Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 13 Sutra 33 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

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Sutra 33

Devanagari script

विचितवस्त्रहस्तगुह्याः काञ्चनपृषतत्वष्टृतपनीयकारवो ध्मायकचरकपांसुधावकाः प्रविशेयुर्निष्कसेयुश्च ॥ कZ_०२.१३.३३ ॥

Transliteration

vicitavastrahastaguhyāḥ kāñcanapṛṣatatvaṣṭṛtapanīyakāravo dhmāyakacarakapāṃsudhāvakāḥ praviśeyur niṣkaseyuś ca

Translation

Les ouvriers de l’or—ceux qui manipulent l’or moucheté, les orfèvres, les fabricants de tapana (or affiné), les souffleurs de four, les lamineurs/étireurs et les laveurs de poussière—n’entreront et ne sortiront qu’après avoir été fouillés (vêtements, mains et endroits dissimulés).

Word by Word

विचित-वस्त्र-हस्त-गुह्याःmen disguised with varied clothes, with something in hand, and with concealed (secret) items

काञ्चन-पृषत-त्वष्टृ-तपनीय-कारवःgoldsmiths and related artisans—workers in gold (kāñcana), speckled/decorative work (pṛṣata), metal-shaping/carpentry (tvaṣṭṛ), refined-gold work (tapanīya)

ध्मायक-चरक-पांसु-धावकाःbellows-blowers, itinerant workers, and dust-washers/cleaners

प्रविशेयुःshould enter

निष्कसेयुःshould come out / should exit

चand

Entities Mentioned

goldsmiths/artisans

refinery/workshop staff

security/search officials [implied]

FAQs

Why are specific categories of gold-workers listed?

To close loopholes: each role has a different opportunity to conceal gold (on the body, in tools, in dust), so regulation names them explicitly for enforcement.

What modern control does this resemble?

Workplace access control plus mandatory searches at entry/exit in high-value manufacturing (e.g., bullion refineries, semiconductor fabs).