Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 23

Devanagari script

मूकमूषा पूतिकिट्टः करटुकमुखं नाली संदंशो जोङ्गनी सुवर्चिकालवणं तदेव सुवर्णमित्यपसारणमार्गाः ॥ कZ_०२.१४.२३ ॥

Transliteration

mūkamūṣā pūtikiṭṭaḥ karaṭukamukhaṃ nālī saṃdaṃśo joṅganī suvarcikālavaṇaṃ tadeva suvarṇam ity apasāraṇamārgāḥ

Translation

« Creuset muet », scorie fétide, un dispositif à « bouche de groin » (sortie dissimulée), tube, pinces, un instrument de type siphon, et le sel « suvarcikā » : tels sont les procédés/voies par lesquels (l’or) est soustrait illicitement tout en étant encore présenté comme « cet or même ».

Word by Word

• मूकमूषा: a ‘mute’/sealed crucible (a kind of crucible used in metallurgical operations)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (नाम; विशेषण-पूर्वपद: मूक-)

• पूतिकिट्टः: foul slag/dross (impure scum from metal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किट्ट
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (विशेषण-पूर्वपद: पूति-)

• करटुकमुखम्: the mouth/opening of the karatuka (a named apparatus/implement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (करटुकस्य मुखम्)

• नाली: a tube/pipe (conduit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाली
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• संदंशः: tongs/pincers
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदंश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• जोङ्गनी: joṅganī (a named implement used in removal/processing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जोङ्गनी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• सुवर्चिकालवणम्: suvarchikā-salt (a specific salt/alkaline substance used in metallurgy)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (विशेषण-पूर्वपद: सुवर्चिक-)

• तत्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Particle
• Root: एव
• Form: अव्ययम् (निपातः)

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• इति: thus/‘as’ (quotative)
• Type: Particle
• Root: इति
• Form: अव्ययम् (उद्धरण/निश्चयार्थकः)

• अपसारणमार्गाः: methods/procedures of removal (i.e., ways of eliminating impurities)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (अपसारणस्य मार्गाः)

Entities Mentioned

• crucible
• slag/dross
• tube/pipe
• tongs/forceps
• salt/chemical additive

More Details

FAQs

What is Kautilya listing in this sutra?

A catalog of practical tools/chemical aids used to secretly draw off precious metal during refining/handling while outwardly claiming the output is unchanged.

What administrative intent does this serve?

To equip supervisors with a checklist of red-flags and inspection targets in state workshops (mint/refinery), reducing leakage of revenue-grade metals.