Sutra 21

Devanagari script

लोमदोहवाहनप्रजननोपकारिणां क्षुद्रपशूनामदाने तच्च तावच्च दण्डः प्रवासने च अन्यत्र देवपितृकार्येभ्यः ॥ कZ_०४.१३.२१ ॥

Transliteration

lomadohavāhanaprajananopakāriṇāṃ kṣudrapaśūnām adāne tacca tāvacca daṇḍaḥ pravāsane ca anyatra devapitṛkāryebhyaḥ

Translation

For not returning (or unlawfully withholding) minor animals that are useful for wool, milk, carrying, and breeding, the penalty shall be correspondingly the same; and likewise for driving them away—except when done for duties relating to gods or ancestors.

Word by Word

• लोम: hair, fleece
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• दोह: milking; extraction (of milk)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोह
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• वाहन: carrying/transport; draught-use
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• प्रजनन: breeding; reproduction
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजनन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• उपकारिणाम्: of those that are useful/beneficial
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: उपकारिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण (समासोत्तरपद)

• क्षुद्र: small; minor
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पशूनाम्: of animals; of livestock
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• अदाने: in (the case of) non-giving / non-delivery
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदान
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; (अ-दान = न दान) निषेधार्थक-समास/नञ्-तत्पुरुषभाव

• तत्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• तावत्: so much; to that extent
• Type: Indeclinable/Quantifier
• Root: तावत्
• Form: परिमाण/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

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

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

• प्रवासने: in (the case of) banishment/expulsion
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवासन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

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

• अन्यत्र: except; otherwise than
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र
• Form: अपवाद/व्यतिरेकार्थक अव्यय

• देव: of the gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• पितृ: of the ancestors (manes)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• कार्येभ्यः: from/except for duties/rites
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन (समासोत्तरपद)

Entities Mentioned

• minor livestock
• owners/keepers (implicit)
• deva-kārya
• pitṛ-kārya

More Details

FAQs

Why emphasize the economic functions (wool, milk, carrying, breeding) of small animals?

It signals that legal protection tracks economic value and productive capacity, not merely species status.

What does the ‘deva-pitṛ’ exception indicate about Arthashastra governance?

State law accommodates socially mandatory ritual obligations, carving narrow exceptions to avoid criminalizing accepted religious practice.