Sutra 23

Devanagari script

मूकमूषा पूतिकिट्टः करटुकमुखं नाली संदंशो जोङ्गनी सुवर्चिकालवणं तदेव सुवर्णमित्यपसारणमार्गाः ॥ कZ_०२.१४.२३ ॥

Transliteration

mūkamūṣā pūtikiṭṭaḥ karaṭukamukhaṃ nālī saṃdaṃśo joṅganī suvarcikālavaṇaṃ tadeva suvarṇam ity apasāraṇamārgāḥ

Translation

„Stummer Tiegel“, übelriechende Schlacke, eine Vorrichtung mit „rüsselartigem Mund“ (verdecktem Auslass), Rohr, Zange, ein siphonähnliches Gerät und „suvarcikā“-Salz — dies sind die Wege/Methoden, auf denen (Gold) unerlaubt entfernt wird, während es weiterhin als „eben dieses Gold“ ausgegeben wird.

Word by Word

• मूकमूषा: a ‘mute’/sealed crucible (a kind of crucible used in metallurgical operations)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (नाम; विशेषण-पूर्वपद: मूक-)

• पूतिकिट्टः: foul slag/dross (impure scum from metal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किट्ट
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (विशेषण-पूर्वपद: पूति-)

• करटुकमुखम्: the mouth/opening of the karatuka (a named apparatus/implement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (करटुकस्य मुखम्)

• नाली: a tube/pipe (conduit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाली
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• संदंशः: tongs/pincers
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदंश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• जोङ्गनी: joṅganī (a named implement used in removal/processing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जोङ्गनी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• सुवर्चिकालवणम्: suvarchikā-salt (a specific salt/alkaline substance used in metallurgy)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (विशेषण-पूर्वपद: सुवर्चिक-)

• तत्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Particle
• Root: एव
• Form: अव्ययम् (निपातः)

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• इति: thus/‘as’ (quotative)
• Type: Particle
• Root: इति
• Form: अव्ययम् (उद्धरण/निश्चयार्थकः)

• अपसारणमार्गाः: methods/procedures of removal (i.e., ways of eliminating impurities)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (अपसारणस्य मार्गाः)

Entities Mentioned

• crucible
• slag/dross
• tube/pipe
• tongs/forceps
• salt/chemical additive

More Details

FAQs

What is Kautilya listing in this sutra?

A catalog of practical tools/chemical aids used to secretly draw off precious metal during refining/handling while outwardly claiming the output is unchanged.

What administrative intent does this serve?

To equip supervisors with a checklist of red-flags and inspection targets in state workshops (mint/refinery), reducing leakage of revenue-grade metals.