Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 8 Sutra 12 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 12

Devanagari script

दृश्यते ह्यचोरोऽपि चोरमार्गे यदृच्छया संनिपाते चोरवेषशस्त्रभाण्डसामान्येन गृह्यमाणश्चोरभाण्डस्योपवासेन वा यथाणिमाण्डव्यः कर्मक्लेशभयादचोरः चोरोऽस्मि इति ब्रुवाणः ॥ कZ_०४.८.१२ ॥

Transliteration

dṛśyate hy acoro’pi coramārge yadṛcchayā saṃnipāte coraveṣaśastrabhāṇḍasāmānyena gṛhyamāṇaḥ corabhāṇḍasyopavāsena vā yathā āṇimāṇḍavyaḥ karmakleśabhayād acoraḥ coro’smi iti bruvāṇaḥ

Translation

For it is observed that even an innocent person may, by chance, be found on a thief’s route or in a chance gathering and be seized because his dress, weapons, or goods resemble those of thieves; or, under the pressure of deprivation/fasting, like Āṇimāṇḍavya, an innocent man—fearing the hardship of forced labour—may say, “I am a thief.”

Word by Word

दृश्यतेis seen / is found

हिindeed / for

अचोरःa non-thief / innocent person

अपिeven / also

चोरमार्गेon a thieves’ path/route

यदृच्छयाby chance / accidentally

संनिपातेat an encounter / in a meeting situation

चोरवेषthief-disguise

शस्त्रweapon

भाण्डgoods / articles

सामान्येनby commonality / by similarity (of indicia)

गृह्यमाणःbeing seized / being apprehended

चोरभाण्डस्यof stolen goods / of a thief’s goods

उपवासेनby fasting (as a means)

वाor

यथाas / just as

आणिमाण्डव्यःĀṇimāṇḍavya (a sage)

कर्मक्लेशभयात्from fear of the hardship of (punitive) action/ordeal

अचोरःan innocent (non-thief) person

चोरःa thief

अस्मिI am

इतिthus (quoting)

ब्रुवाणःsaying / declaring

Entities Mentioned

innocent suspect

thieves

Āṇimāṇḍavya

law enforcement

FAQs

Why does Kautilya mention similarity of dress/weapons/goods?

To warn administrators that ‘appearance-based’ arrest can sweep up innocents; resemblance is a weak indicator unless corroborated.

What is the policy lesson from the Āṇimāṇḍavya reference?

Under duress and fear of punitive labour, innocents may confess; confession must be tested against independent grounds.