Sutra 16

Devanagari script

देवपशुप्रतिमामनुष्यक्षेत्रगृहहिरण्यसुवर्णरत्नसस्यापहारिण उत्तमो दण्डः शुद्धवधो वा ॥ कZ_०४.१०.१६ ॥

Transliteration

devapaśupratimāmanuṣyakṣetragṛhahiraṇyasuvarṇaratnasasyāpahāriṇa uttamo daṇḍaḥ śuddhavadho vā

Translation

For one who steals deity-property, cattle, idols, human beings, fields, houses, cash, gold, gems, or grain, the highest penalty applies, or execution without mutilation (i.e., a “clean” death).

Word by Word

• देव: god; deity (as a protected sacred entity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• पशु: cattle/animal (as protected property)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• प्रतिमा: image/idol (esp. sacred image)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• मनुष्य: human being (kidnapping/abduction context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• क्षेत्र: field; cultivated land
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• गृह: house; dwelling
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• हिरण्य: gold (esp. bullion/monetary gold)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• सुवर्ण: fine gold; standard gold
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• रत्न: gem; precious stone; treasure
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• सस्य: grain; crop; produce
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• अपहारिणः: of one who steals/abducts (a taker-away)
• Type: Noun (agent)
• Root: अप-हृ (हृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (सम्बन्धे: ‘of the taker/stealer’); अपहारिन्-प्रातिपदिक (कर्तृवाचक)

• उत्तमः: the highest; most severe
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; दण्डस्य विशेषणम्

• दण्डः: punishment; penalty
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• शुद्धवधः: simple execution (unmixed/straight capital punishment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (√वध्/हन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; दण्डस्य विकल्पः

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

Entities Mentioned

• temples/deities
• cattle owners
• householders
• farmers
• kidnapped persons (manuṣya)

More Details

FAQs

Why are grain, fields, and cattle listed alongside gold and gems?

They are core productive assets of the state’s fiscal-military system; protecting the agrarian surplus is as strategically important as protecting treasury valuables.