Sutra 11

Devanagari script

एतेषां कारणानामनभिसंधाने विप्रलपन्तमचोरं विद्यात् ॥ कZ_०४.८.११ ॥

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ kāraṇānām anabhisaṃdhāne vipralapantam acoraṃ vidyāt

Translation

إذا لم توجد هذه الأسباب (المُدينة)، وكان الشخص يهذي أو يتكلم بكلامٍ متناقض، فيُفهَم أنه غيرُ سارق (أي غيرُ مُدانٍ بالسرقة).

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural), पुं/नपुं (context-dependent)

• कारणानाम्: of the reasons/grounds
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्

• अनभिसंधाने: in the absence of (prior) intention/premeditation
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: अनभिसंधान
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (Locative singular), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; ‘अन-’ (negation) + ‘अभिसंधान’

• विप्रलपन्तम्: speaking incoherently / rambling
• Type: Verb (present participle)
• Root: वि + प्र + लप्
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शतृ), कर्मणि/कर्तरि-प्रयोगसामर्थ्ये; पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.)

• अचोरम्: a non-thief / innocent person
• Type: Noun (with privative prefix)
• Root: अ + चोर
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• विद्यात्: should know/should ascertain
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (to know)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Entities Mentioned

• accused person
• judicial authority

More Details

FAQs

What administrative principle is asserted in 4.8.11?

Guilt should not be inferred merely from confused speech when concrete causal grounds for suspicion are absent; the state must avoid treating anxiety or incoherence as proof.

How does this verse relate to modern evidentiary standards?

It anticipates a ‘proof over demeanor’ approach: behavioral cues alone are insufficient without corroborating facts.