Sutra 23

Devanagari script

मूकमूषा पूतिकिट्टः करटुकमुखं नाली संदंशो जोङ्गनी सुवर्चिकालवणं तदेव सुवर्णमित्यपसारणमार्गाः ॥ कZ_०२.१४.२३ ॥

Transliteration

mūkamūṣā pūtikiṭṭaḥ karaṭukamukhaṃ nālī saṃdaṃśo joṅganī suvarcikālavaṇaṃ tadeva suvarṇam ity apasāraṇamārgāḥ

Translation

“Mute crucible,” foul slag, a ‘snout-mouthed’ (concealed-outlet) device, tube, tongs, a siphon-like implement, and ‘suvarcikā’ salt—these are the routes/methods by which (gold) is illicitly removed while it is still being represented as ‘that very gold.’

Word by Word

मूकमूषाa ‘mute’/sealed crucible (a kind of crucible used in metallurgical operations)

पूतिकिट्टःfoul slag/dross (impure scum from metal)

करटुकमुखम्the mouth/opening of the karatuka (a named apparatus/implement)

नालीa tube/pipe (conduit)

संदंशःtongs/pincers

जोङ्गनीjoṅganī (a named implement used in removal/processing)

सुवर्चिकालवणम्suvarchikā-salt (a specific salt/alkaline substance used in metallurgy)

तत्that

एवindeed/only

सुवर्णम्gold

इतिthus/‘as’ (quotative)

अपसारणमार्गाःmethods/procedures of removal (i.e., ways of eliminating impurities)

Entities Mentioned

crucible

slag/dross

tube/pipe

tongs/forceps

salt/chemical additive

FAQs

What is Kautilya listing in this sutra?

A catalog of practical tools/chemical aids used to secretly draw off precious metal during refining/handling while outwardly claiming the output is unchanged.

What administrative intent does this serve?

To equip supervisors with a checklist of red-flags and inspection targets in state workshops (mint/refinery), reducing leakage of revenue-grade metals.