Sutra 4

Devanagari script

ते ग्रामाणामध्यक्षाणां च शौचाशौचं विद्युः ॥ कZ_०४.४.०४ ॥

Transliteration

te grāmāṇām adhyakṣāṇāṃ ca śaucāśaucaṃ vidyuḥ ॥

Translation

Ils (ces agents) doivent déterminer la pureté ou l’impureté (l’intégrité ou la corruption) des villages et des responsables/surveillants de village.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (सन्दर्भतः)

• ग्रामाणाम्: of the villages
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचनम्; पुंलिङ्ग

• अध्यक्षाणाम्: of the superintendents (in charge)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यक्ष
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचनम्; पुंलिङ्ग

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• शौच-अशौचम्: purity and impurity (cleanliness/uncleanliness)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच, अशौच
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम् (समाहारार्थे)

• विद्युः: should know / shall ascertain
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (ज्ञाने)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्गार्थे प्रायः); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; बहुवचनम्

Entities Mentioned

• grāma
• adhyakṣa

More Details

FAQs

What does śauca/aśauca practically mean here?

Not ritual purity, but administrative cleanliness: whether villages and their officers are free from bribery, extortion, collusion, and concealment of offenses.