Sutra 9

Devanagari script

दन्तयुगं स्वयं मृतस्याहरतः सपादचतुष्पणो लाभः ॥ कZ_०२.२.०९ ॥

Transliteration

dantayugaṃ svayaṃ mṛtasyāharataḥ sapādacatuṣpaṇo lābhaḥ

Translation

Whoever personally brings in a pair of tusks from an elephant that died naturally shall receive a reward of four paṇas and a quarter.

Word by Word

• दन्त-युगम्: a pair of teeth
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त; युग
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; 'दन्तानां युगम्' (a pair of teeth)

• स्वयम्: personally; by oneself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्
• Form: अव्यय; ‘oneself / personally’

• मृतस्य: of a dead person; of the deceased
• Type: Noun (participle used substantively)
• Root: मृत (√मृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन; ‘of a dead (person)’

• आहरतः: of (one) who carries off / takes away
• Type: Verb (present participle)
• Root: आ-√हृ
• Form: लट्-वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (agreeing with ‘मृतस्य’): ‘of (one) who is bringing/taking away’

• स-पाद-चतुष्पणः: (a value/fine of) four and a quarter paṇas
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद; चतुष्पण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘सपादः चतुष्पणः’ = 4 paṇas plus a quarter (i.e., 4¼ paṇas)

• लाभः: gain; value (assessed amount)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; predicate noun

Entities Mentioned

• informant/collector
• tusks (state-controlled commodity)

More Details

FAQs

What policy logic is served by rewarding the reporting/collection of tusks from naturally dead elephants?

It channels valuable ivory into lawful state collection, reducing black-market incentives and improving monitoring of elephant mortality.