Sutra 1

Devanagari script

सम्निधाता कोशगृहं पण्यगृहं कोष्ठागारं कुप्यगृहमायुधागारं बन्धनागारं च कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.५.०१ ॥

Transliteration

samnidhātā kośagṛhaṃ paṇyagṛhaṃ koṣṭhāgāraṃ kupyagṛham āyudhāgāraṃ bandhanāgāraṃ ca kārayet

Translation

The Superintendent of the Treasury (samnidhātṛ) should have constructed: the treasury-house, the goods-house, the granary/warehouse, the store for valuable materials, the armoury, and the prison.

Word by Word

• सम्निधाता: the superintendent of stores/treasury officer (samnidhātṛ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-नि-धा (सम्निधा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्तृपद (अधिकारी)

• कोशगृहम्: the treasury-house
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश + गृह
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मपद

• पण्यगृहम्: the store/house for merchandise (saleable goods)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्य + गृह
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मपद

• कोष्ठागारम्: the granary/warehouse
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोष्ठ + आगार
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मपद

• कुप्यगृहम्: the storehouse for valuables (kupyāni)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुप्य + गृह
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मपद

• आयुधागारम्: the armoury
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध + आगार
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मपद

• बन्धनागारम्: the prison
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन + आगार
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मपद

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थकः

• कारयेत्: should cause (them) to be built/constructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कारयति)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; णिच् (causative) प्रयोगः

Entities Mentioned

• samnidhātṛ (treasury superintendent)
• treasury
• warehouse/granary
• armoury
• prison

More Details

FAQs

Why are armoury and prison listed alongside treasury facilities?

Kautilya treats coercive capacity and secure custody (arms, detainees) as integral to fiscal-security administration: revenue, supplies, and enforcement must be institutionally coordinated.