Sutra 22

Devanagari script

तेषां ग्रहणहिंसायां द्वादशपणो दण्डः शुनामनिग्रहे चान्यत्रारण्यचरेभ्यः ॥ कZ_०४.३.२२ ॥

Transliteration

teṣāṃ grahaṇahiṃsāyāṃ dvādaśapaṇo daṇḍaḥ śunāmanigrahe cānyatrāraṇyacarebhyaḥ

Translation

For capturing or harming them (cats and mongooses), the penalty is twelve paṇas; and likewise for failing to restrain dogs—except in the case of dogs that roam in the forest.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them (of those)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Gen. pl.), पुं./नपुं. (contextual)

• ग्रहण-हिंसायाम्: in (the case of) their seizure/impounding and injury
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (√ग्रह्) + हिंसा (√हिंस्)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (Loc. sg.), स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; ‘ग्रहणस्य हिंसा’ = seizure/impounding and injury (as a combined head)

• द्वादश-पणः: a fine of twelve paṇas
• Type: Noun (numeral compound)
• Root: द्वादश + पण
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.), पुंलिङ्गम्; ‘द्वादश पणाः’ (value) used as a single fine-amount expression

• दण्डः: the penalty (fine)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.), पुंलिङ्गम्

• शुनाम्: of dogs
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Gen. pl.), पुंलिङ्गम्

• अनिग्रहे: in (the case of) non-restraint (not controlling)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिग्रह (a- + निग्रह)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (Loc. sg.), पुंलिङ्गम्; ‘निग्रह’ = restraint/control; ‘अनिग्रह’ = non-restraint

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• अन्यत्र: except (elsewhere than)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र
• Form: अपवाद/व्यतिरेकार्थक-अव्ययम्

• आरण्य-चरेभ्यः: from (i.e., except) those that roam in the forest
• Type: Noun (agentive)
• Root: आरण्य (अरण्य) + चर (√चर्)
• Form: पञ्चमी-बहुवचनम् (Abl. pl.) (also could function as तृतीया/चतुर्थी in form -भ्यः, but ‘अन्यत्र … -भ्यः’ favors Abl.), पुंलिङ्गम्; ‘आरण्यचर’ = forest-roamer

Entities Mentioned

• cats
• mongooses
• dogs
• state treasury (fines)

More Details

FAQs

Why penalize harming cats/mongooses?

They are state-valuable pest-control assets; protecting them safeguards grain stores and agriculture.

What is the administrative significance of the exception for forest-roaming dogs?

Rules are context-sensitive; enforcement differentiates between controlled settlements and wilderness conditions.