Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 24 Sutra 5 - Arthashastra | Hindi | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 5

Devanagari script

षोडशद्रोणं जाङ्गलानां वर्षप्रमाणमध्यर्धमानूपानां देशवापानामर्धत्रयोदशाश्मकानाम् त्रयोविंशतिरवन्तीनाममितमपरान्तानां हैमन्यानां च कुल्यावापानां च कालतः ॥ कZ_०२.२४.०५ ॥

Transliteration

ṣoḍaśadroṇaṃ jāṅgalānāṃ varṣapramāṇamadhyardhamānūpānāṃ deśavāpānāmardhatrayodaśāśmakānām trayoviṃśatiravantīnām amitam aparāntānāṃ haimanyānāṃ ca kulyāvāpānāṃ ca kālataḥ

Translation

वर्षा का मान (वर्ष-प्रमाण) यह है—जांगल (शुष्क) प्रदेशों में 16 द्रोण, आनूप (दलदली) प्रदेशों में 8½, देश और वाप क्षेत्रों में 12½, अश्मक में 13½, अवंती में 23; और अपरांत में यह निश्चित नहीं (परिवर्तनीय) है। शीतकालीन फसलों तथा कुल्या/नहर-खाई से सिंचित बोआई (कुल्या-वाप) के लिए इसका आकलन ऋतु/समय के अनुसार करना चाहिए।

Word by Word

षोडश-द्रोणम्sixteen droṇas (as a measure/quantity)

जाङ्गलानाम्of the Jāṅgala (dry) regions

वर्ष-प्रमाणम्the rainfall measure/standard

अध्यर्धम्one and a half (times/measure)

आनूपानाम्of the Ānūpa (marshy/riverine) regions

देश-वापानाम्of the regional reservoirs/tanks

अर्ध-त्रयोदशthirteen and a half

अश्मकानाम्of the Aśmaka region/people

त्रयोविंशतिःtwenty-three

अवन्तीनाम्of Avanti

अमितम्unlimited/indefinite (not fixed)

अपरान्तानाम्of Aparānta

हैमन्यानाम्of the Haimaniya region/people

चand

कुल्या-वापानाम्of canal-reservoirs (canal-fed tanks)

चand

कालतःaccording to time/season

Entities Mentioned

Jāṅgala (arid tracts)

Ānūpa (marshy tracts)

Deśa

Vāpa

Aśmaka

Avanti

Aparānta

Haimanya (winter season/crops)

Kulyā-vāpa (canal irrigation)

FAQs

Why does the text give different rainfall standards by region?

To calibrate taxation, sowing schedules, irrigation priorities, and famine-risk planning to local ecological realities rather than a single empire-wide norm.

Why is Aparānta marked as 'amitam' (not fixed)?

It signals high variability/uncertainty, requiring flexible assessment instead of rigid targets—an administrative cue to rely on observation-based decisions.