Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 7 Sutra 17 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 17

Devanagari script

सर्वेषां वा स्त्रीदायाद्यदोषः कर्मस्पर्धा प्रतिपक्षद्वेषः पण्यसंस्थासमवायो वा विवादपदानामन्यतमद्वा रोषस्थानम् ॥ कZ_०४.७.१७ ॥

Transliteration

sarveṣāṃ vā strīdāyādyadoṣaḥ karmaspardhā pratipakṣadveṣaḥ paṇyasaṃsthāsamavāyo vā vivādapadānām anyatamad vā roṣasthānam

Translation

For any person, the bases of grievance (sources of hostility) may be: disputes concerning women or inheritance and the like; rivalry in work; hatred of an opposing party; collusion/association within commercial guilds or trading bodies; or any other recognized ground of dispute.

Word by Word

सर्वेषाम्of all (persons)

वाor

स्त्रीदायादि(matters of) women, heirs, and the like

दोषःfault; ground (for dispute)

कर्मस्पर्धाcompetition/rivalry in work

प्रतिपक्षद्वेषःhatred toward the opponent

पण्यसंस्थाcommercial arrangement/establishment (of goods)

समवायःassociation; joint undertaking

वाor

विवादपदानाम्of the grounds/heads of dispute

अन्यतमद्any one (of them)

वाor

रोषस्थानम्a locus/cause of anger

Entities Mentioned

families/heirs

women (as a dispute locus)

occupational rivals

political factions/opposition

merchants/guilds (paṇyasaṃsthā)

FAQs

Why does Kauṭilya list 'grounds of dispute' in a homicide/suspicious-death context?

He operationalizes motive: investigators should map deaths to known dispute-types (family, work, faction, commerce) to generate suspect sets and lines of questioning.