Sutra 35

Devanagari script

ताम्रवृत्तकंसवैकृन्तकारकूटकानां पञ्चकं शतं वेतनम् ॥ कZ_०४.१.३५ ॥

Transliteration

tāmravṛttakaṃsavaikṛntakārakūṭakānāṃ pañcakaṃ śataṃ vetanam

Translation

For workers dealing with copper rounds/plates (tāmra-vṛtta), kaṃsa (bronze/brass), cutters/engravers (vaikṛntaka), and makers of debased or counterfeit items (kūṭaka), the wage is five per hundred (a standardized rate of 5/100).

Word by Word

• ताम्रवृत्त: round copper pieces (copper discs/coins)
• Type: Noun (adjectival compound)
• Root: ताम्र + वृत्त
• Form: प्रथमा/षष्ठी-बहुवचन-समासाङ्ग (विशेषणरूपेण); ‘ताम्र’ (copper) + ‘वृत्त’ (round/disc-shaped) → ‘round copper (pieces)’; governs following genitive plural ‘…कानाम्’ as member of list

• कंस: bell-metal/bronze (articles)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंस
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन (…कानाम्-समूहस्य सदस्यः); ‘कंस’ = bell-metal/bronze vessel/metal

• वैकृन्तक: cutters/engravers (artisans who cut/shape materials)
• Type: Noun (agent/occupation)
• Root: वि + कृन्त (कृन्तति) → वैकृन्तक
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन (…कानाम्-समूहस्य सदस्यः); ‘वैकृन्तक’ = छेदक/कर्तक (cutter, carver)

• अरकूटक: arakūṭakas (a specified class of forgers/counterfeiters)
• Type: Noun (occupation/agent)
• Root: अर + कूटक
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन (…कानाम्-समूहस्य सदस्यः); ‘कूटक’ = कूटयति इति/कूटकर्मक (forger/counterfeiter); ‘अर-’ as specifying subtype (Arthaśāstra technical class)

• आनां: of (these)
• Type: Genitive plural ending
• Root: (ताम्रवृत्त-कंस-वैकृन्तक-अरकूटक)
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचन-प्रत्ययः; preceding list taken together as genitive plural: ‘of (these)…’

• पञ्चकम्: a set of five
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चक
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन (कर्म/परिमाण); ‘पञ्चक’ = five (a set of five)

• शतम्: a hundred; here: five hundreds (500)
• Type: Noun (numeral)
• Root: शत
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘शतम्’ = hundred; with ‘पञ्चकम्’ → ‘five hundreds’ (= 500) as wage-amount

• वेतनम्: wage/salary
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतन
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन; predicate nominative: ‘(is) the wage/salary’

Entities Mentioned

• tāmra (copper)
• kaṃsa (bronze/brass)
• vaikṛntaka (cutter/engraver)
• kūṭaka (counterfeiter/debaser)

More Details

FAQs

Why would the text include kūṭaka (counterfeit/debased makers) in a wage schedule?

Administratively, it signals state supervision of high-risk crafts: even suspect production categories are brought under measurable standards to enable control, auditing, and enforcement.