Arthashastra 3.13.25: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 25

Devanagari script

दासं दासीं वा निष्क्रीय पुनर्विक्रयाधानं नयतो द्वादशपणो दण्डः अन्यत्र स्वयं वादिभ्यः । इति दासकल्पः ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.13.25

Transliteration

dāsaṃ dāsīṃ vā niṣkrīya punarvikrayādhānaṃ nayato dvādaśapaṇo daṇḍaḥ anyatra svayaṃ vādibhyaḥ | iti dāsakalpaḥ |

Translation

Wer, nachdem er einen Sklaven oder eine Sklavin ausgelöst (niṣkrīya) hat, sie/ihn erneut zum Weiterverkauf oder zur Verpfändung/Weiterverpfändung mitnimmt, wird mit zwölf Paṇas Geldstrafe belegt—außer wenn die Streitparteien die Sache selbst als Privatklage vorbringen. Damit endet der Abschnitt über die Regeln betreffend Sklaven.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• दासम्: a male slave
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• दासीम्: a female slave
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• निष्क्रीय: (after) redemption / buy-back (price)
• Type: Noun (action-noun)
• Root: निष्क्रीय
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (निष्क्रय/निष्क्रीय = ‘buying back/redemption price’)

• पुनर्विक्रयाधानम्: re-selling / putting up again for sale
• Type: Noun (action-noun)
• Root: पुनर्विक्रयाधान
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; पुनः-विक्रय-आधान (re-selling/placing again for sale)

• नयतः: (of one) who causes / carries out (this act)
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: नी
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा-एकवचन (कर्तरि); ‘leading/causing’

• द्वादशपणः: (a fine of) twelve paṇas
• Type: Noun (measure/amount)
• Root: द्वादशपण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; दण्डस्य विशेषणम्

• दण्डः: penalty; fine
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• अन्यत्र: except; otherwise than
• Type: Adverb
• Root: अन्यत्र
• Form: देश/अपवादार्थक अव्यय

• स्वयम्: by oneself; personally
• Type: Adverb
• Root: स्वयम्
• Form: अव्यय; स्वकृत्ये/स्वतः

• वादिभ्यः: to the litigants / parties in a dispute
• Type: Noun
• Root: वादिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-बहुवचन (प्रयोगे ‘-भ्यः’); ‘to/for the litigants’ (contextually dative)

• इति: thus
• Type: Quotative particle
• Root: इति
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय

• दासकल्पः: the section/chapter on slaves
• Type: Noun (section title)
• Root: दासकल्प
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; अध्याय/प्रकरण-नाम

Entities Mentioned

• dāsa
• dāsī
• vādī (litigant/plaintiff)
• state/judge (implied)

More Details

FAQs

What administrative intent lies behind penalizing resale/pledge after redemption?

To prevent fraud and re-enslavement-like practices after a person has been legally redeemed, and to deter intermediaries from treating redeemed persons as tradable collateral.

What does the exception about 'svayaṃ vādibhyaḥ' imply?

It indicates a procedural carve-out: if parties proceed as private litigants, the handling/penalty may follow the private-suit track rather than automatic state prosecution.