Sutra 28

Devanagari script

पुरोपवनवनस्पतीनां पुष्पफलच्छायावतां प्ररोहच्छेदने षट्पणः क्षुद्रशाखाच्छेदने द्वादशपणः पीनशाखाच्च्छेदने चतुर्विंशतिपणः स्कन्धवधे पूर्वः साहसदण्डः समुच्छित्तौ मध्यमः ॥ कZ_०३.१९.२८ ॥

Transliteration

puropavanavanaspatīnāṃ puṣpaphalacchāyāvatāṃ prarohacchedane ṣaṭpaṇaḥ | kṣudraśākhācchedane dvādaśapaṇaḥ | pīnaśākhācchedane caturviṃśatipaṇaḥ | skandhavadhe pūrvaḥ sāhasadaṇḍaḥ samucchittau madhyamaḥ ||

Translation

नगर-उपवनों के फूल/फल/छाया देने वाले वृक्षों की कोंपल काटने पर छह पण दंड; छोटी शाखा काटने पर बारह पण; मोटी शाखा काटने पर चौबीस पण। तने को मार देने पर प्रथम साहस-दंड; और पूर्ण नाश/उखाड़ देने पर मध्यम साहस-दंड।

Word by Word

पुरःin front (of the town/settlement)

उपवनgrove, garden

वनस्पतीनाम्of trees (arboreal plants)

पुष्पflower

फलfruit

छायाshade

वताम्possessing (having)

प्ररोहsprout, new shoot

छेदनेin the act/case of cutting

षट्six

पणः(a fine of) pana(s)

क्षुद्रsmall, minor

शाखाbranch

छेदनेin the case of cutting

द्वादशtwelve

पणः(a fine of) pana(s)

पीनthick, stout

शाखाbranch

छेदनेin the case of cutting

चतुर्विंशतिtwenty-four

पणः(a fine of) pana(s)

स्कन्धtrunk, stem

वधेin the case of killing/destroying

पूर्वःthe first (lowest)

साहसsāhasa (violent/forcible offence)

दण्डःpenalty, fine

समुच्छित्तौin the case of complete cutting down/uprooting

मध्यमःthe middle (second grade)

Entities Mentioned

city parks (upavana)

trees (flower/fruit/shade)

offender

state authority

FAQs

What administrative principle is reflected in the stepwise fines (shoot → branch → thick branch → trunk → uprooting)?

Proportionality by marginal damage: penalties rise with the ecological/economic loss and recovery time, culminating in violent-offence grading for irreversible destruction.

Why single out flower/fruit/shade trees?

They generate recurring public value (food, comfort, microclimate) and thus merit explicit protection as urban infrastructure.