Sutra 20

Devanagari script

यं वा नानालोहक्षाराणामङ्गारभस्मासंदंशमुष्टिकाधिकरणीबिम्बटङ्कमूषाणामभीक्ष्णक्रेतारं मषीभस्मधूमदिग्धहस्तवस्त्रलिङ्गं कर्मारोपकरणसंसर्गं कूटरूपकारकं मन्येत तं सत्त्री शिष्यत्वेन संव्यवहारेण चानुप्रविश्य प्रज्ञापयेत् ॥ कZ_०४.४.२० ॥

Transliteration

yaṃ vā nānālohakṣārāṇām aṅgārabhasmāsaṃdaṃśamuṣṭikādhikaraṇībimbaṭaṅkamūṣāṇām abhīkṣṇakretāraṃ maṣībhasmadhūmadigdhahastavastraliṅgaṃ karmāropakaraṇasaṃsargaṃ kūṭarūpakārakaṃ manyeta taṃ sattrī śiṣyatvena saṃvyavahāreṇa cānupraviśya prajñāpayet

Translation

Whomever one suspects to be a counterfeiter—frequently purchasing various metals and alkalis, charcoal and ash, tongs and tools, anvils/dies, stamps, crucibles; showing hands and clothing smeared with soot/ash/smoke; associating with metalworking equipment—an agent should enter his circle as a “disciple” and through transactions, and then obtain confirmatory intelligence.

Word by Word

• यम्: whom
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: sarvanāma; accusative singular masculine

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: vibhāṣā/alternative marker

• नाना: various, different kinds of
• Type: Indeclinable/Adjective
• Root: नाना
• Form: avyaya used adjectivally; ‘various’

• लोह-क्षाराणाम्: of metals and alkalis
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह; क्षार
• Form: genitive plural (neuter); ‘of metals and alkalis’

• अङ्गार-भस्म-असंदंश-मुष्टिका-अधिकरणी-बिम्ब-टङ्क-मूषाणाम्: of charcoal, ash, tongs, (hand-)pincers, anvil/support, die/blank, chisel/punch, and crucibles
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गार; भस्म; असंदंश; मुष्टिका; अधिकरणी; बिम्ब; टङ्क; मूषा
• Form: genitive plural (mostly feminine; treated as genitive plural of the compound); list of tools/materials

• अभीक्ष्ण-क्रेतारम्: a frequent purchaser
• Type: Noun (agent)
• Root: अभीक्ष्ण; क्री
• Form: accusative singular masculine; kṛdanta: kretṛ (agent noun) with adjective

• मषी-भस्म-धूम-दिग्ध-हस्त-वस्त्र-लिङ्गम्: one whose hands and clothes bear signs of ink/soot/ash/smoke stains
• Type: Noun
• Root: मषी; भस्म; धूम; दिग्ध; हस्त; वस्त्र; लिङ्ग
• Form: accusative singular masculine; ‘having marks/signs such as…’

• कर्मार-उपकरण-संसर्गम्: one associated with a smith’s implements
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मार; उपकरण; संसर्ग
• Form: accusative singular masculine; ‘association with smith’s tools’

• कूट-रूप-कारकम्: a maker of counterfeit forms (a forger)
• Type: Noun (agent)
• Root: कूट; रूप; कृ
• Form: accusative singular masculine; kṛdanta: kāraka ‘maker’; ‘maker of counterfeit forms’

• मन्येत: should suspect/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: 3rd person singular; optative (vidhiliṅ); parasmaipada? (classical usage: ātmanepada ‘manyate’; here optative ‘manyeta’)

• तम्: him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: accusative singular masculine

• सत्त्री: a spy
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्री
• Form: nominative singular masculine; agent noun

• शिष्यत्वेन: as (his) pupil/apprentice
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्यत्व
• Form: instrumental singular neuter; abstract noun in -त्व

• संव्यवहारेण: by (normal) dealings/transactions
• Type: Noun
• Root: संव्यवहार
• Form: instrumental singular masculine

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: conjunction

• अनुप्रविश्य: having entered/infiltrated
• Type: Gerund
• Root: अनु-प्र-विश्
• Form: ktvā/lyap absolutive; ‘having entered/infiltrated’

• प्रज्ञापयेत्: should inform/notify
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ज्ञा (causative)
• Form: 3rd person singular; optative (vidhiliṅ); causative of √ज्ञा: ‘to cause to know/inform’

Entities Mentioned

• kūṭarūpakāraka (counterfeiter)
• sattrī (agent)
• metal/alkali suppliers
• smithing tools (dies, crucibles, tongs)

More Details

FAQs

What is the investigative logic used to identify a counterfeiter in this sutra?

Behavioral and supply-chain profiling (frequent purchase of specific inputs/tools, soot-marked clothing, equipment associations) followed by deep infiltration as an apprentice to confirm and document the crime.