Sutra 18

Devanagari script

शृङ्गिणा दंष्ट्रिणा वा हिंस्यमानममोक्षयतः स्वामिनः पूर्वः साहसदण्डः प्रतिक्रुष्टस्य द्विगुणः ॥ कZ_०४.१३.१८ ॥

Transliteration

śṛṅgiṇā daṃṣṭriṇā vā hiṃsyamānam amokṣayataḥ svāminaḥ pūrvaḥ sāhasadaṇḍaḥ pratikruṣṭasya dviguṇaḥ

Translation

If a person is being harmed by a horned or fanged animal and the owner does not release/rescue him, the owner shall incur the ‘first’ (lowest) sāhasa fine; if the victim had cried out for help, the fine is doubled.

Word by Word

• शृङ्गिणा: by/with a horned (animal/person)
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: शृङ्गिन्
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रायः पुं.), विशेषणम्; करण/सहायक-भावे

• दंष्ट्रिणा: by/with a tusked/fanged (one)
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: दंष्ट्रिन्
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग (विशेषणम्); करण/सहायक-भावे

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

• हिंस्यमानम्: being attacked/being harmed
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: हिंस्
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (शानच्), नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; ‘हिंस्यमान’ = being injured/attacked

• अमोक्षयतः: of the two (persons) who do not release (him)/who fail to rescue
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: मोक्षयति (मुच् √)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वकः वर्तमानकाले परस्मैपदी कृदन्तः (शतृ), षष्ठी-द्विवचनम्; ‘अमोक्षयत्’ = not releasing/not letting go

• स्वामिनः: of the owner/master
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन्
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बन्ध-निर्देशः

• पूर्वः: the first (i.e., lower)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘पूर्वः (दण्डः)’ = the lower/first grade

• साहसदण्डः: the penalty for violent assault (sāhasa-fine)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस-दण्ड
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘साहसस्य दण्डः’

• प्रतिक्रुष्टस्य: of one who has raised an alarm/cry for help
• Type: Verb (past participle used as noun/adjective)
• Root: प्रति-√कृश्/कृष् (क्रुश्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), षष्ठी-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘प्रतिक्रुष्ट’ = one who has cried out/raised an alarm in response

• द्विगुणः: double (in amount)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि-गुण
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘द्विगुणः (दण्डः)’

Entities Mentioned

• animal owner
• horned animals
• fanged animals
• victim

More Details

FAQs

What legal principle is reflected by doubling the fine when the victim cries out?

Ignoring an explicit distress signal increases culpability; the law treats omission after warning as aggravated negligence.

Why penalize the owner rather than the animal?

Animals are controlled through human responsibility; governance works by assigning accountable custodians.