Sutra 15

Devanagari script

काष्ठलोहमणिमयं रज्जुचर्ममृण्मयं सूत्रवल्करोममयं वा जात्यमित्यजात्यं विक्रयाधानं नयतो मूल्याष्टगुणो दण्डः ॥ कZ_०४.२.१५ ॥

Transliteration

kāṣṭhalohamaṇimayaṃ rajjucarmamṛṇmayaṃ sūtravalkaromamayaṃ vā jātyam ity ajātyaṃ vikrayādhānaṃ nayato mūlyāṣṭaguṇo daṇḍaḥ

Translation

If someone presents as genuine (standard-grade) what is non-genuine—whether made of wood, metal, gems, rope, leather, clay, thread, bark, or wool—in the course of sale or pledge, the penalty is eight times the value.

Word by Word

• काष्ठलोहमणिमयम्: made of wood, metal, or gems
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मय (प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; विशेषणम् (…मयं = ‘made of …’)

• रज्जुचर्ममृण्मयम्: made of rope, leather, or clay
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मय (प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; विशेषणम्

• सूत्रवल्करोममयम्: made of thread, bark, or hair/wool
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मय (प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; विशेषणम्

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

• जात्यम्: genuine; of proper kind/standard
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात्य (जाति)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; ‘जात्य’ = genuine/standard (of proper kind)

• इति: thus (so called)
• Type: Particle
• Root: इति
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यर्थे/उद्धरण-समाप्तौ

• अजात्यम्: not genuine; spurious; not of proper kind
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजात्य (नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; ‘अजात्य’ = not genuine/not of proper kind

• विक्रयाधानम्: offering/placing (goods) for sale; sale-deposit/putting up for sale
• Type: Noun
• Root: धा (आ-√धा) / विक्रय + आधान
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; ‘विक्रय-आधान’ = sale/placing for sale (offering for sale)

• नयतः: of the carrier/transporter (who conveys it)
• Type: Verb (participle used substantively)
• Root: नी (√नी)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त ‘नयत्’ (carrying/leading) इत्यस्य षष्ठी एकवचन; ‘of the carrier/one who conveys’

• मूल्याष्टगुणः: eight times the value
• Type: Adjective (numeral compound)
• Root: गुण / अष्ट
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; ‘मूल्यस्य अष्टगुणः’ = eightfold of the value

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

Entities Mentioned

• seller
• pawnbroker/pledgee (implied)
• buyer/pledger

More Details

FAQs

Why does the rule cover both sale and pledge (ādhāna)?

Because misrepresentation harms not only buyers but also credit and collateral markets; the state protects transactional trust in both.

What is the deterrence design here?

A value-multiplier (8×) makes fraud economically irrational even when detection probability is imperfect.