Sutra 11

Devanagari script

महापशुमेकं दासं दासीं वापहरतः प्रेतभाण्डं वा विक्रीणानस्य द्विपादवधः षट्छतो वा दण्डः ॥ कZ_०४.१०.११ ॥

Transliteration

mahāpaśum ekaṃ dāsaṃ dāsīṃ vā apaharataḥ pretabhāṇḍaṃ vā vikrīṇānasya dvipādavadhaḥ ṣaṭchato vā daṇḍaḥ

Translation

For stealing a large animal, or abducting a male or female slave, or selling goods belonging to the dead (funerary property), the penalty is amputation of both feet or a fine of six hundred paṇas.

Word by Word

• महापशुम्: a major (valuable) animal/cattle
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; महा-विशेषणपूर्वकः

• एकम्: one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; महापशुम् इति विशेषणम्

• दासम्: a male slave
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• दासीम्: a female slave
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• अपहरतः: (two persons) stealing / carrying off
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा-द्विवचन (कर्तरि); धातु: हृ (हरणे) उपसर्ग: अप-; ‘(two persons) steal/carry off’

• प्रेतभाण्डम्: goods/property of a dead person
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाण्ड
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; प्रेतस्य भाण्डम्

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• विक्रीणानस्य: of one who is selling
• Type: Verb (participial)
• Root: वि-√क्री
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (परस्मैपदी); षष्ठी-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-समर्थ; ‘of (one) selling’

• द्विपादवधः: killing of a biped (capital punishment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; द्विपादस्य वधः

• षट्छतः: six hundred (as fine amount)
• Type: Numeral (adjectival)
• Root: षट्शत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘six hundred’ (as amount of fine)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• दण्डः: punishment / fine
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

Entities Mentioned

• mahāpaśu (large livestock)
• dāsa
• dāsī
• pretabhāṇḍa (funerary goods)

More Details

FAQs

Why is selling 'pretabhāṇḍa' treated alongside major theft?

It is both property crime and a socially destabilizing offense (profiting from death rites), so it is placed in a high-deterrence bracket to protect order and trust.