Sutra 28

Devanagari script

महत्यर्थापहारे चाल्पेनापि सिद्धः सर्वं भजेत ॥ कZ_०२.८.२८ ॥

Transliteration

mahaty arthāpahāre ca alpenāpi siddhaḥ sarvaṃ bhajeta

Translation

重大な財物の横領においては、たとえ少量（の証拠または回収分）によって立証されたとしても、勝訴者は全額の取り分を受けるべきである。

Word by Word

• महति: in a great (matter)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: सप्तमी एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे (अर्थे) / अधिकरणे; विशेषणम्

• अर्थापहारे: in the theft/embezzlement of wealth
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप-हृ (√हृ) / अपहार (noun)
• Form: सप्तमी एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गे; (अर्थस्य अपहारः) ‘अर्थ’ + ‘अपहार’

• च: and/also
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• अल्पेन: with a small (means/amount)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अल्प
• Form: तृतीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे; करण/साधनम्

• अपि: even
• Type: Particle
• Root: अपि
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-शब्दः (even)

• सिद्धः: is successful / can accomplish (it)
• Type: Participle (verbal adjective)
• Root: सिध् (√सिध्) / सिद्ध (ppp)
• Form: प्रथमा एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गे; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि/निष्ठा); कर्तरि प्रयोगः—‘accomplished/successful’

• सर्वम्: everything / all (means/resources)
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: सर्व
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे; कर्म

• भजेत: should employ / should resort to
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (√भज्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनम्; लोट्-अर्थे विधानम्—‘should employ/resort to’

Entities Mentioned

• investigating authority
• informant/prosecuting side (implied)

More Details

FAQs

What is the administrative logic of rewarding ‘the whole share’ even with ‘a little’ proof?

Large thefts are hard to fully trace; rewarding partial but decisive proof encourages reporting and breaks concealment networks.