Sutra 7

Devanagari script

उपलब्धविद्याप्रभावाणां पुरश्चरणाद्यादिशेयुरभिज्ञानार्थम् ॥ कZ_०४.५.०७ ॥

Transliteration

upalabdhavidyāprabhāvāṇāṃ puraścaraṇādyādiśeyur abhijñānārtham

Translation

Pour ceux dont les pouvoirs (prétentions) issus d’arts/compétences acquis sont connus, les autorités doivent prescrire des observances préliminaires (telles que des rites ou une discipline préparatoire) et autres, afin de les identifier/vérifier.

Word by Word

• उपलब्धविद्याप्रभावाणाम्: of those whose learning’s efficacy has been ascertained
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: उप-√लभ्; √विद्; √भू/√भा (प्रभाव)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रभाव) — ‘उपलब्धा विद्या’ (कर्मधारय) + ‘विद्या-प्रभाव’ (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष) + समस्तस्य षष्ठी बहुवचन

• पुरश्चरण-आदि: preliminary practice and the like
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: पुरस् + √चर्; आदि
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्ग (आदि-शब्देन समाहारः); ‘पुरश्चरण’ = पूर्व-आचरण/पूर्वाभ्यास; ‘आदि’ = इत्यादि

• आदिशेयुः: they should prescribe/assign
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दिश्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 3rd person plural; लोट्/विधि-भावः: ‘they should prescribe/assign’

• अभिज्ञान-अर्थम्: for the purpose of identification/verification
• Type: Noun (purpose phrase)
• Root: अभि-√ज्ञा; अर्थ
• Form: अर्थम् = द्वितीया एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रयोजनार्थे द्वितीया; ‘अभिज्ञान’ = पहचान/प्रमाण-ज्ञान

Entities Mentioned

• state officers (implied)
• persons claiming skills/arts (vidyā)

More Details

FAQs

What administrative purpose does prescribing 'puraścaraṇa' serve here?

It functions as a controlled pretext to observe, test, and positively identify individuals (and their network) under an ostensibly legitimate requirement.

Is this a religious instruction or a policing tool in context?

In Book 4’s policing context, it is primarily an administrative tool: a structured pretext for surveillance and verification rather than a purely devotional act.