Arthashastra 3.6.2: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 6, Sutra 2

Devanagari script

काणलङ्गास्तेषां मध्यमांशः भिन्नवर्णाः कनिष्ठांशः ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.6.2

Transliteration

kāṇalaṅgāsteṣāṃ madhyamāṃśaḥ bhinnavarṇāḥ kaniṣṭhāṃśaḥ

Translation

जो जानवर आँख से अंधे या लंगड़े हैं, वो बीच वाले भाई को मिलेंगे। जो काले-पीले या अलग रंग के हैं, वो छोटे भाई का हिस्सा है।

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Word by Word

• काण: One-eyed or lame persons; a class of warriors with physical defects
• Type: Noun
• Root: काण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural
• Compound: Purushapūrvapada
• In statecraft: A specific class of warriors or soldiers with physical deformities (one-eyed or lame), employed in special military operations

• लङ्गाः: Lame persons; those who limp
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural
• In statecraft: Lame or limping persons; a specific category of physically impaired soldiers used in espionage and special missions

• तेषाम्: Of them; their
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive Plural

• मध्यमांशः: The middle portion or intermediate class
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यम + अंश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular
• Compound: Tatpurusha
• In statecraft: The middle category or intermediate class among the Kaṇa-Laṅgas, having mixed characteristics

• भिन्नवर्णाः: Of different varṇas; of mixed caste
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिन्न + वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural
• Compound: Tatpurusha
• In statecraft: Those belonging to different varṇas (social classes); of mixed caste origin, used for specific administrative or military purposes

• कनिष्ठांशः: The lowest portion or junior class
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनिष्ठ + अंश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular
• Compound: Tatpurusha
• In statecraft: The lowest category or junior division among the Kaṇa-Laṅgas

Sandhi Notes

• काणलङ्गास्तेषाम् = काणलङ्गाः + तेषाम् (Visarga Sandhi: final visarga before त changes to अ, then elides before dental त)
• The compound काणलङ्गाः is a Dvandva compound combining two types of physically impaired persons

Entities Mentioned

• Madhyama (Middle Son)
• Kanishtha (Youngest Son)

Topic and Governance

Prakarana (topic)

Special Shares in Inheritance (Vibhāgaḥ)

Governance domain

Property Law

Vocabulary Breakdown

Technical Terms

FAQs

How does the quality of livestock affect inheritance distribution?

Prime animals go to the eldest; defective (one-eyed/lame) animals go to the middle son; and mixed-color (less desirable) animals go to the youngest.

What constitutes the 'Madhyamāṃśa' (middle share) in this context?

Animals with physical defects like being one-eyed or lame.