Sutra 4

Devanagari script

निर्दिष्टदेशकालकार्यं च कर्म कुर्युः अनिर्दिष्टदेशकालं कार्यापदेशम् ॥ कZ_०४.१.०४ ॥

Transliteration

nirdiṣṭadeśakālakāryaṃ ca karma kuryuḥ anirdiṣṭadeśakālaṃ kāryāpadeśam

Translation

Work shall be performed only with specified place, time, and task; an order lacking specified place and time is merely a pretexted ‘claim of work’ (not enforceable as a proper assignment).

Word by Word

• निर्दिष्ट-देश-काल-कार्यं: a task/work whose place, time, and purpose have been specified
• Type: Noun (compound adjective used substantively)
• Root: निर्दिश्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; कर्म (object) qualifying the implied कर्म/कार्य; members: निर्दिष्ट (ppp) + देश + काल + कार्य

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• कर्म: work; duty; act
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; कुर्युः इति क्रियायाः कर्म

• कुर्युः: they should do / they should perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; विध्यर्थः ‘should do’

• अनिर्दिष्ट-देश-कालं: (a task) with unspecified place and time
• Type: Noun (compound adjective used substantively)
• Root: निर्दिश्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; (कर्म/कार्य) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; members: अनिर्दिष्ट (neg. ppp) + देश + काल

• कार्य-अपदेशम्: a plea/pretext of work; citing work as a reason
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: अपदिश्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया; ‘कार्यस्य अपदेशः’ = pretext/plea of work; कुर्युः इति क्रियायाः कर्म (elliptically: ‘(they should do) the plea…’ / ‘they should make…’)

More Details

FAQs

What administrative risk is being controlled by specifying place and time?

Opportunistic disputes—workers/agents claiming completion or expenses for vague orders; clear specifications make verification and enforcement possible.

How is this relevant to modern administration?

It anticipates written work orders/SOPs with scope, schedule, and location to reduce moral hazard and audit ambiguity.