Sutra 18

Devanagari script

स्वसेतुभ्यो हस्तप्रावर्तिममुदकभागं पञ्चमं दद्युः स्कन्धप्रावर्तिमं चतुर्थं स्रोतोयन्त्रप्रावर्तिमं च तृतीयं चतुर्थं नदीसरस्तटाककूपोद्धाटम् ॥ कZ_०२.२४.१८ ॥

Transliteration

svasetubhyo hastaprāvartimamudakabhāgaṃ pañcamaṃ dadyuḥ skandhaprāvartimaṃ caturthaṃ srotoyantraprāvartimaṃ ca tṛtīyaṃ caturthaṃ nadīsarastaṭākakūpoddhāṭam

Translation

For fields irrigated by their own bunds/works: if water is lifted by hand, they shall pay a water-share of one-fifth; if lifted by shoulder-carried means, one-fourth; if lifted by a stream-device/mechanical contrivance, one-third or one-fourth; and likewise for water drawn from rivers, lakes, tanks, or wells.

Word by Word

• स्वसेतुभ्यः: from/for private embankments (owned dams/levees)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वसेतु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-बहुवचन (अपादान/हेतौ)

• हस्तप्रावर्तिमम्: the (water-share) measured by a ‘hasta’-standard discharge
• Type: Adjective (measure-term)
• Root: प्रवर्तिमन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; 'उदकभागम्' विशेषणम्

• उदकभागम्: a share/portion of water (water allotment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदकभाग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मपदम् (दद्युः)

• पञ्चमम्: one-fifth (the fifth part)
• Type: Adjective (ordinal)
• Root: पञ्चम
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; 'उदकभागम्' विशेषणम्

• दद्युः: they should give/pay
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: लोट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन

• स्कन्धप्रावर्तिमम्: the (water-share) measured by a ‘skandha’-standard discharge
• Type: Adjective (measure-term)
• Root: प्रवर्तिमन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (अध्याहृत) 'उदकभागम्' विशेषणम्

• चतुर्थम्: one-fourth (the fourth part)
• Type: Adjective (ordinal)
• Root: चतुर्थ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (अध्याहृत) 'उदकभागम्' विशेषणम्

• स्रोतोयन्त्रप्रावर्तिमम्: the (water-share) measured by a discharge standard of a flow-device (sluice/mechanism)
• Type: Adjective (measure-term)
• Root: प्रवर्तिमन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (अध्याहृत) 'उदकभागम्' विशेषणम्

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• तृतीयम्: one-third (the third part)
• Type: Adjective (ordinal)
• Root: तृतीय
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (अध्याहृत) 'उदकभागम्' विशेषणम्

• चतुर्थम्: one-fourth (the fourth part)
• Type: Adjective (ordinal)
• Root: चतुर्थ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; (अध्याहृत) 'उदकभागम्' विशेषणम्

• नदीसरस्तटाककूपोद्धाटम्: (a levy/share) for the excavation/opening/creation of rivers, lakes, ponds, and wells
• Type: Noun (action/result)
• Root: उद्धाट
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मपदम् (दद्युः); समाहार-द्वन्द्व (नदी+सरस्+तटाक+कूप) + तत्पुरुष (…-उद्धाट)

Entities Mentioned

• irrigators
• revenue/irrigation officers
• water sources (river, lake, tank, well)

More Details

FAQs

What modern policy idea is closest to this udakabhāga schedule?

A differentiated user-charge: payment varies with the method/cost of supplying water, aligning fees with effort/technology and discouraging waste.