Sutra 11

Devanagari script

एतेषां कारणानामनभिसंधाने विप्रलपन्तमचोरं विद्यात् ॥ कZ_०४.८.११ ॥

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ kāraṇānām anabhisaṃdhāne vipralapantam acoraṃ vidyāt

Translation

If, in the absence of these (incriminating) causes, a person speaks incoherently or contradictorily, he should be understood to be a non-thief (i.e., not guilty of theft).

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural), पुं/नपुं (context-dependent)

• कारणानाम्: of the reasons/grounds
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्

• अनभिसंधाने: in the absence of (prior) intention/premeditation
• Type: Noun (action noun)
• Root: अनभिसंधान
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (Locative singular), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; ‘अन-’ (negation) + ‘अभिसंधान’

• विप्रलपन्तम्: speaking incoherently / rambling
• Type: Verb (present participle)
• Root: वि + प्र + लप्
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शतृ), कर्मणि/कर्तरि-प्रयोगसामर्थ्ये; पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.)

• अचोरम्: a non-thief / innocent person
• Type: Noun (with privative prefix)
• Root: अ + चोर
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• विद्यात्: should know/should ascertain
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (to know)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Entities Mentioned

• accused person
• judicial authority

More Details

FAQs

What administrative principle is asserted in 4.8.11?

Guilt should not be inferred merely from confused speech when concrete causal grounds for suspicion are absent; the state must avoid treating anxiety or incoherence as proof.

How does this verse relate to modern evidentiary standards?

It anticipates a ‘proof over demeanor’ approach: behavioral cues alone are insufficient without corroborating facts.