Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 17

Devanagari script

पञ्चभागावरो मध्यमावरयोः ॥ कZ_०२.३०.१७ ॥

Transliteration

pañca-bhāgāvaro madhyamāvarayoḥ

Translation

मध्यम व कनिष्ठ श्रेणीसाठी हे (उत्तम मानकापेक्षा) पाचव्या भागाने कमी असते.

Word by Word

• पञ्चभागावरः: (is) lower by one-fifth / reduced by a fifth (i.e., one-fifth less)
• Type: Noun (compound adjective)
• Root: पञ्च; भाग; अवर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अवरः = ‘न्यूनः/अधमः’), ‘पञ्चभाग’ इत्यस्य षष्ठीसम्बन्धेन समासः

• मध्यमावरयोः: of the middle and the lower (categories)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: मध्यम; अवर
• Form: द्विवचनस्य स्थाने षष्ठी द्विवचनम्: ‘मध्यम’ तथा ‘अवर’—अनयोः षष्ठी-द्विवचनम्; अर्थः ‘मध्यमस्य च अवरस्य च (मध्ये)’ / ‘मध्यम-अवर-श्रेण्योः’

Entities Mentioned

• horse grades (madhyama/avara)

More Details

FAQs

How do the ‘three aṅgulas less’ and ‘one-fifth less’ rules relate?

They supply two complementary downgrade logics—absolute (aṅgula) and proportional (one-fifth)—usable across different measurements or contexts of assessment.