Sutra 18

Devanagari script

पुंसः पूर्वः साहसदण्डः तुल्यश्रेयसोः पापीयसो मध्यमः ॥ कZ_०३.४.१८ ॥

Transliteration

puṃsaḥ pūrvaḥ sāhasadaṇḍaḥ tulyaśreyasoḥ pāpīyaso madhyamaḥ

Translation

For a man, the primary penalty is the sāhasa fine (for violent/forcible wrongdoing). When the parties are of equal status, the middling (madhyama) grade applies; when the man is of inferior standing (pāpīyas), the middling grade likewise applies (as the operative standard here).

Word by Word

• पुंसः: of a man (male)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (पुम्)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्

• पूर्वः: the former/earlier (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम् (विशेषणम्)

• साहसदण्डः: the penalty for assault/violence (sāhasa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्; साहसस्य दण्डः

• तुल्यश्रेयसोः: of the two (cases) of equal merit
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (श्रेयस्-शब्दः); ‘of/in the two cases of equal merit’

• पापीयसोः: of/in the two (cases) that are worse/more sinful
• Type: Adjective (comparative)
• Root: पापीयस् (पापीयस् = पाप का तर)
• Form: षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (विशेषणम्)

• मध्यमः: the middle/medium (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम् (विशेषणम्)

Entities Mentioned

• male offender
• judicial authority

More Details

FAQs

What administrative principle does this sutra illustrate?

Graduated, status-aware sentencing: the state scales penalties using established fine categories (sāhasa; madhyama) depending on relative standing.