Chapter 2.23 turns textile manufacture into an auditable state machine—standardized grades, measured outputs, indexed wages, and disciplined workshops—to protect revenue and ensure a reliable cloth supply. It treats textiles as high-value, high-leakage goods needing tight supervision, and builds a controllable workforce by matching skills while drawing on dependent/vulnerable labor pools. Production is standardized by thread grade, fixed measures, and time quotas so output is comparable and checkable; wages are tied to verified quality and quantity to reduce collusion and falsification. Incentives sustain morale, while danda punishes fraud, harassment, and wage manipulation. The result strengthens the Kośa through dependable state supply (cloth/coverings/blankets) and marketable surplus under regulated exchange.
Sutra 1
सूत्राध्यक्षः सूत्रवर्मवस्त्ररज्जुव्यवहारं तज्जातपुरुषैः कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०१ ॥
The Superintendent of Threads shall have dealings in yarn, protective cordage/armour-material, cloth, and rope carried out through persons of the respective trade.
Sutra 2
ऊर्णावल्ककार्पासतूलशणक्षौमाणि च विधवान्यङ्गाकन्याप्रव्रजितादण्डप्रतिकारिणीभी रूपाजीवामातृकाभिर्वृद्धराजदासीभिर्व्युपरतोपस्थानदेवदासीभिश्च कर्तयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०२ ॥
He shall have wool, bark-fibre, cotton, cotton-fluff, hemp, and linen worked by widows, unmarried women, female renunciants, women working off a penalty, women living by their beauty (courtesans), mothers (female dependents), aged royal maidservants, and temple women who have ceased active service.
Sutra 3
श्लक्ष्णस्थूलमध्यतां च सूत्रस्य विदित्वा वेतनं कल्पयेत्बह्वल्पतां च ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०३ ॥
Having ascertained whether the thread is fine, coarse, or medium—and also whether the output is more or less—he shall fix the wages accordingly.
Sutra 4
सूत्रप्रमाण ज्ञात्वा तैलामलकोद्वर्तनैरेता अनुगृह्णीयात् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०४ ॥
After determining the standard measure (weight/length) of yarn, he should favor (support/retain) these workers by providing oil, āmalaka, and body-rubbing/ointment supplies.
Sutra 5
तिथिषु प्रतिमानदानैश्च कर्म कारयितव्याः ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०५ ॥
On specified dates, work should be made to proceed by issuing measured rations/allowances (pratimāna-dāna).
Sutra 6
सूत्रह्रासे वेतनह्रासो द्रव्यसारात् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०६ ॥
If there is a shortfall in yarn, there should be a proportional reduction of wages, in accordance with the material standard/value (dravyasāra).
Sutra 7
कृतकर्मप्रमाणकालवेतनफलनिष्पत्तिभिः कारुभिश्च कर्म कारयेत्प्रतिसंसर्गं च गच्छेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०७ ॥
Work should be executed through artisans under verification of: completed work, quantity/standard, time taken, wages, and resulting output; and he should also conduct cross-checks/continuous inspection at each stage of association (pratisaṃsarga).
Sutra 8
क्षौमदुकूलक्रिमितानराङ्कवकार्पाससूत्रवानकर्मान्तांश्च प्रयुञ्जानो गन्धमाल्यदानैरन्यैश्चाउपग्राहिकैराराधयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०८ ॥
While employing the production units for linen, fine cloth, silk, wool, cotton, yarn, and weaving, he should keep them cooperative by grants of perfumes and garlands, and by other supplementary inducements.
Sutra 9
वस्त्रास्तरणप्रावरणविकल्पानुत्थापयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.०९ ॥
He should develop (introduce and promote) varieties of garments, bedding/spreads, and coverings.
Sutra 10
कङ्कटकर्मान्तांश्च तज्जातकारुशिल्पिभिः कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१० ॥
He should also have kaṅkaṭa-type production units executed by artisans and craftsmen of that very specialization.
Sutra 11
याश्चानिष्कासिन्यः प्रोषिता विधवा न्यङ्गाः कन्यका वात्मानं बिभृयुः ताः स्वदासीभिरनुसार्य सोपग्रहं कर्म कारयितव्याः ॥ कZ_०२.२३.११ ॥
Women who are not to go out (restricted/guarded), those whose husbands are away, widows, women with disabilities, or unmarried girls who maintain themselves—these should be employed in work under supervision by the state’s female attendants/servants, with safeguards and monitoring.
Sutra 12
स्वयमागच्छन्तीनां वा सूत्रशालां प्रत्युषसि भाण्डवेतनविनिमयं कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१२ ॥
For those who come of their own accord to the yarn-house, he should conduct the exchange of goods and wages at dawn.
Sutra 13
सूत्रपरीक्षार्थमात्रः प्रदीपः ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१३ ॥
A lamp is to be used solely for the purpose of examining the yarn.
Sutra 14
स्त्रिया मुखसंदर्शनेऽन्यकार्यसम्भाषायां वा पूर्वः साहसदण्डः वेतनकालातिपातने मध्यमः अकृतकर्मवेतनप्रदाने च ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१४ ॥
If a (female) worker is made to show her face (improperly) or is spoken to about matters unrelated to the assigned work, the offender shall pay the first (lowest) sāhasa fine; for delaying payment of wages beyond the due time, the middle fine; and likewise for paying wages for work not done.
Sutra 15
गृहीत्वा वेतनं कर्माकुर्वत्या अङ्गुष्ठसंदंशं दापयेत्भक्षितापहृतावस्कन्दितानां च ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१५ ॥
A worker who takes wages but does not perform the work shall be made to pay the aṅguṣṭha-saṃdaṃśa penalty; and there shall be penalty/compensation also for goods that are consumed, stolen, or carried off in a raid.
Sutra 16
वेतनेषु च कर्मकराणामपराधतो दण्डः ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१६ ॥
In matters of wages too, the penalty shall be according to the fault of the laborers.
Sutra 17
रज्जुवर्तकैर्वर्मकारैश्च स्वयं संसृज्येत ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१७ ॥
He (the superintendent/state) shall have (these items) produced directly by rope-makers and armor/leather-workers.
Sutra 18
भाण्डानि च वरत्रादीनि वर्तयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१८ ॥
He shall also maintain stocks of equipment and of straps and similar items.
Sutra 19
साम्नाह्या बन्धनीयाश्च यानयुग्यस्य करयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.२३.१९च्द् ॥
He shall have harnessing gear and binding or restraint gear made for draught and transport use.
It converts vulnerable dependents (widows, abandoned women, retired temple/palace servants, penal workers) into protected wage-earners under state supervision, reducing vagrancy and exploitation while ensuring steady supply of cloth for public use and sale—thereby stabilizing both livelihood and revenue.
Calibrated sanctions include: (i) wage reduction proportional to shortfall in thread (sūtra-hrāse vetana-hrāsaḥ), (ii) sāhasa-daṇḍa for unauthorized face-to-face contact/irrelevant conversation with women workers, (iii) madhyama sāhasa for delaying wages or paying wages for unperformed work, and (iv) aṅguṣṭha-saṃdaṃśa (thumb-pinching/marking punishment) for taking wages and not working; penalties also apply for consumption/theft/abduction of materials or output.