Sutra 5

Devanagari script

चतुर्थमंशं धान्यानां बीजभक्तशुद्धं च हिरण्येन क्रीणीयात् ॥ कZ_०५.२.०५ ॥

Transliteration

caturtham aṃśaṃ dhānyānāṃ bījabhaktaśuddhaṃ ca hiraṇyena krīṇīyāt

Translation

Er soll gegen Bargeld ein Viertel des Getreides kaufen und dabei sicherstellen, dass es um Saatgut und Subsistenzrationen bereinigt ist (d. h. nichts nehmen, was für Aussaat und grundlegenden Unterhalt benötigt wird).

Word by Word

• चतुर्थम्: a fourth (part)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ
• Form: विशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (कर्मपद)

• अंशम्: share, portion
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (कर्म)

• धान्यानाम्: of grains, of grain-produce
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध)

• बीजभक्तशुद्धम्: purified/cleared by deducting seed and rations
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध
• Form: विशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; ‘अंशम्’ इति कर्मपदं विशेषयति; बीजेन भक्तेन च शुद्धम् (अपहृत/वियोजित)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• हिरण्येन: with money, by payment in gold/cash
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया (करण)

• क्रीणीयात्: should buy, should purchase
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्री (क्रीणाति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; लोट्-अर्थे विधिः—‘should buy’

Entities Mentioned

• state procurement
• grain holders (implied)

More Details

FAQs

How does this differ from forced requisition?

It prescribes purchase (krīṇīyāt) using cash, implying compensation and market-like acquisition rather than confiscation.

Why specify ‘net of seed and subsistence’?

To prevent undermining next season’s production and immediate survival—protecting both future revenue and social stability.