Sutra 28

Devanagari script

तस्याभिशस्ताङ्को ललाटे स्याद्व्यवहारपतनाय स्तेयो श्वा मनुष्यवधे कबन्धः गुरुतल्पे भगं सुरापाने मद्यध्वजः ॥ कZ_०४.८.२८ ॥

Transliteration

tasyābhiśastāṅko lalāṭe syād vyavahārapatanāya steyo śvā manuṣyavadhe kabandhaḥ gurutalpe bhagaṃ surāpāne madyadhvajaḥ

Translation

তার (অপরাধী ব্রাহ্মণের) কপালে নিন্দার চিহ্ন আঁকা হবে, যাতে তার নাগরিক/আইনি মর্যাদা নষ্ট হয়: চুরির জন্য কুকুর; মানুষ হত্যার জন্য মুণ্ডহীন ধড়; গুরুর শয্যা লঙ্ঘনের জন্য স্ত্রীযোনি; মদ্যপানের জন্য মদের পতাকা।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (पुं/नपुं), सर्वनाम

• अभिशस्त: denounced/accused
• Type: Participle (Verbal adjective)
• Root: अभि-शंस्
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदम्)

• अङ्कः: a mark/brand
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्क
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचनम्

• स्यात्: should be / is to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• व्यवहार: (of) a lawsuit/legal proceeding
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-अव-हृ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदम्)

• पतनाय: for downfall/ruin
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: पत् (पतन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनार्थे दत्तिः

• स्तेयः: theft / a thief (as offence-mark category)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• श्वा: (mark:) a dog
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (विशेष-प्रातिपदिकम्: श्वा)

• मनुष्य: of a human
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदम्)

• वधे: in (the case of) killing
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (अधिकरणे)

• कबन्धः: (mark:) a headless trunk
• Type: Noun
• Root: कबन्ध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• गुरु: of a guru/elder
• Type: Noun/Adjective (used as noun)
• Root: गुरु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदम्)

• तल्पे: in (the matter of) the bed
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल्प
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचनम्

• भगम्: (mark:) the female genital (vulva)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (अत्र प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, चिह्नरूपेण)

• सुरा: in liquor
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदम्)

• पाने: in drinking
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचनम्

• मद्य: liquor/intoxicant
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदम्)

• ध्वजः: (mark:) a banner/flag
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

Entities Mentioned

• brāhmaṇa
• guru (teacher)

More Details

FAQs

How does the text punish Brahmin offenders without corporal torment?

By compulsory public stigma (forehead branding) that removes legal-social credibility (‘vyavahārapatana’) and signals the offense type.

What is the administrative function of offense-specific symbols?

Rapid public identification, reputational sanction, and deterrence without physical coercion.