Sutra 20

Devanagari script

नेति कौणपदन्तः ॥ कZ_०१.८.१४ ॥

Transliteration

neti kauṇapadantaḥ

Translation

But Kauṇapadanta says: “No.”

Word by Word

• न: not / no
• Type: Particle (Negation)
• Root: न
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• इति: thus; (so) said; indicating quotation/end of statement
• Type: Particle (Quotative)
• Root: इति
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्ययम्; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचकः

• कौणपदन्तः: ‘corpse-toothed’ (i.e., foul/repulsive, of disgusting nature)
• Type: Noun (Adjective used substantively)
• Root: दन् (दन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; समासः: कौणप + दन्तः (कौणपः इव दन्ताः यस्य / कौणपदन्त- ‘having teeth like a corpse-eater’); विशेषणरूपेण (implied: ‘(he) is …’)

Entities Mentioned

• Kauṇapadanta

More Details

FAQs

Why does the text introduce 'neti' with an authority name?

To present a competing doctrinal view within a structured debate, a common Arthashastra method for refining policy.