This chapter turns forests into governed infrastructure—zoned, guarded, and incentivized—to secure revenue, frontier stability, and especially war-elephants. Non-arable lands are assigned as regulated grazing reserves rather than left unclaimed. Fear-free sanctuaries and ritual forests are granted to tapasvins to stabilize border ecology and legitimacy. Royal game-preserves are engineered: controlled entry, water/fodder provisioning, and reduced danger. Commodity-forests are zoned by produce, supported by workshops, and protected by guards. Frontier elephant-forests are administered with tracking teams operating like intelligence units. Elephant protection is enforced by strict penalties; tusks from natural deaths are encouraged via measured bounties. Strategic payoff: stronger army-limb (elephants), hardened janapada, and steadier treasury through regulated extraction.
Sutra 1
अकृष्यायां भूमौ पशुभ्यो विवीतानि प्रयच्छेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२.०१ ॥
On non-arable land, he should assign enclosed grazing reserves (vivīta) for livestock.
Sutra 2
प्रदिष्टाभयस्थावरजङ्गमानि च ब्रह्मसोमारण्यानि तपस्विभ्यो गोरुतपराणि प्रयच्छेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२.०२ ॥
He should grant to ascetics ‘brahma’ and ‘soma’ forests—designated safe zones where both immobile and mobile beings are assured protection—(places) oriented to cattle and their pasture.
Sutra 3
तावन्मात्रमेकद्वारं खातगुप्तं स्वादुफलगुल्मगुच्छमकण्टकिद्रुममुत्तानतोयाशयं दान्तमृगचतुष्पदं भग्ननखदंष्ट्रव्यालं मार्गयुकहस्तिहस्तिनीकलभं मृगवनं विहारार्थं राज्ञः कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२.०३ ॥
He should have a royal hunting-park (mṛgavana) made for the king’s recreation: of suitable size, with a single gate, protected by a moat/ditch; containing thickets and clusters with sweet fruits, trees without thorns, shallow water-reservoirs; stocked with tame deer and quadrupeds; with predators rendered harmless (broken claws and fangs); provided with paths; and furnished with elephants—males, females, and calves.
Sutra 4
सर्वातिथिमृगं प्रत्यन्ते चान्यन्मृगवनं भूमिवशेन वा निवेशयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२.०४ ॥
He should establish an ‘all-season/always-available’ game reserve, and another game reserve in the frontier region—or else locate them according to the terrain.
Sutra 5
कुप्यप्रदिष्टानां च द्रव्याणामेकैकशो वनानि निवेशयेत्द्रव्यवनकर्मान्तानटवीश्च द्रव्यवनापाश्रयाः ॥ कZ_०२.२.०५ ॥
For specified valuable forest-products (kupyāni), he should establish separate forests for each category; and he should also set up production-worksites and forest-tracts (aṭavī) dependent upon and attached to those resource-forests.
Sutra 6
प्रत्यन्ते हस्तिवनमटव्यारक्षं निवेशयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२.०६ ॥
On the frontier, he should establish a protected elephant-forest reserve (a guarded forest tract) for elephants.
Sutra 7
नागवनाध्यक्षः पार्वतं नादेयं सारसमानूपं च नागवनं विदितपर्यन्तप्रवेशनिष्कासं नागवनपालैः पालयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२.०७ ॥
The Superintendent of Elephant Forests should have mountain, riverine, lake‑marsh, and wetland elephant‑forests guarded by elephant‑forest wardens, with boundaries and entry/exit routes clearly known and controlled.
Sutra 8
हस्तिघातिनं हन्युः ॥ कZ_०२.२.०८ ॥
They should execute the killer of an elephant.
Sutra 9
दन्तयुगं स्वयं मृतस्याहरतः सपादचतुष्पणो लाभः ॥ कZ_०२.२.०९ ॥
Whoever personally brings in a pair of tusks from an elephant that died naturally shall receive a reward of four paṇas and a quarter.
Sutra 10
नागवनपाला हस्तिपकपादपाशिकसैमिकवनचरकपारिकर्मिकसखा हस्तिमूत्रपुरीषच्छन्नगन्धा भल्लातकीशाखाप्रच्छन्नाः पञ्चभिः सप्तभिर्वा हस्तिबन्धकीभिः सह चरन्तः शय्यास्थानपद्यालेण्डकूलघातोद्देशेन हस्तिकुलपर्यग्रं विद्युः ॥ कZ_०२.२.१० ॥
Elephant‑forest wardens—assisted by trackers and forest operatives—should move about with five or seven elephant‑catchers; masked with the smell of elephant urine and dung and concealed with bhallātakī branches, they should ascertain the full range of elephant herds by noting bedding places, tracks/paths, droppings, riverbanks, and damage sites.
Sutra 11
यूथचरमेकचरं निर्यूथं यूथपतिं हस्तिनं व्यालं मत्तं पोतं बन्धमुक्तं च निबन्धेन विद्युः ॥ कZ_०२.२.११ ॥
They should keep systematic records distinguishing: a herd elephant, a solitary elephant, one separated from its herd, a herd leader, a dangerous elephant, a musth elephant, a young elephant, and an elephant that has broken free from bonds.
Sutra 12
अनीकस्थप्रमाणैः प्रशस्तव्यञ्जनाचारान् हस्तिनो गृह्णीयुः ॥ कZ_०२.२.१२ ॥
They should capture elephants that meet the army’s standards—those with approved physical marks and suitable conduct/temperament.
Sutra 13
हस्तिप्रधानं विजयो राज्ञः ॥ कZ_०२.२.१३ ॥
For a king, victory is chiefly dependent on elephants.
Sutra 14
परानीकव्यूहदुर्गस्कन्धावारप्रमर्दना ह्यतिप्रमाणशरीराः प्राणहरकर्माणो हस्तिनः ॥ कZ_०२.२.१४ ॥
Elephants, with their massive bodies and lethal force, can crush enemy battle-formations, forts, and military camps.
Sutra 15
दाशार्णाश्चापरान्ताश्च द्विपानां मध्यमा मताः ॥ कZ_०२.२.१५च्द् ॥
Elephants from Daśārṇa and from Aparānta are regarded as of middling grade among war-elephants.
Sutra 16
सर्वेषां कर्मणा वीर्यं जवस्तेजश्च वर्धते ॥ कZ_०२.२.१६च्द् ॥
For all of them, through sustained work/training their strength, speed, and fighting vigor increase.
Stable frontier order and predictable access to forest resources: grazing lands reduce agrarian pressure; protected ascetic forests reduce conflict and enhance legitimacy; commodity-forests regularize extraction; elephant-preserves secure a decisive military capability, deterring invasion and enabling conquest, which in turn protects livelihoods.
Elephant-killing is punished by death (hastighātinaṃ hanyuḥ). Conversely, lawful recovery is incentivized: bringing tusks from an elephant that died naturally yields a reward (sapādacatuṣpaṇa) for the finder.