Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 7 Sutra 21 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 21

Devanagari script

ये चास्य हतभूमावासन्नचरास्तानेकैकशः पृच्छेत्केनायमिहानीतो हतो वा कः सशस्त्रः संगूहमान उद्विग्नो वा युष्माभिर्दृष्टः इति ॥ कZ_०४.७.२१ ॥

Transliteration

ye cāsya hatabhūmāv āsannacarās tān ekaikaśaḥ pṛcchet kenāyam ihānīto hato vā kaḥ saśastraḥ saṃgūhamāna udvigno vā yuṣmābhir dṛṣṭaḥ iti

Translation

And those who were moving about near the place of killing—he should question them one by one: “By whom was he brought here? Or by whom was he killed? Whom did you see armed, hiding/concealing himself, or appearing agitated?”

Word by Word

येthose who

चand

अस्यof him / his

हतभूमौat the place of killing / at the crime scene

आसन्were

अचराःbystanders / persons present nearby

तान्them

एकैकशःone by one, individually

पृच्छेत्should question / should interrogate

केनby whom

अयम्this (man)

इहhere

आनीतःbrought (here)

हतःkilled

वाor

कःwho?

सशस्त्रःarmed

संगूहमानःhiding / concealing (himself)

उद्विग्नःagitated / frightened

वाor

युष्माभिःby you (pl.)

दृष्टःseen

इतिthus (quoting)

Entities Mentioned

nearby witnesses

armed suspect

investigating officer

FAQs

Why insist on questioning witnesses 'ekaikaśaḥ' (one by one)?

To reduce contamination and collusion, elicit independent recollections, and detect inconsistencies across testimonies.