Sutra 21

Devanagari script

लोमदोहवाहनप्रजननोपकारिणां क्षुद्रपशूनामदाने तच्च तावच्च दण्डः प्रवासने च अन्यत्र देवपितृकार्येभ्यः ॥ कZ_०४.१३.२१ ॥

Transliteration

lomadohavāhanaprajananopakāriṇāṃ kṣudrapaśūnām adāne tacca tāvacca daṇḍaḥ pravāsane ca anyatra devapitṛkāryebhyaḥ

Translation

Wer kleinere Tiere, die für Wolle, Milch, Lastentragen und Zucht nützlich sind, nicht zurückgibt (oder unrechtmäßig zurückhält), wird entsprechend in gleicher Weise bestraft; ebenso für ihr Vertreiben — außer wenn es zur Erfüllung von Pflichten gegenüber Göttern oder Ahnen geschieht.

Word by Word

लोमhair, fleece

दोहmilking; extraction (of milk)

वाहनcarrying/transport; draught-use

प्रजननbreeding; reproduction

उपकारिणाम्of those that are useful/beneficial

क्षुद्रsmall; minor

पशूनाम्of animals; of livestock

अदानेin (the case of) non-giving / non-delivery

तत्that

चand

तावत्so much; to that extent

चand

दण्डःpenalty; fine

प्रवासनेin (the case of) banishment/expulsion

चand

अन्यत्रexcept; otherwise than

देवof the gods

पितृof the ancestors (manes)

कार्येभ्यःfrom/except for duties/rites

Entities Mentioned

minor livestock

owners/keepers (implicit)

deva-kārya

pitṛ-kārya

FAQs

Why emphasize the economic functions (wool, milk, carrying, breeding) of small animals?

It signals that legal protection tracks economic value and productive capacity, not merely species status.

What does the ‘deva-pitṛ’ exception indicate about Arthashastra governance?

State law accommodates socially mandatory ritual obligations, carving narrow exceptions to avoid criminalizing accepted religious practice.