Arthashastra 3.13.26: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 26

Devanagari script

कर्मकरस्य कर्मसम्बन्धमासन्ना विद्युः ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.13.26

Transliteration

karmakarasya karmasambandhamāsannā vidyuḥ |

Translation

Bagi buruh upahan (karmakara), kewajipan difahami sebagai berkait rapat (terikat secara langsung) dengan hubungan kerja itu sendiri.

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Word by Word

• कर्मकरस्य: of the labourer/servant
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मकर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; (कर्म + कर) ‘काम करने वाला’
• Compound: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष
• In statecraft: कर्मकर = hired labourer/servant (wage-labour category)

• कर्मसम्बन्धम्: the relation/connection to the work (employment relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्बन्ध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; (कर्मणः सम्बन्धः)
• Compound: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष
• In statecraft: employment/work-relationship (service contract / relation to the work)

• आसन्नाः: those who are near/close (i.e., the close associates/nearby persons)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आसन्न
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘निकटस्थाः/समीपस्थाः’

• विद्युः: should know / must know
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्गार्थे प्रयोगः); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन; धातु: विद् (ज्ञाने)

Sandhi Notes

• कर्मकरस्य कर्मसम्बन्धमासन्ना विद्युः इति पदच्छेदः
• ‘कर्मसम्बन्धम् + आसन्नाः’ → ‘कर्मसम्बन्धमासन्नाः’ (अकार-सन्धिः: म् + आ → मा; पदान्त-व्यञ्जनस्य परे स्वरः)

Entities Mentioned

• karmakara (worker)

Topic and Governance

Prakarana (topic)

Karmakara (wage-labour) contracts—nature of obligation

Governance domain

Contract law; labour administration; dispute interpretation

Vocabulary Breakdown

Technical Terms

FAQs

How does this sūtra guide adjudication of labour disputes?

It instructs the adjudicator to interpret duties and claims primarily through the concrete work-relationship (what work was undertaken and under what terms), rather than unrelated personal claims.