Sutra 15

Devanagari script

तेषामन्तावसायिनोऽप्यवध्याः किमङ्ग पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः ॥ कZ_०१.१६.१५ ॥

Transliteration

teṣām antāvasāyino 'py avadhyāḥ kim aṅga punar brāhmaṇāḥ

Translation

Among them, even envoys of lowly origin are not to be slain—how much more so, then, Brahmin envoys.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those (persons)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural), सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्

• अन्तावसायिनः: even the lowest/outcaste persons
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: अन्तावसायिन्
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural), पुंलिङ्गः; ‘तेषाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• Type: Particle
• Root: अपि
• Form: निपातः; अपि = ‘even/also’ (emphatic)

• अवध्याः: not to be slain; inviolable (not punishable by killing)
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: अवध्य
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural), पुंलिङ्गः; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• किम्: what (then)?
• Type: Pronoun (interrogative)
• Root: किम्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; ‘किम् अङ्ग’ इति वाक्यांशे अलंकारार्थम्

• अङ्ग: indeed; then
• Type: Particle
• Root: अङ्ग
• Form: निपातः; संबोधन/उद्बोधन-भावः, ‘indeed/then’ इत्यर्थे

• पुनः: all the more; moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः
• Form: अव्ययम्; ‘again/further/more so’

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural), पुंलिङ्गः

Entities Mentioned

• dūta (envoy)
• brāhmaṇa

More Details

FAQs

Why mention ‘lowly’ and ‘Brahmin’ envoys?

To strengthen the rule of inviolability by stating it applies universally, and is even more compelling when the envoy holds a revered social-religious status.

What is the policy intent behind this immunity?

To preserve communication channels and reduce escalation by protecting diplomatic intermediaries.