This chapter establishes a state metrology regime—uniform weights, measures, and instruments—to prevent valuation fraud and thereby protect the kośa through predictable, enforceable assessment. It identifies weights-and-measures fraud as a primary leakage point in trade, taxation, and procurement. It assigns the Pautavādhyakṣa authority to define and enforce standard units and conversions, codifying conversion ladders for common monetary and weight units to block arbitrary equivalences. It mandates durable, distortion-resistant materials and standardized designs for balances and weights. By making valuation an auditable routine, it enables consistent dues and fines and supports price stability. Metrology is framed as treasury infrastructure: rigid standards that let fiscal administration operate reliably.
Sutra 1
पौतवाध्यक्षः पौतवकर्मान्तान् कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०१ ॥
The Superintendent of Weights and Measures shall cause the operations of the weights-and-measures establishment to be carried out.
Sutra 2
धान्यमाषा दश सुवर्णमाषकः पञ्च वा गुञ्जाः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०२ ॥
Ten dhānya-māṣas constitute a suvarṇa-māṣaka; alternatively, [a suvarṇa-māṣaka is] five guñjās.
Sutra 3
ते षोडश सुवर्णः कर्षो वा ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०३ ॥
Those units—sixteen suvarṇas (or suvarṇa-māṣakas)—make one karṣa.
Sutra 4
चतुष्कर्षं पलम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०४ ॥
A pala equals four karṣas.
Sutra 5
अष्टाशीतिर्गौरसर्षपा रूप्यमाषकः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०५ ॥
Eighty-four white mustard seeds constitute a silver māṣaka (rūpya-māṣaka).
Sutra 6
ते षोडश धरणं शौम्ब्यानि वा विंशतिः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०६ ॥
Those silver māṣakas—sixteen—make one dharaṇa; or, in Śaumbyāni reckoning, twenty make one dharaṇa.
Sutra 7
विंशतितण्डुलं वज्रधरणम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०७ ॥
A vajra-dharaṇa (a standard weight-unit called ‘vajra-dharaṇa’) equals twenty grains of rice.
Sutra 8
अर्धमाषकः माषकः द्वौ चत्वारः अष्टौ माषकाः सुवर्णो द्वौ चत्वारः अष्टौ सुवर्णाः दश विंशतिः त्रिंशत् चत्वारिंशत् शतमिति ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०८ ॥
The scale of denominations is: half a māṣaka; one māṣaka; two, four, and eight māṣakas; (then) one suvarṇa; two, four, and eight suvarṇas; and then (larger counts) ten, twenty, thirty, forty, and one hundred (units).
Sutra 9
तेन धरणानि व्याख्यातानि ॥ कZ_०२.१९.०९ ॥
By that enumeration, the dharaṇa-weights are explained/defined.
Sutra 10
प्रतिमानान्ययोमयानि मागधमेकलशैलमयानि यानि वा नोदकप्रदेहाभ्यां वृद्धिं गच्छेयुरुष्णेन वा ह्रासम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१० ॥
Let the standard measures (pratimāna) be made of iron, or of Māgadha stone, or of Ekalaśaila stone—or any material that will not increase by wetting/smearing with water, nor decrease by heat.
Sutra 11
षडङ्गुलादूर्ध्वमष्टाङ्गुलोत्तरा दश तुलाः कारयेत् लोहपलादूर्ध्वमेकपलोत्तराः यन्त्रमुभयतःशिक्यं वा ॥ कZ_०२.१९.११ ॥
He should have ten balance-beams (tulā) made, increasing in length above six aṅgulas by increments of eight aṅgulas; and (corresponding) iron-weight sets increasing above one pala by increments of one pala; or else a weighing device with suspension from both sides.
Sutra 12
पञ्चत्रिंशत्पललोहां द्विसप्तत्यङ्गुलायामां समवृत्तां कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१२ ॥
He should have (a standard beam/rod) made of iron weighing thirty-five palas, with a length of seventy-two aṅgulas, of uniform circular form.
Sutra 13
तस्याः पञ्चपलिकं मण्डलं बद्ध्वा समकरणं कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१३ ॥
On it, after fixing a circular piece weighing five palas, he should have the apparatus made level/balanced (i.e., properly equalized).
Sutra 14
ततः कर्षोत्तरं पलं पलोत्तरं दशपलं द्वादश पञ्चदश विंशतिरिति पदानि कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१४ ॥
Then he should have (standard) weight-pieces made in steps: a pala exceeding by a karṣa; then in pala-increments; then ten-pala, twelve, fifteen, and twenty (units) as the set of pieces.
Sutra 15
तत आशताद्दशोत्तरं कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१५ ॥
Then he should have (pieces) made in tens beyond one hundred (i.e., higher denominations above the hundred-mark).
Sutra 16
अक्षेषु नान्दीपिनद्धं कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१६ ॥
On the axle/pivot points, he should have a nāndī-fastening/binding made (i.e., a specified securing/locking arrangement on the pivots).
Sutra 17
द्विगुणलोहां तुलामतः षण्णवत्यङ्गुलायामां परिमाणीं कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१७ ॥
He shall have a standard measuring rod/beam (parimāṇī) made, of double-thickness metal, with a length of ninety-six aṅgulas, conforming to the standard balance/weight system (tulāmata).
Sutra 18
तस्याः शतपदादूर्ध्वं विंशतिः पञ्चाशत् शतमिति पदानि कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१८ ॥
On it, above the hundred-mark (śata-pada), he shall have further graduations made—at twenty, fifty, and one hundred (as specified)—as step-marks (padāni).
Sutra 19
विंशतितौलिको भारः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१९ ॥
A bhāra (load-weight) is of twenty taulikas.
Sutra 20
दशधारणिकं पलम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२० ॥
A pala is of ten dhāraṇikas.
Sutra 21
तत्पलशतमायमानी ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२१ ॥
The āyamānī (standard capacity-measure) is calibrated to one hundred of those palas (i.e., a 100-pala standard).
Sutra 22
पञ्चपलावरा व्यावहारिकी भाजन्यन्तःपुरभाजनी च ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२२ ॥
There shall be (standard) vessels for measurement: the commercial one (vyāvahārikī) and the inner-palace one (antaḥpura-bhājanī); their permissible shortfall limit is five palas.
Sutra 23
तासामर्धधरणावरं पलम् द्विपलावरमुत्तरलोहं षडङ्गुलावराश्चायामाः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२३ ॥
For those vessels, the pala measure may allow a deficiency of half a dhāraṇika; the uttaraloha (a specified superior metal) measure may allow a deficiency of two palas; and their lengths may allow a deficiency of six aṅgulas.
Sutra 24
पूर्वयोः पञ्चपलिकः प्रयामो मांसलोहलवणमणिवर्जम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२४ ॥
For the former two (measures), the prescribed capacity is five palas—excluding (their use for) meat, metal, salt, and gems.
Sutra 25
काष्ठतुला अष्टहस्ता पदवती प्रतिमानवती मयूरपदाधिष्ठिता ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२५ ॥
The wooden balance (kāṣṭha-tulā) shall be eight hastas long, provided with graduations (pada), fitted with standard counterweights (pratimāna), and mounted on a ‘peacock-foot’ base (mayūra-pada).
Sutra 26
काष्ठपञ्चविंशतिपलं तण्डुलप्रस्थसाधनम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२६ ॥
A wooden standard of twenty-five palas shall serve as the implement for establishing/verifying the prastha measure for rice (taṇḍula).
Sutra 27
एष प्रदेशो बह्वल्पयोः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२७ ॥
This is the scale-range (standard span) for large and small measures.
Sutra 28
इति तुलाप्रतिमानं व्याख्यातम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२८ ॥
Thus the standard for the balance/scale-measure has been explained.
Sutra 29
अथ धान्यमाषद्विपलशतं द्रोणमायमानं सप्ताशीतिपलशतमर्धपलं च व्यावहारिकम् पञ्चसप्ततिपलशतं भाजनीयम् द्विषष्टिपलशतमर्धपलं चान्तःपुरभाजनीयम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२९ ॥
Now, for grain: the droṇa-measure is to be taken as two hundred palas (in weight-equivalent). Of this, 785½ palas is the ‘commercial/transactional’ (vyāvahārika) standard; 575 palas is the ‘ration-distribution’ (bhājanīya) standard; and 625½ palas is the ‘inner-palace ration’ (antaḥpura-bhājanīya) standard.
Sutra 30
तेषामाढकप्रस्थकुडुबाश्चतुर्भागावराः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३० ॥
Of these, the āḍhaka, prastha, and kuḍuba are each successively one-quarter smaller (in scale).
Sutra 31
षोडशद्रोणा खारी ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३१ ॥
Sixteen droṇas make one khārī.
Sutra 32
विंशतिद्रोणिकः कुम्भः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३२ ॥
A kumbha equals twenty droṇas.
Sutra 33
कुम्भैर्दशभिर्वहः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३३ ॥
Ten kumbhas make one vaha.
Sutra 34
शुष्कसारदारुमयं समं चतुर्भागशिखं मानं कारयेत् अन्तःशिखं वा ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३४ ॥
He should have the measuring-vessel made of dry, sound heartwood, even and true, with a rim/projection of one-quarter (as the standard ‘śikhā’), or else with an inward rim (antaḥ-śikhā).
Sutra 35
रसस्य तु सुरायाः पुष्पफलयोस्तुषाङ्गाराणां सुधायाश्च शिखामानं द्विगुणोत्तरा वृद्धिः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३५ ॥
But for liquids/juices, for liquor, for flowers and fruits, for chaff and charcoal, and for lime, the rim-standard (śikhā-measure) is to be increased by a factor of two.
Sutra 36
सपादपणो द्रोणमूल्यमाढकस्य पादोनः षण्माषकाः प्रस्थस्य माषकः कुडुबस्य ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३६ ॥
The price of a droṇa is one and a quarter paṇas; of an āḍhaka it is one quarter less; of a prastha it is six māṣakas; and of a kuḍuba it is one māṣaka.
Sutra 37
द्विगुणं रसादीनां मानमूल्यम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३७ ॥
For liquids such as juices (rasādayaḥ), the fee/value fixed for measuring (māna-mūlya) shall be double.
Sutra 38
विंशतिपणाः प्रतिमानस्य ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३८ ॥
For a standard measure (pratimāna), the charge shall be twenty paṇas.
Sutra 39
तुलामूल्यं त्रिभागः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३९ ॥
The fee/value for a balance (tulā-mūlya) shall be one-third (i.e., assessed at a third-rate as specified in the schedule).
Sutra 40
चतुर्मासिकं प्रातिवेधनिकं कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.४० ॥
He shall have the verification/marking (prātivedhanika) carried out every four months.
Sutra 41
अप्रतिविद्धस्यात्ययः सपादः सप्तविंशतिपणः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.४१ ॥
For one whose measure is unverified/unstamped (apratividdha), the penalty (atyaya) shall be twenty-seven paṇas and a quarter (27¼).
Sutra 42
प्रातिवेधनिकं काकणीकमहरहः पौतवाध्यक्षाय दद्युः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.४२ ॥
They shall pay the verification fee—one kākaṇī—day by day to the Superintendent of Weights and Measures (pautavādhyakṣa).
Sutra 43
द्वात्रिंशद्भागस्तप्तव्याजी सर्पिषः चतुःषष्टिभागस्तैलस्य ॥ कZ_०२.१९.४३ ॥
The allowable loss/allowance due to heating (tapta-vyājī) shall be 1/32 for ghee (sarpiṣ) and 1/64 for oil (taila).
Sutra 44
पञ्चाशद्भागो मानस्रावो द्रवाणाम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.४४ ॥
For liquids, the allowable seepage loss (māna-srāva) shall be 1/50.
Sutra 45
कुडुबार्धचतुरष्टभागानि मानानि कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.४५ ॥
He shall have measures made in kuḍuba units, and also in half-, quarter-, and one-eighth fractions.
Sutra 46
कुडुबाश्चतुरशीतिर्वारकः सर्पिषो मतः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.४६ ॥
For ghee, one vāraka is reckoned as eighty-four kuḍubas.
Sutra 47
चतुःषष्टिस्तु तैलस्य पादश्च घटिकानयोः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.४७ ॥
For oil, the standard is sixty-four (units); and a quarter-share applies in the case of the two ‘ghaṭikā’ measures.
Market trust and price stability rise; disputes over quantity/quality fall; state procurement and taxation become predictable; fraud becomes detectable—supporting prosperity and fiscal resilience (kośa-strengthening welfare).
This passage itself specifies standards rather than explicit fines; enforcement is implied through inspection and the general Arthashastric rule that falsifying weights/measures triggers penalties and confiscation under market/trade regulation administered by relevant adhyakṣas.