Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 28

Devanagari script

लवणाध्यक्षः पाकमुक्तं लवणभागं प्रक्रयं च यथाकालं संगृह्णीयाद्विक्रयाच्च मूल्यं रूपं व्याजीं च ॥ कZ_०२.१२.२८ ॥

Transliteration

lavaṇādhyakṣaḥ pāka-muktaṃ lavaṇa-bhāgaṃ prakrayaṃ ca yathā-kālaṃ saṃgṛhṇīyāt vikrayāc ca mūlyaṃ rūpaṃ vyājīṃ ca

Translation

লবণ অধ্যক্ষ যথাসময়ে প্রক্রিয়াকরণের জন্য মুক্ত করা লবণের অংশ (রাষ্ট্রের প্রাপ্য) ও ‘প্রক্রয়’ (অগ্রিম/ক্রয়মূল্য) সংগ্রহ করবেন; এবং বিক্রয় থেকে মূল্যসহ ‘রূপ’ ফি ও ‘ব্যাজী’ উপকরও আদায় করবেন।

Word by Word

• लवणाध्यक्षः: the superintendent of salt
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यक्ष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; समासः लवणस्य अध्यक्षः

• पाकम्: the processing/boiling (of salt)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्म

• उक्तम्: as stated/laid down (previously)
• Type: Participle
• Root: वच्
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘पाकम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• लवणभागम्: the salt share/levy (due)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; समासः लवणस्य भागः

• प्रक्रयम्: the pre-sale/advance-sale (proceeds/arrangement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रक्रय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्म

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• यथाकालम्: at the proper time / in due season
• Type: Indeclinable (Adverbial)
• Root: यथा
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषणम्

• संगृह्णीयात्: should collect/receive
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ग्रह्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should collect/receive’

• विक्रयात्: from the sale
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-एकवचन; अपादान/हेतौ—‘from sale’

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• मूल्यम्: the price/value (amount)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्म

• रूपम्: cash/coin (specie)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्म

• व्याजीम्: the additional charge/fee (vyājī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याजी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्म

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

Entities Mentioned

• lavaṇādhyakṣa (Superintendent of Salt)
• salt producers/processors
• buyers

More Details

FAQs

What is the administrative intent of collecting both a ‘share’ and sale-time levies?

It captures revenue at multiple control points—production/processing authorization and market sale—reducing leakage and stabilizing fiscal intake.