यं वा भूतमर्थं नाशयति अभूतमर्थं करोति तदष्टगुणं दण्डं दद्यात् ॥ कZ_०४.९.२० ॥
yaṃ vā bhūtamarthaṃ nāśayati abhūtamarthaṃ karoti tadaṣṭaguṇaṃ daṇḍaṃ dadyāt
Quiconque détruit un fait tel qu’il existe, ou fabrique un « fait » inexistant, sera puni d’une peine au décuple? (huit fois) — d’une peine octuple.
State decisions rely on accurate ‘artha’ (facts, accounts, outcomes); punishing suppression/fabrication protects administrative cognition and prevents governance by falsified records.