Sutra 35

Devanagari script

तूर्यशब्दे राज्ञो गृहाभ्याशे सपादपणं अक्षणताडनं प्रथमपश्चिमयामिकं मध्यमयामिकं द्विगुणमन्तश्चतुर्गुणम् ॥ कZ_०२.३६.३५ ॥

Transliteration

tūryaśabde rājño gṛhābhyāśe sapādapaṇaṃ akṣaṇatāḍanaṃ prathamapaścimayāmikaṃ madhyamayāmikaṃ dviguṇam antaś caturguṇam.

Translation

Au son de l’instrument d’alarme (tūrya), dans les environs de la résidence du roi, l’amende est d’un paṇa et un quart ; pour avoir frappé (autrui) sans blessure, l’amende est graduée selon la veille : à la première et à la dernière veille, c’est le montant de base ; à la veille du milieu, c’est le double ; et à l’intérieur (zone la plus interne/la plus restreinte), c’est le quadruple.

Word by Word

• तूर्य-शब्दे: when there is the sound of musical instruments (drum/pipe etc.)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तूर्य, शब्द
• Form: सप्तमी एकवचनम् (शब्द); पुल्लिङ्गः; अधिकरणे

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्गः

• गृह-अभ्याशे: in the vicinity of the (king’s) residence
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह, अभ्याश
• Form: सप्तमी एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्गः; अधिकरणे

• स-पाद-पणम्: a fine of one and a quarter paṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः (दण्डराशिः)

• अक्षण-ताडनम्: ‘akṣaṇa-tāḍana’—a specified punitive beating/striking penalty (a technical punishment term)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षण, ताडन (√तड्/ताड्)
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; दण्डप्रकारः

• प्रथम-पश्चिम-यामिकम्: (penalty) for the first ‘western’ watch/portion of the night (a time-slot category)
• Type: Adjective (used as noun)
• Root: प्रथम, पश्चिम, यामिक
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; दण्डराशेः विशेषणम्

• मध्यम-यामिकम्: (penalty) for the middle watch of the night
• Type: Adjective (used as noun)
• Root: मध्यम, यामिक
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; दण्डराशेः विशेषणम्

• द्वि-गुणम्: double (the fine/penalty)
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: द्वि, गुण
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; ‘(दण्डः) द्विगुणः’ इति

• अन्तः: at the end / in the last period
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः
• Form: अव्ययम्; ‘अन्तः’ = अन्ते/अन्तराले/अन्तिमे (सन्दर्भे: अन्तिमयामे)

• चतुḥ-गुणम्: fourfold (the fine/penalty)
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: चतुर्, गुण
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; ‘(दण्डः) चतुर्गुणः’ इति

Entities Mentioned

• king (rājā)
• guards/night watch (implied)

More Details

FAQs

Why are penalties higher in the middle watch and inside restricted areas?

Kauṭilya treats those times/locations as higher-risk for burglary, assassination, and panic; deterrence is increased by multiplying fines.

What administrative idea is embedded here?

Risk-weighted policing: punishments scale with threat level (time, proximity to sovereign, and restricted zones).