Sutra 5

Devanagari script

औदकयोरपि धान्यवापमधान्यवापाच्छ्रेयः ॥ कZ_०७.११.०५ ॥

Transliteration

audakayorapi dhānyavāpamadhānyavāpācchreyaḥ

Translation

Even among irrigated tracts, land suitable for sowing grain is preferable to land suited to non-grain sowing.

Word by Word

• औदकयोः: of the two ‘audaka’ (water-based) types
• Type: Noun/Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: औदक
• Form: षष्ठी-द्विवचनम् (Genitive dual); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual); ‘of the two kinds called audaka’

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Particle
• Root: अपि
• Form: निपात (indeclinable); concessive/inclusive ‘even/also’

• धान्यवापात्: than/from grain-sowing (cereal cultivation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्यवाप
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनम् (Ablative singular); पुंलिङ्गः; ‘from dhānya-vāpa’

• अधान्यवापात्: than/from non-grain sowing (non-cereal cultivation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधान्यवाप
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनम् (Ablative singular); पुंलिङ्गः; ‘from a-dhānya-vāpa’ (non-grain sowing)

• श्रेयः: is better; is preferable
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative singular); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; predicate noun ‘better/superior’

Entities Mentioned

• dhānya (grain)

More Details

FAQs

Why does Kautilya prioritize grain-bearing land even when irrigation exists?

Grain underwrites state stability—rations, army provisioning, famine buffering, and predictable taxation—making it strategically superior to non-staple cultivation.