Secret Punishments

Secret punishments, as mentioned in chapter I of Book XI in Arthashastra, includes that the spies who are able to gain the confidence of the chief of the corporations, can be either placed against the corporations by the conqueror with a supply of men and money. The conqueror can banish such spies when the mission has been realised. Secondly keepers of harlots or dancers, players, and actors may, after gaining access, excite love in the minds of the chiefs of corporations by exhibiting women endowed with bewitching youth and beauty. By causing the woman to go to another person, the fiery spies can get the news circulated that the enemy got killed in love. Thirdly women who have been violently carried off in the night can make their violators killed. The spies under the grab of ascetics may apply to its followers such medicines which are poisonous. Widows or women, employed as spies with secret instructions, may dispute among themselves about the claim for a deposit kept with the king, and attract the chiefs of the corporations (by their beauty when they present themselves before the king). Harlots, or a dancing woman may make an appointment to meet a lover in some secret house; and when the lover comes to the house with the desire of meeting her there, fiery spies may kill him or carry him off bound (in chains).

Secret punishments further entails that the spies can provoke the chiefs of corporations to enter into adultery with misleading information. The spy under the guise of astrologers may mislead by making predictions regarding the marriage of the daughters etc and provoke the chief to enter into quarrels. Quarrels may also be coined between the wives and the chiefs. Thus in kinds of brawls which has occurred on its own and which is brought by the spies shall have different treatments where the conqueror shall help the weak.

Thus, Secret Punishment includes the steps taken by the spies to provoke the corporations against each other and the secret punishments imposed accordingly.