Chapter 234 - The six expedients used by the king (ṣāḍguṇya)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Puṣkara said:

1. I have already described (the political expedients of) conciliatory measures, creating dissensions, bribery (to win the enemy) and punishment. I have described the punishment (to be made by the king) in his own country. I shall (now) describe (the punishment to be meted to a person living) in a foreign country.

2. Punishment is said to be of two types—public and private. Public punishment (consists of) looting and the destruction of villages (of the enemy country), destruction of the food grains and setting fire. (The private punishment consists of) killing by poisoning or setting fire or by engaging several men, dishonouring pious men and poisoning waters.

3-7. O Bhārgava (son of Bhṛgu)! I have described the mode of executing the punishment. Listen! I shall describe when (the king) should be indifferent. A king should make peace (with his enemy) if he thinks that by his battle in the battle-field there would be bad consequences. One maybe indifferent (when he would find) the conciliatory measures as securing the position (of the enemy), paying a bribe would be squandering money and creating dissension would have punishment as the consequence. One may resort to indifference (if he is sure) that ‘this person is not capable of doing any harm to me’ and ‘I am not capable of causing any harm to him’. In that case the king should humiliate the enemy (by being indifferent).

8-14. I shall describe the strategies of illusion (to be practised by a king). The enemy should be agitated by false portents by sending extensive lighted torches (tied to) the tails of strong birds in the camp of the enemy. Then the fall of the meteor should be shown to them. In this way many other portents also should be shown. The enemies should thus be agitated by different (kinds of) deception. The astrologers and ascetics should proclaim the fall of the enemy. A king that desires to-conquer the earth should agitate others by the above (proclamation). The favour of gods should also be proclaimed to others. A king should declare (to his men) “We have received increased strength and you strike without fear; all others have been routed”, when the battle has begun. War-cry and great commotion should be made saying that the enemy has been routed. (It should also be proclaimed); “The king has been blessed by the gods profusely and is ready for the battle”. I shall describe Indrajāla (a kind of stratagem in war).

15. A king should exhibit the four divisions of the army (such as the infantry, cavalry, men mounted on elephants and chariots) (to delude the enemy) that the gods had sent them for aid. Showers of blood should be shed on the enemy.

16. Severed heads of the enemy should be exhibited on (the terrace of) palaces. I shall describe six expedients [i.e., ṣāḍguṇya], among which war and peace are most excellent.

17. Making peace, war, expedition, halt, seeking shelter and duplicity are said to be the six expedients [i.e., ṣāḍguṇya].

18-25. Making peace is known to be a treaty. War is offending (the enemy). Expedition is said to be the march against the enemy by the one that desires to conquer. It is said to be ‘the halt’ when (a king) remains in his own territory (mobilising his forces) for the war. Mobilisation of half the army in the enemy country is said to be ‘seeking shelter'. It is said to be duplicity on account of resorting to indifference or neutral position. A king should seek a treaty with an equal (person) or not of lower strength and more powerful. A powerful king should make a war with (a king of) inferior strength. In that case he should take a stronger (king) as an ally when he is not having an enemy in the rear. A king should mobilise his army when he could easily intercept the work of the enemy, though he is not free from an enemy in the rear. One who is strong enough could mobilise half of his army in the territory of the enemy even though he may have an enemy in the rear. An alliance with another king is said to be the worst of all expedients a 'king fighting with a stronger adversary is compelled to do. It is said to bring many a long and tedious marches, loss of many lives and expenditure. A king should have an alliance only when he would have great benefits later. Moreover, he should have an alliance only when he has been deprived of all his strength.