Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 34

Devanagari script

घने सुषिरे वा रूपे सुवर्णमृन्मालुकाहिङ्गुलुककल्पो वा तप्तोऽवतिष्ठते ॥ कZ_०२.१४.३४ ॥

Transliteration

ghane suṣire vā rūpe suvarṇamṛnmālukāhiṅgulukakalpo vā tapto 'vatiṣṭhate

Translation

Sous une forme dense (solide) ou creuse, une préparation de « or-argile », ou de sable, ou un mélange semblable au hiṅgula, demeure apparente lorsqu’on la chauffe.

Word by Word

• घने: in a solid (mass)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: घन
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे) — ‘घन’ (घनः/घनम्) ; अधिकरणे

• सुषिरे: in a hollow/porous (object)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: सुषिर
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे) — ‘सुषिर’ ; अधिकरणे

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम्

• रूपे: in (its) form/appearance
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (नपुंसकलिङ्गम्) — अधिकरणे

• सुवर्ण-मृत्-मालुका-हिङ्गुलुक-कल्पः: a preparation/mixture of gold, clay, sand, and cinnabar
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (पुंलिङ्गः) — ‘कल्प’ (विधि/प्रकार/संयोगः); पूर्वपदानि: सुवर्ण (gold) + मृत् (clay) + मालुका (sand/grit) + हिङ्गुलुक (cinnabar/vermilion)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम्

• तप्तः: when heated
• Type: Participle
• Root: तप्
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त) — प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (पुंलिङ्गः); ‘heated/burnt’

• अवतिष्ठते: remains/stands firm
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-स्था
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्; धातुः √स्था (अव-उपसर्गः)

Entities Mentioned

• gold-like adulterants
• sand
• hiṅgula-like mixture
• heated assay

More Details

FAQs

What does ‘dense or hollow form’ imply from a regulatory standpoint?

Fraud can be concealed both by mixing impurities into solid castings and by inserting adulterants into cavities; inspectors must test both construction types.