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

In allen Behörden sind für zugewiesenes oder angestelltes Personal, das Veruntreuung/Unterschlagung (misappropriation) begeht — von Beträgen ab einem paṇa bis zur höchsten Stufe von vier paṇas und darüber hinaus — die Strafen abgestuft als niedrigste, mittlere und höchste festzusetzen, bis hin zur Todesstrafe (in den schwersten Fällen).

Word by Word

• सर्वाधिकरणेषु: in all departments/offices
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिकरण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; सप्तमी; (सर्व + अधिकरण)

• युक्तोपयुक्ततत्पुरुषाणाम्: of the appointed and suitably employed officials/servants
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्पुरुष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; षष्ठी; (युक्त + उपयुक्त + तत्पुरुष) — युक्त/उपयुक्त इति विशेषणद्वयेन तत्पुरुष-शब्दस्य विशेषणम्

• पणादि: beginning with (the unit) paṇa and the like
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग) — ‘पण-आदि’ = पणप्रभृतयः

• चतुष्पणपरम: having a maximum (value) of four paṇas
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी-बहुवचनसमासे पूर्वपद (चतुष्पण + परम) — ‘whose maximum is four paṇas’

• अपहारेषु: in cases of misappropriation/theft
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपहार
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; सप्तमी

• पूर्व: first (lowest)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (वध-शब्दस्य विशेषणम्)

• मध्यम: middle (intermediate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (वध-शब्दस्य विशेषणम्)

• उत्तम: highest (severest)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (वध-शब्दस्य विशेषणम्)

• वधाः: capital punishments/executions (as graded categories)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; प्रथमा

• दण्डाः: are the penalties
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; प्रथमा; विधेय (predicate)

Entities Mentioned

• all departments
• officials
• employees
• embezzlement

More Details

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.