Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 30

Devanagari script

तेषामाढकप्रस्थकुडुबाश्चतुर्भागावराः ॥ कZ_०२.१९.३० ॥

Transliteration

teṣāmāḍhakaprasthakuḍubāścaturbhāgāvarāḥ

Translation

Dari ukuran-ukuran itu, āḍhaka, prastha, dan kuḍuba masing-masing berturut-turut lebih kecil seperempat (dalam skala).

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those (measures/units mentioned)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural), सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्

• आढक: āḍhaka-measures
• Type: Noun
• Root: आढक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगभेदे), प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural) — here as a measure-name in a list

• प्रस्थ: prastha-measures
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रस्थ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगभेदे), प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural) — measure-name

• कुडुबाः: kuḍuba-measures
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुडुब
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural) — measure-name

• चतुर्भागावराः: are lower by a fourth-part (i.e., reduced by one-fourth)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अवर
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्; समासः: चतुर्भाग + अवर (अवर = inferior/less; qualified by ‘fourth-part’)

Entities Mentioned

• āḍhaka
• prastha
• kuḍuba

More Details

FAQs

What policy benefit comes from defining measures by fixed fractions?

It simplifies auditing and conversion, enabling inspectors to verify containers and trades quickly.