Sutra 14

Devanagari script

पृच्छ्यं न पृच्छति अपृच्छ्यं पृच्छति पृष्ट्वा वा विसृजति शिक्षयति स्मारयति पूर्वं ददाति वा इति मध्यममस्मै साहसदण्डं कुर्यात् ॥ कZ_०४.९.१४ ॥

Transliteration

pṛcchyaṃ na pṛcchati apṛcchyaṃ pṛcchati pṛṣṭvā vā visṛjati śikṣayati smārayati pūrvaṃ dadāti vā iti madhyamamasmai sāhasadaṇḍaṃ kuryāt

Translation

If a judge fails to ask what ought to be asked, asks what ought not to be asked, dismisses a party after questioning, coaches or prompts a party, reminds him what to say, or gives a prior advantage, he shall incur the middle-grade sāhasa fine.

Word by Word

• पृच्छ्यम्: (what) should be asked
• Type: Participle (Gerundive)
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय, पृच्छ्य = ‘to be asked’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (कर्म)

• न: not
• Type: Particle (Negation)
• Root: न
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• पृच्छति: asks
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• अपृच्छ्यम्: (what) should not be asked
• Type: Participle (Gerundive)
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: कृदन्त (नञ्-पूर्वक यत्-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया

• पृच्छति: asks
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• पृष्ट्वा: having asked
• Type: Gerund (Absolutive)
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; अव्ययभाव (पूर्वक्रिया)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• विसृजति: dismisses / lets go
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+सृज्
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• शिक्षयति: instructs / trains
• Type: Causative Verb
• Root: शिक्ष् (णिच्)
• Form: णिजन्त; लट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• स्मारयति: reminds
• Type: Causative Verb
• Root: स्मृ (णिच्)
• Form: णिजन्त; लट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: first / beforehand
• Type: Adverb (from adjective)
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)

• ददाति: gives
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• इति: thus
• Type: Quotative particle
• Root: इति
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय

• मध्यमम्: the middle (grade)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (दण्ड-विशेषण/दण्ड-प्रकार)

• अस्मै: to him / for him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: चतुर्थी; एकवचन

• साहसदण्डम्: the fine/penalty for ‘sāhasa’ (violent/forcible offence)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस + दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; ‘साहसस्य दण्डः’

• कुर्यात्: should impose / should make
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: विधिलिङ्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Entities Mentioned

• dharmastha (judge)
• party to dispute

More Details

FAQs

What kinds of acts are treated as procedural corruption here?

Selective questioning, irrelevant probing, dismissing after extracting info, coaching/prompts, and granting one side a head start.