Arthashastra - Psychological Dominance

Devanagari

विजिगीषुः परग्राममवाप्तुकामः सर्वज्ञदैवतसंयोगख्यापनाभ्यां स्वपक्षमुद्धर्षयेत्परपक्षं चोद्वेजयेत् ॥
सर्वज्ञख्यापनं तु गृहगुह्यप्रवृत्तिज्ञानेन प्रत्यादेशो मुख्यानां कण्टकशोधनापसर्पावगमेन प्रकाशनं राजद्विष्टकारिणाम् विज्ञाप्योपायनख्यापनमदृष्टसंसर्गविद्यासंज्ञादिभिः विदेशप्रवृत्तिज्ञानं तदहरेव गृहकपोतेन मुद्रासंयुक्तेन ॥
दैवतसंयोगख्यापनं तु सुरुङ्गामुखेनाग्निचैत्यदैवतप्रतिमाच्छिद्राननुप्रविष्टैरग्निचैत्यदैवतव्यञ्जनैः सम्भाषणं पूजनं च उदकादुत्थितैर्वा नागवरुणव्यञ्जनैः सम्भाषणं पूजनं च… ॥

Transliteration

vijigīṣuḥ paragrāmam-avāptukāmaḥ sarvajña-daivata-saṃyoga-khyāpanābhyāṃ svapakṣam-uddharṣayet-parapakṣaṃ codvejayet ||
sarvajña-khyāpanaṃ tu gṛha-guhya-pravṛtti-jñānena pratyādeśo mukhyānāṃ kaṇ्टakaśodhanāpasarpāvagamena prakāśanaṃ rāja-dviṣṭa-kāriṇām vijñāpy-opāyana-khyāpanam-adṛṣṭa-saṃsarga-vidyā-saṃjñādibhiḥ videśa-pravṛtti-jñānaṃ tad-ahar-eva gṛha-kapotena mudrā-saṃyuktena ||
daivata-saṃyoga-khyāpanaṃ tu suruṅgāmukhenāgni-caitya-daivata-pratimā-chidrān-anupraviṣṭair-agni-caitya-daivata-vyañjanaiḥ sambhāṣaṇaṃ pūjanaṃ ca udakād-utthitair-vā nāga-varuṇa-vyañjanaiḥ sambhāṣaṇaṃ pūjanaṃ ca… ||

Translation

Psychological Warfare (13.1.01): A conqueror desiring to capture an enemy’s territory should encourage his own side and unnerve (strike terror into) the enemy’s side by proclaiming his own omniscience and his association with the gods.

Proclaiming Omniscience (13.1.02): This is achieved by proving high-level intelligence through:

1. Revealing domestic secrets of enemy leaders.
2. Identifying traitors through secret agents.
3. Publicly announcing gifts from “unseen” sources.
4. Using carrier pigeons for “instant” news from distant lands, appearing like mental projection.

Proclaiming Divine Association (13.1.03): This is achieved through staged miracles:

1. Agents hiding inside hollow idols to “speak” to the king.
2. Agents rising from water dressed as deities (Nagas/Varuna).
3. Staging “rows of fire” on water at night using hidden devices.
4. Using specialized equipment (water-skins for breathing submerged) to appear supernatural.

---

Index: index