Sutra 15

Devanagari script

तेषामन्तावसायिनोऽप्यवध्याः किमङ्ग पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः ॥ कZ_०१.१६.१५ ॥

Transliteration

teṣām antāvasāyino 'py avadhyāḥ kim aṅga punar brāhmaṇāḥ

Translation

Unter ihnen dürfen selbst Gesandte niedriger Herkunft nicht getötet werden — um wie viel mehr erst brahmanische Gesandte.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those (persons)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural), सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्

• अन्तावसायिनः: even the lowest/outcaste persons
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: अन्तावसायिन्
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural), पुंलिङ्गः; ‘तेषाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• Type: Particle
• Root: अपि
• Form: निपातः; अपि = ‘even/also’ (emphatic)

• अवध्याः: not to be slain; inviolable (not punishable by killing)
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: अवध्य
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural), पुंलिङ्गः; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• किम्: what (then)?
• Type: Pronoun (interrogative)
• Root: किम्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; ‘किम् अङ्ग’ इति वाक्यांशे अलंकारार्थम्

• अङ्ग: indeed; then
• Type: Particle
• Root: अङ्ग
• Form: निपातः; संबोधन/उद्बोधन-भावः, ‘indeed/then’ इत्यर्थे

• पुनः: all the more; moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः
• Form: अव्ययम्; ‘again/further/more so’

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural), पुंलिङ्गः

Entities Mentioned

• dūta (envoy)
• brāhmaṇa

More Details

FAQs

Why mention ‘lowly’ and ‘Brahmin’ envoys?

To strengthen the rule of inviolability by stating it applies universally, and is even more compelling when the envoy holds a revered social-religious status.

What is the policy intent behind this immunity?

To preserve communication channels and reduce escalation by protecting diplomatic intermediaries.