Sutra 37

Devanagari script

शूद्रं जन्ममरणान्तरे यद्वः पुण्यफलं तद् राजानं गच्छेद् राज्ञश्च किल्बिषं युष्मानन्यथावादे दण्डश्चानुबद्धः पश्चादपि ज्ञायेत यथादृष्टश्रुतमेकमन्त्राः सत्यमुपहरत इति ॥ कZ_०३.११.३७ ॥

Transliteration

śūdraṃ janmamaraṇāntare yad vaḥ puṇyaphalaṃ tad rājānaṃ gacched rājñaś ca kilbiṣaṃ yuṣmān anyathāvāde daṇḍaś cānubaddhaḥ paścād api jñāyeta yathādṛṣṭaśrutam ekamantrāḥ satyam upaharata iti

Translation

To a Śūdra (witness, one should say): “Whatever merit accrues to you between birth and death, may it pass to the king; and may the king’s demerit fall upon you. If you speak otherwise, punishment is attached, and even later it may become known. Therefore, in one accord, present the truth exactly as seen and heard.”

Word by Word

शूद्रम्a Śūdra (person of the Śūdra class)

जन्म-मरण-अन्तरेin the interval between birth and death (i.e., during one’s lifetime)

यत्whatever/that which

वःof you / your

पुण्य-फलम्the fruit of merit (reward of good deeds)

तत्that

राजानम्the king

गच्छेत्should go / should accrue (to)

राज्ञःof the king

चand

किल्बिषम्sin, guilt, demerit

युष्मान्you (all)

अन्यथा-वादेin (the act/case of) speaking otherwise / false testimony

दण्डःpunishment, penalty

चand

अनुबद्धःattached, consequent, following (as a consequence)

पश्चात्afterwards, later

अपिalso, even

ज्ञायेतshould be known / should become known

यथा-दृष्ट-श्रुतम्as seen and heard (exactly as perceived/reported)

एक-मन्त्राःunanimous / having one and the same statement

सत्यम्truth

उपहरतyou (pl.) bring/submit/present

इतिthus (quoting)

Entities Mentioned

king (rājā)

FAQs

Why mention that falsehood may be discovered later?

It raises the expected cost of lying by asserting ongoing state capacity to verify and punish beyond the immediate hearing.