished work is a beginner of praiseworthy work; whoever undertakes work of large profits is a beginner of a productive work; whoever takes no rest before the completion of the work undertaken is a resolute worker; and whoever has loyal and devoted subjects is in a position to command help and to bring to a successful termination any work without losing anything in the form of favour. When such friends are gratified by the enemy or the conqueror, they can be of immense help to him; friends of reverse character should never be helped.

7.8.13

sthirakarmā nāsamāpya karmoparamate //

7.8.14

anuraktaprakṛtiḥ susahāyatvād alpenāpy anugraheṇa kāryaṃ sādhayati //

7.8.15

ta ete kṛtārthāḥ sukhena prabhūtaṃ copakurvanti //

7.8.16

ataḥ pratilomā nānugrāhyāḥ //

7.8.17

tayor ekapuruṣānugrahe yo mitraṃ mitrataraṃ vānugṛhṇāti so 'tisaṃdhatte //

Of the two, the conqueror and his enemy, both of whom may happen to have a friend in the same person, he who helps a true or a truer friend overreaches the other; for, by helping a true friend, he enriches himself, while the other not only incurs loss of men and money and the hardships of sojourning abroad, but also showers benefits on an enemy who hates the benefactor all the more for his gratification.

7.8.18

mitrād ātmavṛddhiṃ hi prāpnoti, kṣayavyayapravāsaparopakārān itaraḥ //

7.8.19

kṛtārthaś ca śatrur vaiguṇyam eti //

7.8.20

madhyamaṃ tv anugṛhṇator yo madhyamaṃ mitraṃ mitrataraṃ vānugṛhṇāti so 'tisaṃdhatte //

Whoever of the two, the conqueror and his enemy, who may happen to have a friend in the same Madhyama king, helps a Madhyama king of true or truer friendship overreaches the other; for, by helping a true friend, he enriches himself, while the other incurs loss of men and money and the difficulties of sojourning abroad. When a Madhyama king thus helped is devoid of good qualities, then the enemy overreaches the conqueror: for, such a Madhyama king, spending his energies on useless undertakings and receiving help with no idea of returning it, withdraws himself away.

7.8.21

mitrād ātmavṛddhiṃ hi prāpnoti, kṣayavyayapravāsaparopakārān itaraḥ //

7.8.22

madhyamaś ced anugṛhīto viguṇaḥ syād amitro 'tisaṃdhatte //

7.8.23

kṛtaprayāsaṃ hi madhyamāmitram apasṛtam ekārthopagataṃ prāpnoti //

7.8.24

tenodāsīnānugraho vyākhyātaḥ //

The same thing holds good with a neutral king under similar circumstances.

7.8.25

madhyamodāsīnayor balāṃśadāne yaḥ śūraṃ kṛtāstraṃ duḥkhasaham anuraktaṃ vā daṇḍaṃ dadāti so 'tisaṃdhīyate //

In case of helping with a portion of the army one of the two, a Madhyama or a neutral king, whoever happens to help one who is brave, skillful in handling weapons, and possessed of endurance and friendly feelings will himself be deceived while his enemy, helping one of reverse character, will overreach him.

7.8.26

viparīto 'tisaṃdhatte //

7.8.27

yatra tu daṇḍaḥ prahitas taṃ vā cārtham anyāṃś ca sādhayati tatra maulabhṛtaśreṇīmitrāṭavībalānām anyatamam upalabdhadeśakālaṃ daṇḍaṃ dadyāt, amitrāṭavībalaṃ vā vyavahitadeśakālam //

When a king achieves this or that object with the assistance of a friend who is to receive the help of his army in return later on, then he may send out of his various kinds of army--such as hereditary army, hired army, army formed of corporations of people, his friend's army and the army composed of wild tribes--either that kind of army which has the experience of all sorts of grounds and of seasons or the army of enemies or of wild tribes, which is far removed in space and time.

7.8.28

yaṃ tu manyeta "kṛtārtho me daṇḍaṃ gṛhṇīyād, amitrāṭavyabhūmyanṛtuṣu vā vāsayed, aphalaṃ vā kuryād" iti, daṇḍavyāsaṅgāpadeśena nainam anugṛhṇīyāt //

When a king thinks that, "Though successful, my ally may cause my army to move in an enemy's territory or in wild tracts, and during unfavourable seasons and thereby he may render it useless to me," then under the excuse of having to employ his army otherwise, he may help his ally in any other way; but when he is obliged to lend his army, he may send that kind of his army, which is used to the weather of the time of operation, under the condition of employing it till the completion of the work, and of protecting it from dangers. When the ally has finished his work, he should, under some excuse, try to get back his army or he may send to his ally that army which is composed of traitors, enemies, and wild tribes; or having made peace with the ally's assailable enemy, he may deceive the ally.

7.8.29

evam avaśyaṃ tv anugrahītavye tatkālasaham asmai daṇḍaṃ dadyāt //

7.8.30

āsamāpteś cainaṃ vāsayed yodhayec ca balavyasanebhyaś ca rakṣet //

7.8.31

kṛtārthāc ca sāpadeśam apasrāvayet //

7.8.32

dūṣyāmitrāṭavīdaṇḍaṃ vāsmai dadyāt //

7.8.33

yātavyena vā saṃdhāyainam atisaṃdadhyāt //

7.8.34

same hi lābhe saṃdhiḥ syād viṣame vikramo mataḥ //
samahīnaviśiṣṭānām ity uktāḥ saṃdhivikramāḥ //E

When the profit accruing to kings under an agreement, whether they be of equal, inferior, or superior power, is equal to all, that agreement is termed peace (sandhi); when unequal, it is termed defeat (vikrama). Such is the nature of peace and war.