Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 14 Sutra 23 - Arthashastra | Hindi | Vedapath

Kautilya

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Sutra 23

Devanagari script

मूकमूषा पूतिकिट्टः करटुकमुखं नाली संदंशो जोङ्गनी सुवर्चिकालवणं तदेव सुवर्णमित्यपसारणमार्गाः ॥ कZ_०२.१४.२३ ॥

Transliteration

mūkamūṣā pūtikiṭṭaḥ karaṭukamukhaṃ nālī saṃdaṃśo joṅganī suvarcikālavaṇaṃ tadeva suvarṇam ity apasāraṇamārgāḥ

Translation

‘मूक मूषा’ (बिना मुख/छिद्र की क्रूसिबल), दुर्गंधयुक्त किट्ट/मैला स्लैग, ‘करटुकमुख’ (छिपे निकास वाला ‘सूंड-मुख’ उपकरण), नली, संदंश (चिमटा), जोङ्गनी (साइफ़न-जैसा उपकरण), और ‘सुवर्चिका’ लवण—ये वे उपाय/मार्ग हैं जिनसे ‘यही तो सोना है’ कहकर (दिखाते हुए) सोना अवैध रूप से निकाल लिया जाता है।

Word by Word

मूकमूषाa ‘mute’/sealed crucible (a kind of crucible used in metallurgical operations)

पूतिकिट्टःfoul slag/dross (impure scum from metal)

करटुकमुखम्the mouth/opening of the karatuka (a named apparatus/implement)

नालीa tube/pipe (conduit)

संदंशःtongs/pincers

जोङ्गनीjoṅganī (a named implement used in removal/processing)

सुवर्चिकालवणम्suvarchikā-salt (a specific salt/alkaline substance used in metallurgy)

तत्that

एवindeed/only

सुवर्णम्gold

इतिthus/‘as’ (quotative)

अपसारणमार्गाःmethods/procedures of removal (i.e., ways of eliminating impurities)

Entities Mentioned

crucible

slag/dross

tube/pipe

tongs/forceps

salt/chemical additive

FAQs

What is Kautilya listing in this sutra?

A catalog of practical tools/chemical aids used to secretly draw off precious metal during refining/handling while outwardly claiming the output is unchanged.

What administrative intent does this serve?

To equip supervisors with a checklist of red-flags and inspection targets in state workshops (mint/refinery), reducing leakage of revenue-grade metals.