Sutra 17

Devanagari script

वारिस्थलपथभोगयोरनित्यो वारिपथभोगः नित्यः स्थलपथभोगः ॥ कZ_०७.११.१७ ॥

Transliteration

vāri-sthala-patha-bhogayor anityo vāri-patha-bhogaḥ nityaḥ sthala-patha-bhogaḥ

Translation

Of the revenues derived from water-routes and land-routes, the income from water-routes is uncertain, while the income from land-routes is dependable.

Word by Word

• वारि-स्थल-पथ-भोगयोः: of the two route-advantages (utilities) of the water-route and the land-route
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (भोग) / पथ / स्थल / वारि
• Form: षष्ठी-द्विवचन (Genitive Dual); compound in gen. dual: ‘of the two enjoyments/advantages (भोग) of water-route and land-route’

• अनित्यः: is impermanent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (with privative अ-)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; predicate adjective agreeing with (implied) भोगः

• वारि-पथ-भोगः: the advantage (utility) of the water-route
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (भोग) / पथ / वारि
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; subject: ‘the utility/advantage of the water-route’

• नित्यः: is permanent/constant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; predicate adjective agreeing with वारिपथभोगः

• स्थल-पथ-भोगः: the advantage (utility) of the land-route
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (भोग) / पथ / स्थल
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; subject: ‘the utility/advantage of the land-route’

Entities Mentioned

• water routes (vāri-patha)
• land routes (sthala-patha)

More Details

FAQs

Why does Kauṭilya rank land-route revenue as more reliable than water-route revenue?

Land routes are less disrupted by seasonal floods, storms, piracy, and navigational constraints, making tolls/traffic more predictable for fiscal planning.

What administrative implication follows from this rule?

Prioritize securing and maintaining roads and caravan traffic as a stable tax base; treat waterways as supplementary and higher-risk revenue streams.