Sutra 22

Devanagari script

फेनाघातो वल्लीफलानाम् परीवाहान्ताः पिप्पलीमृद्वीकेक्षूणां कूपपर्यन्ताः शाकमूलानाम् हरणीपर्यन्ता हरितकानाम् पाल्यो लवानां गन्धभैषज्योशीरह्रीबेरपिण्डालुकादीनाम् ॥ कZ_०२.२४.२२ ॥

Transliteration

phenāghāto vallīphalānām parīvāhāntāḥ pippalīmṛdvīkekṣūṇāṃ kūpaparyantāḥ śākamūlānām haraṇīparyantā haritakānām pālyo lavānāṃ gandhabhaiṣajyośīrahrīberapiṇḍālukādīnām

Translation

For vine-fruits, the boundary is up to the foam-mark (waterline indicator); for long-pepper, grapes, and sugarcane, up to the end of the irrigation channel; for leafy vegetables and roots, up to the end of the water-drawing device; for harītakī (myrobalan), up to the maintained embankment; and similarly for salt-plots and for aromatic and medicinal plants such as uśīra, hrībera, piṇḍāluka and others—each with its prescribed cultivation boundary/limit.

Word by Word

फेनाघातःthe measure/limit called ‘foam-stroke’ (a standard for allowable taking)

वल्लीफलानाम्of creeper-fruits

परीवाह-अन्ताःhaving the limit up to the ‘parīvāha’ boundary

पिप्पली-मृद्वीका-इक्षूणाम्of long pepper, grapes/raisins, and sugarcane

कूप-पर्यन्ताःhaving the limit up to the well (kūpa) boundary

शाक-मूलानाम्of vegetable-roots

हरणी-पर्यन्ताःhaving the limit up to the ‘haraṇī’ boundary

हरितकानाम्of harītaka (chebulic myrobalan)

पाल्यःto be maintained/observed (as the prescribed limit)

लवानाम्of ‘lavas’ (a unit/portion measure)

गन्ध-भैषज्य-उशीर-ह्रीबेर-पिण्डालुक-आदीनाम्of perfumes, medicines, vetiver (uśīra), hṛībera, pīṇḍāluka, and similar items

Entities Mentioned

pippalī

mṛdvīkā

ikṣu

śāka

harītakī

lava (salt)

uśīra

hrībera

piṇḍāluka

FAQs

What is the administrative purpose of listing different boundary markers for different crops?

To standardize enforceable cultivation limits tied to water infrastructure (channels, wells, lifting devices, embankments), reducing disputes and enabling planned allocation of irrigated land.

How does this verse reflect Kautilya’s approach to agricultural governance?

It treats farming as an administrable system: crop choice and placement are linked to measurable infrastructure-based boundaries, enabling supervision and accountability.