Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 61

Devanagari script

कणिका दासकर्मकरसूपकाराणामतोऽन्यदौदनिकापूपिकेभ्यः प्रयच्छेत् ॥ कZ_०२.१५.६१ ॥

Transliteration

kaṇikā dāsa-karmakara-sūpakārāṇām ato ’nyad audanikā-pūpikebhyaḥ prayacchet

Translation

Kaṇikā (bubur/gruel) harus diberikan kepada budak, buruh upahan, dan juru masak; sedangkan makanan lain diberikan kepada para pembuat hidangan nasi matang dan kue.

Word by Word

• कणिका: the spy/informer (Kaṇikā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कणिका
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (कर्तृपद)

• दासकर्मकरसूपकाराणाम्: of slaves, hired labourers, and cooks
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास + कर्मकर + सूपकार
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समाहार/बहुवचन-प्रयोग), षष्ठी बहुवचन (सम्बन्ध)

• अतः: therefore; from that (reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे

• अन्यत्: something else; other (food/item)
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (कर्म)

• औदनिकापूपिकेभ्यः: from/than the rice-cooks and cake-makers
• Type: Noun
• Root: औदनिका + पूपिका
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी बहुवचन (अपादान/विभागार्थे: ‘from/than’)

• प्रयच्छेत्: should give; should provide
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (यच्छति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Entities Mentioned

• slaves
• laborers
• cooks
• rice-dish preparers
• cake-makers

More Details

FAQs

What administrative logic underlies differentiated food allocations?

To match cost and nutrition to labor categories and to structure incentives/privileges by role.