Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 4 Sutra 17 - Arthashastra | Kannada | 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

ಯಾರನ್ನು ‘ರಸ’ (ವಿಷ) ಒದಗಿಸುವವನೆಂದು ಶಂಕಿಸುತ್ತಾರೋ—ತಯಾರಕ, ಖರೀದಿದಾರ, ಮಾರಾಟಗಾರ, ಅಥವಾ ಔಷಧಿ ಮತ್ತು ಆಹಾರ ವ್ಯವಹಾರದಲ್ಲಿರುವವನು ಯಾರೇ ಆಗಿರಲಿ—ಅವನಿಗೆ ಸತ್ತ್ರೀ ಹೀಗೆ ಹೇಳಬೇಕು: ‘ಅವನು ನನ್ನ ಶತ್ರು; ಅವನಿಗೆ ಹಾನಿ ಮಾಡಲಿ; ಮತ್ತು ಈ ಹಣವನ್ನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಲಿ.’

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.