Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 1 Sutra 26 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 26

Devanagari script

सुवर्णकाराणामशुचिहस्ताद् रूप्यं सुवर्णमनाख्याय सरूपं क्रीणतां द्वादशपणो दण्डः विरूपं चतुर्विंशतिपणः चोरहस्तादष्टचत्वारिंशत्पणः ॥ कZ_०४.१.२६ ॥

Transliteration

suvarṇakārāṇām aśucihastād rūpyaṃ suvarṇam anākhyāya sarūpaṃ krīṇatāṃ dvādaśapaṇo daṇḍaḥ virūpaṃ caturviṃśatipaṇaḥ corahastād aṣṭacatvāriṃśatpaṇaḥ

Translation

Pour les orfèvres : s’ils achètent de l’argent ou de l’or d’une source suspecte/« main impure » sans le déclarer — si le métal a une apparence conforme, (l’amende est de) douze paṇas ; s’il a une apparence anormale, vingt-quatre paṇas ; s’il provient de la main d’un voleur, quarante-huit paṇas.

Word by Word

सुवर्णकाराणाम्of the goldsmiths

अशुचि-हस्तात्from an unclean hand

रूप्यम्silver

सुवर्णम्gold

अनाख्यायwithout declaring (it)

सरूपम्as of the same form/mark (genuine)

क्रीणताम्(of those) who buy

द्वादश-पणः(a fine of) twelve paṇas

दण्डःpenalty; fine

विरूपम्of different/altered form

चतुर्विंशति-पणः(a fine of) twenty-four paṇas

चोर-हस्तात्from a thief’s hand

अष्ट-चत्वारिंशत्-पणः(a fine of) forty-eight paṇas

Entities Mentioned

goldsmiths (suvarṇakārāḥ)

silver (rūpya)

gold (suvarṇa)

thief (cora)

FAQs

What compliance duty is imposed on goldsmiths here?

Source-verification and mandatory reporting: they must disclose suspicious provenance, and face escalating fines when the source or irregularity indicates higher criminal risk.