Arthashastra 3.4.8: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 4, Sutra 8

Devanagari script

वारणाज्ञानयोर्निर्दोषः ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.4.8

Transliteration

vāraṇājñānayor nirdoṣaḥ

Translation

Tiada kesalahan dalam hal pencegahan (bertindak untuk menghentikan) atau kejahilan (ketiadaan pengetahuan/niat).

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Word by Word

• वारण: prevention; restraint; prohibition
• Type: Noun
• Root: √वृ (वरणे) / वारण (निषेध/निवारण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (सामान्यतः ‘निवारणम्/प्रतिषेधः’ अर्थे)
• In statecraft: निवारण/प्रतिषेध (किसी कार्य/प्रवेश/व्यवहार का रोकना)

• अज्ञानयोः: of the two ignorances / of the two kinds of non-knowledge
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-√ज्ञा (ज्ञान) → अज्ञान
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन (यहाँ षष्ठी द्विवचन: ‘(दोनों) अज्ञानों के’)
• In statecraft: अज्ञान (अपरिचय/अविद्या; व्यवहार/विधि का न जानना)

• निर्दोषः: is blameless; not culpable
• Type: Adjective (used predicatively)
• Root: निर्- + दोष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (अस्ति/भवति इति अध्याहृतम्)
• Compound: तत्पुरुष (उपपद/नञ्-रहित; ‘दोष-रहित’)
• In statecraft: अपराध-रहित/दण्डार्ह-न (दोषाभावः)

Sandhi Notes

• Sandhi resolution: वारणाज्ञानयोर्निर्दोषः → वारण + अज्ञानयोः + निर्दोषः
• Here ‘वारण’ + ‘अज्ञानयोः’ gives वारणाज्ञानयोः by vowel coalescence (अ + अ → आ)
• ‘अज्ञानयोः’ + ‘निर्दोषः’ gives अज्ञानयोर्निर्दोषः by visarga replacement before a voiced consonant (ः → र्) (योः + नि- → योर् नि-)

Topic and Governance

Prakarana (topic)

Strī-saṃbandha: defenses/exemptions in restrictions and access

Governance domain

Jurisprudence (mens rea/defenses), adjudication standards

Vocabulary Breakdown

Technical Terms

FAQs

What is the administrative significance of 'ajñāna' here?

It signals that liability depends on knowledge/intent; enforcement should distinguish deliberate facilitation from unknowing involvement.