Arthashastra 3.13.28: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 28

Devanagari script

कर्षकः सस्यानां गोपालकः सर्पिषां वैदेहकः पण्यानामात्मना व्यवहृतानां दशभागमसम्भाषितवेतनो लभेत ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.13.28

Transliteration

karṣakaḥ sasyānāṃ gopālakaḥ sarpiṣāṃ vaidehakaḥ paṇyānāmātmanā vyavahṛtānāṃ daśabhāgamasambhāṣitavetano labheta |

Translation

Bila upah tidak disepakati: petani menerima sepersepuluh hasil panen; penggembala sapi menerima sepersepuluh ghee; dan vaidehaka (pedagang/agen komisi) menerima sepersepuluh dari barang yang ia transaksikan sendiri.

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Word by Word

• कर्षकः: the cultivator (farmer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्षक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन
• In statecraft: कृषिकर्मकर्ता (tenant/cultivator)

• सस्यानाम्: of crops/produce
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन
• In statecraft: कृषिफल/धान्य-उत्पाद (standing crop/produce)

• गोपालकः: the cowherd/cattle-keeper
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपालक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन
• In statecraft: गोरक्षक/पशुपाल (cowherd; cattle-keeper)

• सर्पिषाम्: of ghee
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन
• In statecraft: घृत (clarified butter; ghee)

• वैदेहकः: the vaidehaka (a trader/agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदेहक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन
• In statecraft: वैदेहक-व्यापारी/दलालः (a particular class of trader/agent; often a dealer in goods)

• पण्यानाम्: of merchandise/goods for sale
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन
• In statecraft: विक्रेय-वस्तु (merchandise/marketable goods)

• आत्मना: by himself/personally
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (करण/सहायार्थे)
• In statecraft: स्वयम् (personally; by oneself)

• व्यवहृतानाम्: of (goods) transacted/dealt with (by him)
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: व्यवहृ
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग? षष्ठी-बहुवचन; ‘पण्यानाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
• In statecraft: स्वयं कृत-व्यवहार/स्वयं विक्रीत-क्रयीत (personally transacted)

• दशभागम्: a tenth share (one-tenth)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशभाग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (कर्म)
• Compound: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दशानां भागः)
• In statecraft: दशमांश (tithe/one-tenth share)

• असम्भाषितवेतनः: whose wage has not been agreed upon (in advance)
• Type: Adjective (Bahuvrihi)
• Root: असम्भाषितवेतन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘कर्षकः/गोपालकः/वैदेहकः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
• Compound: बहुव्रीहि (न सम्भाषितं वेतनं यस्य)
• In statecraft: अपूर्व-निश्चितवेतनः (one whose wage/fee has not been fixed by prior agreement)

• लभेत: should receive/obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: लट्? (विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
• In statecraft: प्राप्नुयात् (is entitled to receive)

Sandhi Notes

• पाठे ‘पण्यानामात्मना’ = ‘पण्यानाम् + आत्मना’ (म् + आ → मा)
• ‘दशभागमसम्भाषितवेतनो’ = ‘दशभागम् + असम्भाषितवेतनः’ (म् + अ → म)
• ‘वेतनो लभेत’ = ‘वेतनः + लभेत’ (ः + ल → ओ ल; विसर्ग-सन्धिः)

Entities Mentioned

• karṣaka (cultivator)
• gopālaka (cowherd)
• vaidehaka (merchant/agent)

Topic and Governance

Prakarana (topic)

Sector-specific default shares when wage not agreed

Governance domain

Agrarian administration; pastoral economy; commercial regulation; wage norms

Vocabulary Breakdown

Technical Terms

FAQs

Why does the text specify one-tenth shares for certain occupations?

It creates administratively usable default wage schedules to reduce disputes and opportunistic bargaining in common, measurable-output occupations.