Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 36 Sutra 13 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 13

Devanagari script

पथिकोत्पथिकाश्च बहिरन्तश्च नगरस्य देवगृहपुण्यस्थानवनश्मशानेषु सव्रणमनिष्टोपकरणमुद्भाण्डीकृतमाविग्नमतिस्वप्नमध्वक्लान्तमपूर्वं वा गृह्णीयुः ॥ कZ_०२.३६.१३ ॥

Transliteration

pathikotpathikāś ca bahir antaś ca nagarasya devagṛhapuṇyasthānavanaśmaśāneṣu savraṇam aniṣṭopakaraṇam udbhāṇḍīkṛtam āvignam atisvapnam adhvaklāntam apūrvaṃ vā gṛhṇīyuḥ

Translation

Les voyageurs et ceux qui empruntent des chemins détournés, à l’extérieur comme à l’intérieur de la ville—dans les temples, lieux saints, forêts et terrains de crémation—seront appréhendés s’ils sont trouvés blessés, porteurs d’outils répréhensibles/suspects, avec des marchandises mises en paquet, agités, excessivement somnolents, épuisés par la route, ou paraissant autrement inconnus.

Word by Word

पथिकtravellers, wayfarers

उत्पथिकाःthose who go by byways/side-roads; suspicious wanderers

चand

बहिःoutside

अन्तःinside

चand

नगरस्यof the city

देवगृहin temples

पुण्यस्थानin holy places

वनin forests

श्मशानेषुin cremation grounds

सव्रणम्having a wound

अनिष्टundesirable, suspicious

उपकरणम्equipment/implements (of suspicious kind)

उद्भाण्डीकृतम्made into/treated as a container (disguised/converted into a ‘vessel’ form)

आविग्नम्agitated, alarmed

अतिस्वप्नम्sleeping excessively; very drowsy

अध्वक्लान्तम्wearied by travel

अपूर्वम्unknown/new (not seen before)

वाor

गृह्णीयुःthey should seize/apprehend (them)

Entities Mentioned

travelers

temples

holy places

forests

cremation grounds

city watch (implicit)

FAQs

Why focus on temples, holy places, forests, and cremation grounds?

They are liminal, crowded, or secluded spaces where offenders can hide, exchange goods, or evade identification; policing concentrates where concealment is easiest.

Are the listed traits evidence or triggers?

They function as triggers for stop-and-question/apprehension—administrative heuristics for rapid screening under limited information.