Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 4 Sutra 20 - Arthashastra | Bengali | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 20

Devanagari script

यं वा नानालोहक्षाराणामङ्गारभस्मासंदंशमुष्टिकाधिकरणीबिम्बटङ्कमूषाणामभीक्ष्णक्रेतारं मषीभस्मधूमदिग्धहस्तवस्त्रलिङ्गं कर्मारोपकरणसंसर्गं कूटरूपकारकं मन्येत तं सत्त्री शिष्यत्वेन संव्यवहारेण चानुप्रविश्य प्रज्ञापयेत् ॥ कZ_०४.४.२० ॥

Transliteration

yaṃ vā nānālohakṣārāṇām aṅgārabhasmāsaṃdaṃśamuṣṭikādhikaraṇībimbaṭaṅkamūṣāṇām abhīkṣṇakretāraṃ maṣībhasmadhūmadigdhahastavastraliṅgaṃ karmāropakaraṇasaṃsargaṃ kūṭarūpakārakaṃ manyeta taṃ sattrī śiṣyatvena saṃvyavahāreṇa cānupraviśya prajñāpayet

Translation

যাকে জালসাজ বলে সন্দেহ করা হয়—যে নানাবিধ ধাতু ও ক্ষার, কয়লা ও ছাই, চিমটা ও সরঞ্জাম, নেহাই/ছাঁচ, ছাপ/স্ট্যাম্প, ক্রুসিবল ইত্যাদি ঘনঘন কেনে; যার হাত ও পোশাকে কালি/ছাই/ধোঁয়ার দাগ লেগে থাকে; যে ধাতুকর্মের উপকরণের সঙ্গে মেলামেশা করে—তার দলে একজন গুপ্তচর ‘শিষ্য’ সেজে এবং লেনদেনের মাধ্যমে ঢুকে নিশ্চিতকারী তথ্য সংগ্রহ করবে।

Word by Word

यम्whom

वाor

नानाvarious, different kinds of

लोह-क्षाराणाम्of metals and alkalis

अङ्गार-भस्म-असंदंश-मुष्टिका-अधिकरणी-बिम्ब-टङ्क-मूषाणाम्of charcoal, ash, tongs, (hand-)pincers, anvil/support, die/blank, chisel/punch, and crucibles

अभीक्ष्ण-क्रेतारम्a frequent purchaser

मषी-भस्म-धूम-दिग्ध-हस्त-वस्त्र-लिङ्गम्one whose hands and clothes bear signs of ink/soot/ash/smoke stains

कर्मार-उपकरण-संसर्गम्one associated with a smith’s implements

कूट-रूप-कारकम्a maker of counterfeit forms (a forger)

मन्येतshould suspect/consider

तम्him

सत्त्रीa spy

शिष्यत्वेनas (his) pupil/apprentice

संव्यवहारेणby (normal) dealings/transactions

चand

अनुप्रविश्यhaving entered/infiltrated

प्रज्ञापयेत्should inform/notify

Entities Mentioned

kūṭarūpakāraka (counterfeiter)

sattrī (agent)

metal/alkali suppliers

smithing tools (dies, crucibles, tongs)

FAQs

What is the investigative logic used to identify a counterfeiter in this sutra?

Behavioral and supply-chain profiling (frequent purchase of specific inputs/tools, soot-marked clothing, equipment associations) followed by deep infiltration as an apprentice to confirm and document the crime.