Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 6

Devanagari script

ते षोडश धरणं शौम्ब्यानि वा विंशतिः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०६ ॥

Transliteration

te ṣoḍaśa dharaṇaṃ śaumbyāni vā viṃśatiḥ

Translation

ওই (রৌপ্য-মাষক) ষোলোটি মিলে এক ধরণ হয়; অথবা শৌম্ব্যানি গণনায় বিশটি মিলে এক ধরণ হয়।

Word by Word

• ते: those; they
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (सन्दर्भे ‘ते’ = ‘those/they’); (क्वचित् नपुंसके प्रथमा/द्वितीया-बहुवचनसम्भवः, परन्तु अत्र ‘ते’ = ‘those’)

• षोडश: sixteen
• Type: Numeral
• Root: षोडशन् (संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत्/अव्यय-प्रायः; विशेषणरूपेण (धरणम् इत्यस्य परिमाणम्)

• धरणम्: a ‘dharaṇa’ (a unit of weight)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; परिमाण/भार-परिमाणवाचकं नाम (मान-शब्दः)

• शौम्ब्यानि: Śaumbhya (regional/pertaining to the Śaumbhyas)
• Type: Adjective (gentilic/derivative)
• Root: शौम्ब्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्; ‘शौम्ब्य’ इति देश/जनपद-सम्बन्धि विशेषणम् (धरणाणि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• वा: or; alternatively
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (‘or/alternatively’)

• विंशतिः: twenty
• Type: Numeral
• Root: विंशति (संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; संख्यावाचकः (परिमाणनिर्देशः)

Entities Mentioned

• Pautavādhyakṣa
• Śaumbyāni (regional standard)

More Details

FAQs

Why allow a regional variant instead of enforcing only one number?

To integrate existing local practice into state accounting while still fixing an official conversion—reducing resistance and easing compliance.

What is the political-administrative principle here?

Pragmatic standardization: unify the ledger through conversions even when local measures persist.