Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 24

Devanagari script

स्तेनव्यालसर्पग्राहगृहीतं व्याधिजरावसन्नं चावेदयेयुः अन्यथा रूपमूल्यं भजेरन् ॥ कZ_०२.२९.२४ ॥

Transliteration

stenavyālasarpagrāhagṛhītaṃ vyādhijarāvasannaṃ cāvedayeyuḥ anyathā rūpamūlyaṃ bhajeran

Translation

ពួកគេត្រូវរាយការណ៍អំពី(សត្វ)ដែលត្រូវចោរ សត្វព្រៃ ពស់ ឬក្រពើចាប់យក និងអំពីសត្វដែលខ្សោយដោយជំងឺ ឬចាស់ជរា; បើមិនដូច្នោះទេ ពួកគេត្រូវទទួលទោសពិន័យស្មើនឹងតម្លៃសត្វនោះ។

Word by Word

• स्तेन: by a thief / stolen (as qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (विशेषणरूपेण)

• व्याल: by a wild beast
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (विशेषणरूपेण)

• सर्प: by a snake
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (विशेषणरूपेण)

• ग्राह: by a crocodile
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राह
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (विशेषणरूपेण)

• गृहीतम्: seized/caught
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘(वस्तु) गृहीतम्’

• व्याधि: by disease
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचन (हेतौ/निमित्ते)

• जरा: by old age
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचन (हेतौ/निमित्ते)

• अवसन्नम्: fallen into distress / debilitated
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: सद् (सीद्)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘अव-√सद्’ = downcast/disabled

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• आवेदयेयुः: they should report / make known
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (वेदयति)
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; causative/denominative sense ‘आ-√विद्/वेदय्’ = to inform/notify

• अन्यथा: otherwise / if not (reported)
• Type: Adverb
• Root: अन्यथा
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विपर्ययार्थे

• रूप: money/coin (lit. ‘rūpa’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासपूर्वपद)

• मूल्यम्: value / assessed fine
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘रूपस्य मूल्यं’ = रूपमूल्यम्

• भजेरन्: they should incur/receive (it)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज्
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्); आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; ‘भज्’ = to incur/receive/undergo (share)

Entities Mentioned

• thieves
• predators
• snakes
• crocodiles
• gopāla (implied reporters)

More Details

FAQs

What is the governance purpose of a value-equal penalty?

It deters concealment and collusion by making non-reporting financially equivalent to misappropriation.

What modern administrative practice does this resemble?

Incident reporting with financial liability for negligence or non-disclosure, akin to asset-management controls and audit compliance.