Sutra 4

Devanagari script

अष्टशतग्राम्या मध्ये स्थानीयं चतुह्शतग्राम्या द्रोणमुखम् द्विशतग्राम्याः कार्वटिकम् दशग्रामीसंग्रहेण संग्रहं स्थापयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.०१.०४ ॥

Transliteration

aṣṭaśatagrāmyā madhye sthānīyaṃ catuḥśatagrāmyā droṇamukham dviśatagrāmyāḥ kārvaṭikam daśagrāmīsaṃgraheṇa saṃgrahaṃ sthāpayet

Translation

Among a cluster of eight hundred villages he should establish a regional headquarters (sthānīya); among four hundred villages a droṇamukha; among two hundred villages a market-center (kārvaṭika); and for a collection of ten villages he should establish a local unit (saṃgraha).

Word by Word

• अष्टशतग्राम्याः: (a unit/region) consisting of eight hundred villages
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (ग्राम्या = ग्रामसम्बद्धा/ग्रामपरिमाणयुक्ता)

• मध्ये: in the middle; within
• Type: Noun (used adverbially)
• Root: मध्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘मध्ये’ = ‘in the midst/within’

• स्थानीयम्: the local administrative headquarters (sthānīya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; (अत्र) प्रथमा—स्थापनीय-केन्द्रस्य नाम

• चतुशतग्राम्याः: (a unit/region) consisting of four hundred villages
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषणरूपेण

• द्रोणमुखम्: the droṇamukha (administrative center/unit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोणमुख
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; प्रशासनिक-एकक-नाम

• द्विशतग्राम्याः: (a unit/region) consisting of two hundred villages
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषणरूपेण

• कार्वटिकम्: the kārvaṭika (administrative center/unit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्वटिक
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; प्रशासनिक-एकक-नाम

• दशग्रामीसंग्रहेण: by means of a collection/cluster of ten villages
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्रह
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; ‘दशग्रामी’ (दश-ग्राम-समूहः) + ‘संग्रह’ (collection/cluster)

• संग्रहम्: a collection/cluster (administrative grouping)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्रह
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• स्थापयेत्: should establish; should set up
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (स्थापयति—णिच्)
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; causative (णिच्) ‘he should establish’

Entities Mentioned

• sthānīya
• droṇamukha
• kārvaṭika
• saṃgraha
• grāma

More Details

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about Kautilya’s administrative design?

A tiered territorial grid with defined catchment sizes, enabling predictable supervision, taxation, policing, and logistics.

Why include kārvaṭika as a node?

It anchors trade and movement control—useful for revenue, intelligence, and supply-chain management.