Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 5 Sutra 16 - Arthashastra | Bengali | Vedapath

Kautilya

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Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 16

Devanagari script

सर्वाधिकरणेषु युक्तोपयुक्ततत्पुरुषाणां पणादिचतुष्पणपरमापहारेषु पूर्वमध्यमोत्तमवधा दण्डाः ॥ कZ_०२.५.१६ ॥

Transliteration

sarvādhikaraṇeṣu yuktopayukta-tatpuruṣāṇāṃ paṇādi-catuṣpaṇa-paramāpahāreṣu pūrva-madhyama-uttama-vadhā daṇḍāḥ

Translation

সমস্ত দপ্তরে নিযুক্ত/ব্যবহৃত কর্মচারীরা এক পণ থেকে চার পণ ও তদূর্ধ্ব পরিমাণ পর্যন্ত আত্মসাৎ/অপহরণ করলে দণ্ড হবে ক্রমানুসারে প্রথম, মধ্যম ও উত্তম (সর্বোচ্চ) স্তরের; গুরুতর ক্ষেত্রে মৃত্যুদণ্ড পর্যন্ত।

Word by Word

सर्वाधिकरणेषुin all departments/offices

युक्तोपयुक्ततत्पुरुषाणाम्of the appointed and suitably employed officials/servants

पणादिbeginning with (the unit) paṇa and the like

चतुष्पणपरमhaving a maximum (value) of four paṇas

अपहारेषुin cases of misappropriation/theft

पूर्वfirst (lowest)

मध्यमmiddle (intermediate)

उत्तमhighest (severest)

वधाःcapital punishments/executions (as graded categories)

दण्डाःare the penalties

Entities Mentioned

all departments

officials

employees

embezzlement

FAQs

Why does Kautilya specify graded punishments for misappropriation?

To create a predictable deterrence ladder: minor diversion is punished, but large-scale theft by officials is treated as an existential threat to the state and can warrant the severest sanction.