Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 10 Sutra 14 - Arthashastra | Kannada | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 14

Devanagari script

चोरं पारदारिकं वा मोक्षयतो राजशासनमूनमतिरिक्तं वा लिखतः कन्यां दासीं वा सहिरण्यमपरहतः कूटव्यवहारिणो विमांसविक्रयिणश्च वामहस्तद्विपादवधो नवशतो वा दण्डः ॥ कZ_०४.१०.१४ ॥

Transliteration

coraṃ pāradārikaṃ vā mokṣayato rājaśāsanamūnamatiriktaṃ vā likhataḥ kanyāṃ dāsīṃ vā sahiraṇyamaparahataḥ kūṭavyavahāriṇo vimāṃsavikrayiṇaśca vāmahastadvipādavadho navaśato vā daṇḍaḥ

Translation

ಕಳ್ಳನನ್ನು ಅಥವಾ ಪರಸ್ತ್ರೀಗಾಮಿಯನ್ನು ಬಿಡಿಸುವವನು, ರಾಜಾಜ್ಞೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಡಿಮೆ-ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಸೇರಿಸಿ ಬರೆಯುವವನು (ನಕಲಿ ಮಾಡುವವನು), ಕನ್ಯೆ ಅಥವಾ ದಾಸಿಯನ್ನು ಅವಳ ಚಿನ್ನದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಅಪಹರಿಸುವವನು, ವಂಚಕ ವ್ಯವಹಾರ ಮಾಡುವವನು, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನಿಷಿದ್ಧ ಮಾಂಸವನ್ನು ಮಾರುವವನು—ಇವರಿಗೆ ಎಡ ಕೈ ಮತ್ತು ಎರಡೂ ಕಾಲುಗಳನ್ನು ಕತ್ತರಿಸುವುದು, ಅಥವಾ 900 ಪಣ ದಂಡ.

Word by Word

चोरम्a thief

पारदारिकम्an adulterer (violator of another’s wife)

वाor

मोक्षयतःof (a person) releasing / letting go

राजशासनम्the king’s punishment / royal penalty

ऊनम्less (than due)

अतिरिक्तम्excessive / more (than due)

वाor

लिखतःof (a person) writing / recording

कन्याम्a maiden / girl

दासीम्a female slave / maidservant

वाor

सहिरण्यम्together with gold / with money

अपरहतःnot taken away / not confiscated

कूटव्यवहारिणःthose who engage in fraudulent dealings / false litigation

विमांसविक्रयिणःmeat-sellers

चand

वामहस्तद्विपादवधःthe punishment of cutting off the left hand and both feet

नवशतःof nine hundred (as fine)

वाor

दण्डःa penalty / fine

Entities Mentioned

thief (cora)

adulterer (pāradārika)

royal edict (rājaśāsana)

maiden (kanyā)

female slave (dāsī)

FAQs

What is the state-interest logic behind punishing falsification of a royal order so harshly?

Royal orders are the administrative backbone of governance; tampering converts state authority into private power, enabling corruption and illegal exactions, so the text treats it as a high-grade threat.