Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 30

Devanagari script

मार्जारश्वनकुलसर्पप्रेतानां नगरस्यान्तरुत्सर्गे त्रिपणो दण्डः खरोष्ट्राश्वतराश्वप्रेतानां षट्पणः मनुष्यप्रेतानां पञ्चाशत्पणः ॥ कZ_०२.३६.३० ॥

Transliteration

mārjāra-śvanakula-sarpa-pretānāṃ nagarasyāntar-utsarge tripaṇo daṇḍaḥ kharoṣṭrāśvatara-aśva-pretānāṃ ṣaṭpaṇaḥ manuṣya-pretānāṃ pañcāśatpaṇaḥ

Translation

শহরের ভেতরে মৃতদেহ ফেলে দিলে: বিড়াল, কুকুর, বেজি ও সাপের মৃতদেহে ৩ পণ জরিমানা; গাধা, উট, খচ্চর ও ঘোড়ার মৃতদেহে ৬ পণ; মানুষের মৃতদেহে ৫০ পণ।

Word by Word

• मार्जार: cat
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जार
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• श्वन्: dog
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• नकुल: mongoose/ichneumon
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• सर्प: snake
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• प्रेत: carcass; dead body (here: of an animal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• मार्जारश्वनकुलसर्पप्रेतानाम्: of the carcasses of cats, dogs, mongooses, and snakes
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जार-श्वन्-नकुल-सर्प-प्रेत
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग (समूहवाचक); ‘of (the) carcasses of cats, dogs, mongooses, and snakes’

• नगरस्य: of the city
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन

• अन्तर्: inside; within
• Type: Indeclinable/Preverb
• Root: अन्तर्
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद; ‘within/inside’ (used with following noun)

• उत्सर्गे: in the act/place of dumping/throwing away
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सर्ग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

• नगरस्य-अन्तर्-उत्सर्गे: for dumping within the city
• Type: Noun (phrase)
• Root: नगर-अन्तर्-उत्सर्ग
• Form: सम्बन्ध: ‘नगरस्य’ (षष्ठी) + ‘अन्तर्’ (अव्यय) + ‘उत्सर्गे’ (सप्तमी); ‘within the city, in dumping’

• त्रिपणः: (a fine of) three paṇas
• Type: Noun/Adjective (numeral compound)
• Root: त्रि-पण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘three-paṇa (fine)’

• दण्डः: penalty; fine
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• खर: donkey
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• उष्ट्र: camel
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्ट्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• अश्वतर: mule (lit. horse-cross)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वतर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• अश्व: horse
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• प्रेत: carcass; dead body (here: of an animal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• खरोष्ट्राश्वतराश्वप्रेतानाम्: of the carcasses of donkeys, camels, mules, and horses
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर-उष्ट्र-अश्वतर-अश्व-प्रेत
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग (समूहवाचक); ‘of the carcasses of donkeys, camels, mules, and horses’

• षट्पणः: (a fine of) six paṇas
• Type: Noun/Adjective (numeral compound)
• Root: षट्-पण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘six-paṇa (fine)’

• मनुष्य: human being
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• प्रेत: corpse; dead body
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• मनुष्यप्रेतानाम्: of human corpses
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य-प्रेत
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘of human corpses’

• पञ्चाशत्पणः: (a fine of) fifty paṇas
• Type: Noun/Adjective (numeral compound)
• Root: पञ्चाशत्-पण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘fifty-paṇa (fine)’

Entities Mentioned

• city administration
• carcass disposers
• animal carcasses
• human corpse

More Details

FAQs

Why are fines higher for larger animals and highest for human corpses?

Larger bodies create greater sanitation burden; human corpses add religious, legal, and public-order sensitivities (identity, foul play, ritual pollution), justifying a steep penalty.

What administrative capacity is implied?

Routine inspection and enforcement in urban space, with standardized schedules of fines for predictable nuisances.