Sutra 28

Devanagari script

अनुज्ञातक्रयादुपरि चैषां स्वदेशीयानां पण्यानां पञ्चकं शतमाजीवं स्थापयेत्परदेशीयानां दशकम् ॥ कZ_०४.२.२८ ॥

Transliteration

anujñātakrayād upari caiṣāṃ svadeśīyānāṃ paṇyānāṃ pañcakaṃ śatam ājīvaṃ sthāpayet paradeśīyānāṃ daśakam

Translation

അനുമതിച്ച വാങ്ങുവിലയ്ക്ക് മുകളിലായി, ദേശിയ ചരക്കുകൾക്ക് നൂറിൽ അഞ്ച് (5%)യും വിദേശ ചരക്കുകൾക്ക് നൂറിൽ പത്ത് (10%)യും എന്ന തോതിൽ ഉപജീവന-മാർജിൻ (ലാഭം) നിശ്ചയിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• अनुज्ञातक्रयात्: from/after authorized purchase (i.e., on goods whose sale is permitted)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: अनु-ज्ञा (√ज्ञा) / क्रय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-भावे; पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (अपादान/हेतौ) — ‘अनुज्ञात-क्रय’ = ‘अनुज्ञातः क्रयः’ तस्मात्

• उपरि: over and above; additionally
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि
• Form: अव्ययम्; ‘on/over/above; in addition’

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• एषाम्: of these
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (सम्बन्धे)

• स्वदेशीयानाम्: of local (native)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: स्वदेशीय
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् ‘पण्यानाम्’ इत्यस्य

• पण्यानाम्: of goods/commodities
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; षष्ठी बहुवचनम्

• पञ्चकम्: five (hundreds)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (numeral derivative)
• Root: पञ्चक
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘शतम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (five)

• शतम्: a hundred
• Type: Noun (numeral)
• Root: शत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘आजीवम्’ इत्यस्य कर्म/परिमाणम्

• आजीवम्: the livelihood levy / license-fee
• Type: Noun
• Root: आजीव
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘स्थापयेत्’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• स्थापयेत्: should fix/establish
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; causative sense in usage ‘to fix/establish’

• परदेशीयानाम्: of foreign (non-local)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: परदेशीय
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचनम्; (पण्यानाम्) इति शेषः

• दशकम्: ten (hundreds)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (numeral derivative)
• Root: दशक
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; (शतम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (ten)

Entities Mentioned

• local merchants
• foreign merchants/imports
• paṇyādhyakṣa (implied)

More Details

FAQs

Why different margins for local vs foreign goods?

Foreign goods typically involve higher risk, transport costs, and uncertainty; a higher capped margin accommodates this while still preventing profiteering.

What is ‘ājīva’ in this context?

A regulated livelihood allowance—i.e., the maximum permissible profit margin.