Arthashastra 3.13.27: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 27

Devanagari script

यथासम्भाषितं वेतनं लभेत कर्मकालानुरूपमसम्भाषितवेतनः ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.13.27

Transliteration

yathāsambhāṣitaṃ vetanaṃ labheta karmakālānurūpamasambhāṣitavetanaḥ |

Translation

إن كانت الأجرة قد اتُّفِق عليها نالها كما اتُّفِق؛ وإن لم تُتَّفَق الأجرة نال أجرةً تتناسب مع الزمن الذي قضاه في العمل.

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Word by Word

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (yathā = ‘as/according to’)

• सम्भाषितम्: agreed upon (by prior discussion/contract)
• Type: Participle (Verbal adjective)
• Root: सम्-√भाष् (भाष्)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे एकवचनम् प्रथमा/द्वितीया; ‘agreed/settled by conversation’

• वेतनम्: wages, remuneration
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (कर्म)

• लभेत: should receive/obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ्
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; विध्यर्थः (‘should obtain/receive’)

• कर्मकालानुरूपम्: proportionate to the work-time/period of work
• Type: Adjective (compound)
• Root: अनु-√रूप् (रूप) / अनुरूप (adj.)
• Form: समासः: कर्म-काल-अनुरूपम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे एकवचनम् द्वितीया; वेतनम् इति विशेषणम् (‘proportionate to the time/period of work’)

• असम्भाषितवेतनः: a person whose wage was not pre-agreed
• Type: Noun/Adjectival substantive (compound)
• Root: वेतन (with neg. prefix अ- + सम्भाषित)
• Form: समासः: अ-सम्भाषित-वेतनः; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; कर्तृपदं (यः…); ‘one whose wage has not been agreed’

Entities Mentioned

• worker
• employer (implied)
• court/state (implied)

More Details

FAQs

What is the default rule when no wage was fixed?

Payment is computed proportionate to the time devoted to the work, providing a standard to prevent non-payment or arbitrary underpayment.