Sutra 23

Devanagari script

ग्रामभृतकसत्त्रितीक्ष्णरसदभिक्षुक्यः पञ्चशताः ॥ कZ_०५.३.२३ ॥

Transliteration

grāma-bhṛtaka-sattri-tīkṣṇa-rasa-da-bhikṣukyaḥ pañcaśatāḥ.

Translation

Those acting as village hirelings (grāma-bhṛtaka), public-feeding-house operators (sattri), sharp/harsh operatives (tīkṣṇa-rasa), and mendicant-type agents (bhikṣukī) are paid five hundred (units).

Word by Word

• ग्रामभृतक: village servant/retainer
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृतक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (समासपद; ‘ग्रामस्य भृतकः’ = ग्राम-सेवकः/ग्राम-भृत्यः)

• सत्त्रिन्: one who lives on charity from a feeding-house; a mendicant dependent on alms
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्रिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (सत्त्रिन्-शब्दः)

• तीक्ष्णरस: pungent/strong-flavoured (as a descriptor; here a category name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (तीक्ष्णः रसः यस्य/यत्र = तीक्ष्णरसः)

• दभिक्षुक्यः: beggars/mendicants (as a class)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षुक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘भिक्षुक’ + य-प्रत्यय (भिक्षुक्य) ; पाठे ‘द-’ उपसर्ग/अक्षर-प्रक्षेपः (पाठभेद/लिप्यन्तर-दोषसम्भवः)

• पञ्चशताः: five hundred
• Type: Numeral
• Root: शत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; संख्या (500)

Entities Mentioned

• grāma-bhṛtaka
• sattri
• tīkṣṇa-rasa
• bhikṣukī

More Details

FAQs

What does a lower pay tier suggest about these roles?

They are more numerous, locally embedded, and lower-risk than elite covert agents, so the state scales cost accordingly.