Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 4 Sutra 17 - Arthashastra | Japanese | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 17

Devanagari script

यं वा रसस्य कर्तारं क्रेतारं विक्रेतारं भैषज्याहारव्यवहारिणं वा रसदं मन्येत तं सत्त्री ब्रूयात् असौ मे शत्रुः तस्योपघातः क्रियतामयं चार्थः प्रतिगृह्यतामिति ॥ कZ_०४.४.१७ ॥

Transliteration

yaṃ vā rasasya kartāraṃ kretāraṃ vikretāraṃ bhaiṣajyāhāravyavahāriṇaṃ vā rasadaṃ manyeta taṃ sattrī brūyāt: asau me śatruḥ; tasyopaghātaḥ kriyatām; ayaṃ cārthaḥ pratigṛhyatām iti

Translation

「rasa」（毒）を供給する者—製造者・購入者・販売者、または薬や食物を扱う者—だと疑われる者には、密偵がこう告げるべきである。「あの男は私の敵だ。彼に害を加えよ。そしてこの報酬を受け取れ。」

Word by Word

यम्whom

वाor

रसस्यof poison / of the poison-substance

कर्तारम्the maker (preparer)

क्रेतारम्the buyer

विक्रेतारम्the seller

भैषज्याहारव्यवहारिणम्one who deals in medicines and food (a trader/handler)

वाor

रसदम्a giver/supplier of poison

मन्येतshould suspect/think

तम्him

सत्त्रीa female agent (spy)

ब्रूयात्should say/tell

असौthat man / he there

मेmy

शत्रुःenemy

तस्यof him / his

उपघातःharm, attack, injury

क्रियताम्let it be done / should be carried out

अयम्this

चand

अर्थःmoney, payment, purpose

प्रतिगृह्यताम्let it be accepted/received

इतिthus

Entities Mentioned

sattrī (agent)

rasada (poison supplier)

medicine/food traders

FAQs

Why are medicine and food traders mentioned alongside poison suppliers?

Because poisoning can be disguised through legitimate channels; the state therefore monitors dual-use trades and tests suspects via controlled solicitation.