Sutra 1

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणमपेयमभक्ष्यं वा ग्रासयत उत्तमो दण्डः क्षत्रियं मध्यमः वैश्यं पूर्वः साहसदण्डः शूद्रं चतुष्पञ्चाशत्पणो दण्डः ॥ कZ_०४.१३.०१ ॥

Transliteration

brāhmaṇam apeyam abhakṣyaṃ vā grāsayata uttamo daṇḍaḥ kṣatriyaṃ madhyamaḥ vaiśyaṃ pūrvaḥ sāhasadaṇḍaḥ śūdraṃ catuṣpañcāśatpaṇo daṇḍaḥ

Translation

For one who compels a Brāhmaṇa to consume what is forbidden to drink or eat, the highest fine applies; for a Kṣatriya, the middle fine; for a Vaiśya, the first (lowest) sāhasa fine; and for a Śūdra, a fine of fifty-four paṇas.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया

• अपेयम्: (something) not to be drunk / undrinkable (prohibited to drink)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + पेय (पेय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; नञ्-प्रत्यय (निषेध)

• अभक्ष्यम्: (something) not to be eaten / inedible (prohibited to eat)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + भक्ष्य (भक्ष्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; नञ्-प्रत्यय (निषेध)

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

• ग्रासयतः: (one) who makes (someone) eat / who forces to eat
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रासय (√ग्रस्, causative)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमा; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; वर्तमानकाल; कर्तरि (causative sense: ‘causes to eat/feed’)

• उत्तमः: the highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; विशेषण (दण्डस्य)

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

• क्षत्रियम्: a Kshatriya
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया

• मध्यमः: the middle (grade)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; विशेषण (दण्डस्य)

• वैश्यम्: a Vaishya
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया

• पूर्वः: the first / lower (grade)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; विशेषण (दण्डस्य)

• साहसदण्डः: the fine prescribed for sāhasa (violent/forcible offence)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस + दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; समास: ‘साहसस्य दण्डः’

• शूद्रम्: a Shudra
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया

• चतुष्पञ्चाशत्पणः: amounting to forty-five paṇas
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुः + पञ्चाशत् + पण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; विशेषण (दण्डस्य); अर्थ: ‘चतुःपञ्चाशत्-पण-परिमाणः’

• दण्डः: (is) the fine/punishment
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा

Entities Mentioned

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya
• Śūdra
• offender

More Details

FAQs

What act is being punished in this sutra?

Coercing someone to consume prohibited/defiling food or drink—treated as a violent/assaultive wrong (sāhasa) with graded fines.

What is the administrative rationale for graded fines here?

It encodes differential social/religious injury as understood by the text’s order, enabling standardized sentencing tiers for officials.