Sutra 21

Devanagari script

स्तेनमनिसृष्टोपजीविनं च बद्धं कर्म कारयेत्दण्डोपकारिणं च ॥ कZ_०२.१२.२१ ॥

Transliteration

stenamanisṛṣṭopajīvinaṃ ca baddhaṃ karma kārayet daṇḍopakāriṇaṃ ca

Translation

A thief and one who lives by an unauthorized occupation should be put in bonds and made to work; likewise, one who is to be punished (or who is liable to penalty) should be compelled into labor.

Word by Word

• स्तेनम्: a thief
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• अनिसृष्टोपजीविनम्: one who subsists without authorization
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: उपजीविन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वकः समासः; विशेषणम् (स्तेनम्)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• बद्धम्: bound; arrested
• Type: Participle
• Root: बन्ध्
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्तेनम्)

• कर्म: work; labour (as a penalty)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• कारयेत्: should cause (him) to do; should make (him) perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कारय-)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative); विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• दण्डोपकारिणम्: one who is helpful in (matters of) punishment; one who assists the penal process
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: उपकारिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्तेनम्)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

Entities Mentioned

• Thieves
• Unlicensed workers
• State labor/works

More Details

FAQs

What governance tool is being used here besides imprisonment?

Penal labor: converting offenders into controlled labor while reducing enforcement costs and generating public/royal works output.

What is ‘anisṛṣṭopajīvin’?

A person earning through a livelihood not authorized by the state—indicating a permit/licensing logic in economic activity.