Sutra 14

Devanagari script

शिल्पवन्तः पादाताः संख्यायकलेखकादिवर्गश्च पञ्चशताः ॥ कZ_०५.३.१४ ॥

Transliteration

śilpavantaḥ pādātāḥ saṃkhyāyakalekhakādivargaś ca pañcaśatāḥ

Translation

Skilled foot-soldiers, and the group consisting of accountants (saṃkhyāyakas), scribes (lekhakas), and similar personnel are to be on the five-hundred-(paṇa) grade.

Word by Word

• शिल्पवन्तः: skilled artisans / skilled persons
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: शिल्पवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; 'शिल्प' + मतुप् (वत्) प्रत्ययान्त

• पादाताः: foot-soldiers / infantrymen
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन

• संख्याय: by counting / by enumeration
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (करण/साधन)

• कलेखक: the group of clerks/scribes (writers of symbols/letters and documents)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-लेखक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः; 'क' (लिपि/चिह्न-लेखक) + 'लेखक' (scribe) इति द्वन्द्व; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (समुदायवाचक)

• आदि: and others / etc.
• Type: Particle
• Root: आदि
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उदाहरणार्थ-प्रयोगः (‘and others’ sense)

• वर्गः: group / class / category
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Conjunction
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• पञ्चशताः: five hundred
• Type: Numeral (Noun)
• Root: पञ्चशत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; संख्या-वाचक (500)

Entities Mentioned

• pādāta
• saṃkhyāyaka
• lekhaka

More Details

FAQs

What does placing accountants and scribes in a defined pay-band achieve?

It institutionalizes the information backbone of the state—stable pay reduces turnover and corruption incentives while ensuring continuity of records.

Why specify ‘skilled’ infantry rather than infantry generally?

Kauṭilya differentiates capability levels; higher training/utility warrants higher compensation, aligning pay with performance value.