Arthashastra 3.10.14: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 10, Sutra 14

Devanagari script

अनादेयमकृषतोऽन्यः पञ्चवर्षाण्युपभुज्य प्रयासनिष्क्रयेण दद्यात् ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.10.14

Transliteration

anādeyam akṛṣato'nyaḥ pañcavarṣāṇy upabhujya prayāsaniṣkrayeṇa dadyāt

Translation

अगर कोई ज़मीन जोते नहीं, तो दूसरा उसको पाँच साल तक यूज़ कर सकता है। उसके बाद उसका पैसा देना पड़ेगा।

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Word by Word

• अनादेयम्: not to be taken/accepted (i.e., not liable to be appropriated)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: √दा (दाने) + उपसर्ग आ-; नञ्-प्रत्यय (न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; नञ्-तत्पुरुषभावः (a-privative): ‘आदेय’ (to be taken/accepted) → ‘अनादेय’ (not to be taken)
• In statecraft: (भूमि/क्षेत्रादि) ‘अनादेय’ = राज्ञा/स्वामिना न ग्राह्यम्, न स्वीकर्तव्यम् (not liable to be taken over/accepted)

• अकृषतः: of a non-cultivator / of one who does not till (the land)
• Type: Noun/Participle (agent in genitive)
• Root: √कृष् (कर्षणे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, षष्ठी; ‘अकृषत्’ (not cultivating) इति वर्तमानकृदन्त-प्रायः प्रयोगः—‘of one who does not cultivate’
• In statecraft: अकृषकः = अकर्तृकृषिः/अनुत्पादकः (non-cultivator; one who leaves land untilled)

• अन्यः: another (person)
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective (substantive)
• Root: अन्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा
• In statecraft: अन्यः = अन्यः पुरुषः/परः (a different person, another claimant/occupant)

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Numeral
• Root: पञ्चन्
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; ‘वर्षाणि’ इत्यनेन सह संख्या-विशेषणम्

• वर्षाणि: years
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, द्वितीया (कालपरिमाणे कर्मत्वेन)

• उपभुज्य: having enjoyed/occupied (it)
• Type: Gerund (Absolutive)
• Root: उप-√भुज् (भोगे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया—‘having enjoyed/possessed/occupied’
• In statecraft: उपभोगः = (भूमेः) भुक्तिः/अधिकारभोगः (enjoyment/possession/occupation of land)

• प्रयास: effort/labour
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-√यस्/√यत् (प्रयत्नार्थे) (नामरूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), एकवचन, षष्ठी (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)
• In statecraft: प्रयासः = श्रम/परिश्रम (labour, effort expended e.g., in improvement)

• निष्क्रयेण: by (way of) compensation / by paying a redemption price
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्क्रय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, तृतीया; करण/हेतु-भावे ‘by means of/through as compensation’
• In statecraft: निष्क्रयः = प्रतिदान/मूल्य/क्षतिपूर्ति (compensation, buy-out price, redemption payment)

• दद्यात्: should give / should pay
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (दाने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘he should give/pay’
• In statecraft: दद्यात् = प्रतिदद्यात्/प्रतिकुर्यात् (should pay/should compensate)

Sandhi Notes

• अनादेयम् + अकृषतः → अनादेयमकृषतः (म् + अ = म)
• अकृषतः + अन्यः → अकृषतोऽन्यः (अः + अ = ओऽ)
• पञ्च + वर्षाणि → पञ्चवर्षाणि (समास/सन्निधि-प्रयोगः, संख्याविशेषण-सम्बन्धः)
• वर्षाणि + उपभुज्य → वर्षाण्युपभुज्य (इ + उ = यु; यण्-सन्धिः)
• उपभुज्य + प्रयासनिष्क्रयेण → उपभुज्य प्रयासनिष्क्रयेण (पदविभागः; ‘प्रयास-निष्क्रय’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)
• निष्क्रयेण + दद्यात् → निष्क्रयेण दद्यात् (सन्ध्यभावः)

Entities Mentioned

• non-cultivating holder
• substitute cultivator/occupant

Topic and Governance

Prakarana (topic)

Land tenure, cultivation duties, and rights/penalties of karada & brahmadeya holders

Governance domain

Land use policy; anti-idling; temporary usufruct; compensation rules

Vocabulary Breakdown

Technical Terms

FAQs

What 'nīti' principle is embedded in the five-year enjoyment rule?

Land must serve production and revenue; idle tenure is disfavored, but equity is maintained by compensating the party who actually invested labor.