Sutra 35

Devanagari script

तूर्यशब्दे राज्ञो गृहाभ्याशे सपादपणं अक्षणताडनं प्रथमपश्चिमयामिकं मध्यमयामिकं द्विगुणमन्तश्चतुर्गुणम् ॥ कZ_०२.३६.३५ ॥

Transliteration

tūryaśabde rājño gṛhābhyāśe sapādapaṇaṃ akṣaṇatāḍanaṃ prathamapaścimayāmikaṃ madhyamayāmikaṃ dviguṇam antaś caturguṇam.

Translation

At the sound of the alarm-instrument (tūrya), within the vicinity of the king’s residence, the fine is one and a quarter paṇas; for striking (another) without injury, the fine is graded by watch: in the first and last watch it is the base amount, in the middle watch it is double, and within (the inner/most restricted zone) it is fourfold.

Word by Word

• तूर्य-शब्दे: when there is the sound of musical instruments (drum/pipe etc.)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तूर्य, शब्द
• Form: सप्तमी एकवचनम् (शब्द); पुल्लिङ्गः; अधिकरणे

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्गः

• गृह-अभ्याशे: in the vicinity of the (king’s) residence
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह, अभ्याश
• Form: सप्तमी एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्गः; अधिकरणे

• स-पाद-पणम्: a fine of one and a quarter paṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः (दण्डराशिः)

• अक्षण-ताडनम्: ‘akṣaṇa-tāḍana’—a specified punitive beating/striking penalty (a technical punishment term)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षण, ताडन (√तड्/ताड्)
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; दण्डप्रकारः

• प्रथम-पश्चिम-यामिकम्: (penalty) for the first ‘western’ watch/portion of the night (a time-slot category)
• Type: Adjective (used as noun)
• Root: प्रथम, पश्चिम, यामिक
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; दण्डराशेः विशेषणम्

• मध्यम-यामिकम्: (penalty) for the middle watch of the night
• Type: Adjective (used as noun)
• Root: मध्यम, यामिक
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; दण्डराशेः विशेषणम्

• द्वि-गुणम्: double (the fine/penalty)
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: द्वि, गुण
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; ‘(दण्डः) द्विगुणः’ इति

• अन्तः: at the end / in the last period
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः
• Form: अव्ययम्; ‘अन्तः’ = अन्ते/अन्तराले/अन्तिमे (सन्दर्भे: अन्तिमयामे)

• चतुḥ-गुणम्: fourfold (the fine/penalty)
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: चतुर्, गुण
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; ‘(दण्डः) चतुर्गुणः’ इति

Entities Mentioned

• king (rājā)
• guards/night watch (implied)

More Details

FAQs

Why are penalties higher in the middle watch and inside restricted areas?

Kauṭilya treats those times/locations as higher-risk for burglary, assassination, and panic; deterrence is increased by multiplying fines.

What administrative idea is embedded here?

Risk-weighted policing: punishments scale with threat level (time, proximity to sovereign, and restricted zones).