Verse 1.345

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by J. R. Gharpure:

अरिर् मित्रम् उदासीनो ऽनन्तरस् तत्परः परः ।
क्रमशो मण्डलं चिन्त्यं सामादिभिर् उपक्रमैः ॥ ३४५ ॥

arir mitram udāsīno 'nantaras tatparaḥ paraḥ |
kramaśo maṇḍalaṃ cintyaṃ sāmādibhir upakramaiḥ || 345 ||

An enemy (ari), a friend (mitra), a neutral (udāsīna), an adjoining one (anantara), the one next to him (tatpara), and the one beyond (para), should be thought of in due order by means such as friendship and the like.—(345)

 

The Mitākṣarā commentary of Vijñāneśvara Bhikṣu:

(Moreover,)

Ariḥ,—enemy,

Mitram,—a friend, an ally.

(One different from both these, is,)

Udāsinaḥ,—a neutral, unconcerned. These three again are three-fold: Born, Artificial and Natural. Among these is a ‘born enemy’ such as, half brothers, uncles, and their sons etc. ‘An artificial enemy’ is one of whom some wrong has been done, or by whom some wrong has been done. ‘A natural (enemy)’ is the ruler of an adjoining country. ‘An inherent friend’ is a sister’s son, a father’s sister’s son, a mother’s sister’s son, and the like. ‘An artificial friend’ is one who has done a good turn, or towards whom some good has been done. ‘A natural friend’ is the ruler of a state next beyond the adjoining state.

Free from the characteristics of inherent and artificial, friends and enemies, is an inherent ‘unconcerned’ and an ‘artificial unconcerned’. A ‘natural unconcerned’ is the ruler of the country which is intervened by two other kingdoms.

The enemy (ari) is fourfold on account of its division into:

(1) Yātavya,—who is to be harassed,
(2) Ucchettavya,—who must be extirpated, or uprooted,
(3) Pīḍanīya,—who is to be troubled, and
(4) Karśanīya,—who is to be humbled.

There, a ruler of an adjoining country, is yātavyaḥ, to be harassed. The king who is addicted to vice, who is weak in force, who has became averse to worldly business, who is without fortress, has no allies, is not strong, ucchettavyaḥ to be uprooted. One wanting in mantra and force is pīḍanīya, to be troubled. One who has powerful allies and strong forces is karśanīya, to be weakened.

As says a text:—

“A complete extirpation by harassment, controlling the forces, and weakening, they say, is by exacting penalty from his treasury, thus it has been said.”

A friend (mitra) is two-fold:

(1) bṛṃhaṇīya—One who is to be strengthened, and one who is to be weakened. One weak in money and forces is bṛṃhaṇīyam, to be strengthened.
(2) karśanīya—One strong in finance and forces is karśaniyam, to be weakened.

Anantaraḥ,—one adjoining,

Tatparaḥ,—the one next to him, and Paraḥ, the one beyond. The Author mentions, a natural enemy, a natural friend, and a natural neutral respectively. A close neighbour is a ‘natural enemy.’

The one next to him is a ‘natural friend’ or ally. The one still beyond, ‘natural neutral’. The rest being well-known, have not been described here, again.

(This,)

Maṇḍalam kramasaḥ cintyam,—circle of neighbouring powers should be thought of in due order, i.e., their intrigues should be got known, and having known,

Sāmādibhirupāyaiḥ—to be described later on, he should adjust by means of negotiations and the rest.

Thus, in front, in the rear, and on the flanks, three each, and himself the one, thus this circle consisting of thirteen kings, is called the ‘royal circle’ in the shape of a lotus. In the above enumeration the unconcerned are included.

Pārṣṇigrāha, Ākranda, Āsāra &c. and are included in the enemies (ari) friends (mitra), and neutrals (udāsīna). Their difference in terminology has been mentioned in other works and so have not been separately stated here by the Lord of the Yogis. (345).

The Vīramitrodaya commentary of Mitramiśra:

The Author mentions the mantra itself

Anantaraḥ,—‘neighbour’, the king of a country which is closely contiguous to one’s own region, and who is on inimical terms,

Tatparaḥ,—‘one beyond him’, i.e., the king of a country which is closely contiguous to the country of the enemy, is a friend, and the king of a country which is closely contiguous to the region of a friendly king, is indifferent. These three in their order when situated, on the East and the rest of the directions making up in all twelve, the whole group would make up a circle of twelve. That circle should be so arranged that by means of the expedients of peace and the rest, they should be incapable of doing any harm to oneself, the king should consider these ways by delibration, in short vis. such and such a one should be brought under control by such and the like means should be thought over. This itself when done with deliberation is meant by the word mantra. This should be remembered. The enemy and the rest of the foreigners situated on the rear are included among these, and therefore the Author has not separately mentioned them. All the mandalas have been also dealt with there, and for fear of polixity [prolixity?] have not been mentioned here. (345)

“By peaceful negotiations and other means,” so has been stated before.

Now the Author mentions these means.