पथिकोत्पथिकाश्च बहिरन्तश्च नगरस्य देवगृहपुण्यस्थानवनश्मशानेषु सव्रणमनिष्टोपकरणमुद्भाण्डीकृतमाविग्नमतिस्वप्नमध्वक्लान्तमपूर्वं वा गृह्णीयुः ॥ कZ_०२.३६.१३ ॥
pathikotpathikāś ca bahir antaś ca nagarasya devagṛhapuṇyasthānavanaśmaśāneṣu savraṇam aniṣṭopakaraṇam udbhāṇḍīkṛtam āvignam atisvapnam adhvaklāntam apūrvaṃ vā gṛhṇīyuḥ
Travelers and by-travelers, outside and inside the city—at temples, holy places, forests, and cremation grounds—shall be apprehended if found with wounds, with objectionable implements, with goods made into a pack/bundle, in agitation, overly sleepy, exhausted from travel, or otherwise appearing unfamiliar.
They are liminal, crowded, or secluded spaces where offenders can hide, exchange goods, or evade identification; policing concentrates where concealment is easiest.
They function as triggers for stop-and-question/apprehension—administrative heuristics for rapid screening under limited information.