Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 6 Sutra 2 - Arthashastra | Marathi | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 2

Devanagari script

शुल्कं दण्डः पौतवं नागरिको लक्षणाध्यक्षो मुद्राध्यक्षः सुरा सूना सूत्रं तैलं घृतं क्षारः सौवर्णिकः पण्यसंस्था वेश्या द्यूतं वास्तुकं कारुशिल्पिगणो देवताध्यक्षो द्वारबहिरिकादेयं च दुर्गम् ॥ कZ_०२.६.०२ ॥

Transliteration

śulkaṃ daṇḍaḥ pautavaṃ nāgariko lakṣaṇādhyakṣo mudrādhyakṣaḥ surā sūnā sūtraṃ tailaṃ ghṛtaṃ kṣāraḥ sauvarṇikaḥ paṇyasaṃsthā veśyā dyūtaṃ vāstukaṃ kāruśilpigaṇo devatādhyakṣo dvārabahirikādeyaṃ ca durgam

Translation

दुर्ग (नगर) उत्पन्नाचा आधार—शुल्क, दंड, नौ-परिवहन/फेरी-कर (पौतव), नागरिक-कर, लक्षणाध्यक्ष (मानक/चिन्ह) यांची आय, मुद्राध्यक्ष (टकसाळ) आय, सुरा-आय, सूना (वधशाळा) आय, सूत्र (सूत्र/वस्त्र) आय, तैल, घृत, क्षार, सौवर्णिक (सोनार) आय, पण्यसंस्था (नियंत्रित बाजार) आय, वेश्या-आय, द्यूत (जुगार) आय, वास्तुक (बांधकाम) आय, कारु-शिल्पिगण (कारागीर-शिल्पी संघ) आय, देवताध्यक्ष (देवालय/तीर्थ-प्रशासन) आय, तसेच द्वार व द्वाराबाहेरील चौक्यांवरील वसुली।

Word by Word

शुल्कम्customs duty; toll

दण्डःfine; penalty; punishment

पौतवम्weights-and-measures/assay department (pautava)

नागरिकःcity superintendent; municipal officer

लक्षणाध्यक्षःsuperintendent/inspector of marks (standards, identifying marks)

मुद्राध्यक्षःsuperintendent of the mint; coinage officer

सुराliquor; spirit

सूनाslaughterhouse; butchery

सूत्रम्thread; yarn

तैलम्oil

घृतम्ghee; clarified butter

क्षारःalkali; caustic salt

सौवर्णिकःgoldsmith; worker in gold

पण्यसंस्थाmarket organization; trading establishment

वेश्याcourtesan; prostitute

द्यूतम्gambling; game of dice

वास्तुकम्building works; architecture/construction

कारुशिल्पिगणःguild/body of artisans and craftsmen

देवताध्यक्षःsuperintendent of temples/deity establishments

द्वारबहिरिकादेयम्gate/outpost levy collected outside the city gate

चand

दुर्गम्fort; fortress

Entities Mentioned

Customs office

Courts/penal administration

Ferry/ports

Municipal administration (nāgarika)

Standards/weights office

Mint

Liquor administration

Slaughterhouse

Market institution

Guilds

Temple administration

Gate/checkpoint administration

FAQs

What is the administrative intent of listing these items under ‘durga’?

To enumerate the predictable, controllable revenue streams of the fortified city—largely regulatory, licensing, and checkpoint-based collections—so they can be budgeted, assigned to offices, and audited.

Which revenues here reflect state control over vice/regulated consumption?

Liquor (surā), slaughterhouse (sūnā), courtesans (veśyā), and gambling (dyūta) indicate licensing/monopoly-style control with fiscal extraction.