Sutra 17

Devanagari script

शपथवाक्यानुयोगमनिषृष्टं कुर्वतः युक्तकर्म चायुक्तस्य क्षुद्रपशुवृषाणां पुंस्त्वोपघातिनः दास्या गर्भमौषधेन पातयतश्च पूर्वः साहसदण्डः ॥ कZ_०३.२०.१७ ॥

Transliteration

śapathavākyānuyogamaniṣṛṣṭaṃ kurvataḥ yuktakarma cāyuktasya kṣudrapaśuvṛṣāṇāṃ puṃstvopaghātinaḥ dāsyā garbhamauṣadhena pātayataśca pūrvaḥ sāhasadaṇḍaḥ

Translation

For administering an oath-interrogation without authorization; for assigning an eligible duty to an ineligible person (wrongful appointment/entrustment); for damaging the virility (castration) of small cattle/bulls; and for causing an enslaved woman’s pregnancy to be aborted by medicine—the ‘first’ (lowest) sāhasa fine applies.

Word by Word

शपथवाक्यoath-statement / sworn words

अनुयोगम्interrogation / examination

अनिषृष्टम्unauthorized / not permitted

कुर्वतःof one who does / of the doer

युक्तकर्मa proper act / duly performed act

चand

अयुक्तस्यof the improper (person) / of one acting improperly

क्षुद्रपशुवृषाणाम्of small cattle and bulls

पुंस्त्वोपघातिनःof those that destroy virility / castrating

दास्याःof a female slave

गर्भम्the foetus / pregnancy

औषधेनby a drug/medicine

पातयतःof one who causes (it) to fall / causes abortion

चand

पूर्वःthe first / lowest (grade)

साहसदण्डःthe sāhasa fine/penalty (for violent/forcible offences)

Entities Mentioned

judicial officer/interrogator

unfit appointee

livestock owner

dāsī (enslaved woman)

FAQs

Why penalize unauthorized oath-interrogation?

It curbs abuse of coercive evidentiary methods and keeps extraordinary procedures under formal authorization.

Why is livestock mutilation treated as a serious offence category?

Because it destroys productive capacity and thus harms household economy and state revenue indirectly.