Sutra 41

Devanagari script

सार्थिकानां शस्त्रावरणमन्तपाला गृह्णीयुः समुद्रमवचारयेयुर्वा ॥ कZ_०५.३.४१ ॥

Transliteration

sārthikānāṃ śastrā-varaṇam anta-pālā gṛhṇīyuḥ samudram avacārayeyur vā

Translation

Border/route guards should take custody of the weapons and armour of caravan traders, or else direct them to take the sea-route.

Word by Word

• सार्थिकानाम्: of the caravan-traders / of the merchants
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्थिक
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural), पुंलिङ्ग (contextually)

• शस्त्र: weapons / arms
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (as first member in compound)

• आवरणम्: covering / protective wrapping
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवरण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (as second member in compound)

• अन्तपाला: the frontier-guards
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तपाल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural)

• गृह्णीयुः: should take / should receive (into custody)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, तृतीया-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; धातुः: ग्रह् (गृह्णाति)

• समुद्रम्: to the sea / the sea
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• अवचारयेयुः: or should cause (them) to proceed / should escort (them)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-चर् (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, तृतीया-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; causative (णिच्) of चर् with उपसर्ग अव-

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive)

Entities Mentioned

• caravan traders (sārthika)
• frontier/route guards (antapāla)
• sea route

More Details

FAQs

Why would the state take traders’ arms or redirect them?

To prevent armed private groups from becoming a security threat on land routes, while still enabling commerce through controlled routing.