Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 18

Devanagari script

तस्याः शतपदादूर्ध्वं विंशतिः पञ्चाशत् शतमिति पदानि कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.१८ ॥

Transliteration

tasyāḥ śatapadādūrdhvaṃ viṃśatiḥ pañcāśat śatamiti padāni kārayet

Translation

Sur celle-ci, au-dessus de la marque de cent (śata-pada), il fera ajouter des graduations supplémentaires—à vingt, cinquante et cent (comme spécifié)—en tant que repères d’échelon (padāni).

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of that (female/that one’s)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: sarvanāma; strīliṅga; ṣaṣṭhī ekavacana (gen. sg.)

• शतपदात्: from (a distance of) a hundred paces/steps
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + पद
• Form: napuṃsakaliṅga; pañcamī ekavacana (abl. sg.); compound: śata-pada = 'hundred steps/feet' (measure)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: above; beyond; further (than that)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व
• Form: avyaya; adverbial usage

• विंशतिः: twenty
• Type: Numeral
• Root: विंशति
• Form: strīliṅga (numeral); prathamā ekavacana (nom. sg.)

• पञ्चाशत्: fifty
• Type: Numeral
• Root: पञ्चाशत्
• Form: strīliṅga (numeral); prathamā ekavacana (nom. sg.)

• शतम्: one hundred
• Type: Numeral
• Root: शत
• Form: napuṃsakaliṅga (numeral); prathamā/ dvitīyā ekavacana (nom./acc. sg.)

• इति: thus; as follows
• Type: Particle
• Root: इति
• Form: avyaya; quotative/marker of enumeration

• पदानि: paces/steps; measures (as steps)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: napuṃsakaliṅga; prathamā bahuvacana (nom. pl.)

• कारयेत्: should cause to be made; should have arranged/constructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (णिच्)
• Form: causative (ṇic) of √kṛ; vidhi-liṅ (optative); parasmaipada; prathama-puruṣa ekavacana

Entities Mentioned

• pada (graduation/mark)
• śata (hundred-mark)

More Details

FAQs

Why are explicit graduations (padāni) mandated?

Mandated graduations make measurement transparent and reproducible, allowing inspectors and traders to check accuracy quickly and reducing disputes.