Sutra 6

Devanagari script

अचोरं चोर इत्यभिव्याहरतश्चोरसमो दण्डः चोरं प्रच्छादयतश्च ॥ कZ_०४.८.०६ ॥

Transliteration

acoraṃ cora ity abhivyāharataḥ cora-samo daṇḍaḥ coraṃ pracchādayataś ca

Translation

ಕಳ್ಳನಲ್ಲದವನನ್ನು ‘ಕಳ್ಳ’ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುವವನಿಗೆ ಕಳ್ಳನಷ್ಟೇ ದಂಡ; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಕಳ್ಳನನ್ನು ಮುಚ್ಚಿಡುವವನಿಗೂ ಅದೇ.

Word by Word

• अचोरम्: (one who is) not a thief; an innocent person
• Type: Noun (with privative prefix a-)
• Root: चोर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया; नञ्-पूर्वपद (a- = अभाव)

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

• चोरः: a thief
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा

• इति: thus; (saying) “…”
• Type: Quotative particle
• Root: इति
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय

• अभिव्याहरतः: of/for one who declares (someone) as “a thief” (i.e., falsely accuses)
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: अभि-व्याहृ
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा/षष्ठी? एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘अभिव्याहरत्’ = उच्चारयन्/उद्घोषयन् (one who utters/declares)

• चोरसमः: equal to a thief; on par with a thief
• Type: Adjective (compound)
• Root: चोर + सम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; ‘चोरस्य समः’

• दण्डः: punishment; penalty
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा

• चोरम्: a thief (as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया

• प्रच्छादयतः: of/for one who conceals (a thief)
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: प्र-छाद्
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा/षष्ठी? एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘प्रच्छादयन्’ = आच्छादयन्/गोपयन् (one who conceals)

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

Entities Mentioned

• false accuser
• innocent person
• thief
• harborer/concealer

More Details

FAQs

Why punish false accusation as harshly as theft?

Because malicious accusations weaponize state power, damage social trust, and can be used for factional harm; equal punishment deters such misuse.