Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 9 Sutra 15 - Arthashastra | Malay | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 15

Devanagari script

देयं देशं न पृच्छति अदेयं देशं पृच्छति कार्यमदेशेनातिवाहयति छलेनातिहरति कालहरणेन श्रान्तमपवाहयति मार्गापन्नं वाक्यमुत्क्रमयति मतिसाहाय्यं साक्षिभ्यो ददाति तारितानुशिष्टं कार्यं पुनरपि गृह्णाति उत्तममस्मै साहसदण्डं कुर्यात् ॥ कZ_०४.९.१५ ॥

Transliteration

deyaṃ deśaṃ na pṛcchati adeyaṃ deśaṃ pṛcchati kāryamadeśenātivāhayati chalenātiharati kālaharaṇena śrāntamapavāhayati mārgāpannaṃ vākyamutkramayati matisāhāyyaṃ sākṣibhyo dadāti tāritānuśiṣṭaṃ kāryaṃ punarapi gṛhṇāti uttamamasmai sāhasadaṇḍaṃ kuryāt

Translation

Jika seorang hakim tidak menyiasat tempat/venue yang wajar, menyiasat venue yang tidak wajar, menyeret kes ke forum yang tidak sesuai, melupuskannya melalui helah, melelahkan pihak dengan kelewatan yang disengajakan, menyimpang daripada tatacara yang betul bagi kenyataan yang direkodkan, memberi “bantuan intelektual” kepada saksi, atau membuka semula perkara yang telah diselesaikan dan diarahkan, maka dia hendaklah dikenakan denda sāhasa gred tertinggi.

Word by Word

देयम्(what is) payable / to be given

देशम्place; locality; jurisdiction

नnot

पृच्छतिasks; inquires

अदेयम्not payable; not to be given

देशम्place; locality

पृच्छतिasks; inquires

कार्यम्case; matter; business

अदेशेनby/with an improper place (wrong venue)

अतिवाहयतिcauses to be carried over; delays; prolongs

छलेनby fraud/deceit; by a quibble

अतिहरतिtakes away; carries off; overreaches

कालहरणेनby wasting time; by delay

श्रान्तम्the exhausted (person)

अपवाहयतिcauses to be led away; makes withdraw

मार्गापन्नम्one who has taken the road; a traveller/on the way

वाक्यम्statement; speech; plea

उत्क्रमयतिcauses to deviate; makes overstep; makes retract

मतिसाहाय्यम्help to (their) understanding; prompting/coaching

साक्षिभ्यःto/for the witnesses

ददातिgives

तारितानुशिष्टम्(a matter) already settled/cleared and already instructed/adjudicated

कार्यम्case; matter

पुनःagain

अपिalso; even

गृह्णातिtakes; takes up; entertains

उत्तमम्the highest; maximum

अस्मैto him

साहसदण्डम्the fine for violence/forcible offence

कुर्यात्should do; should impose

Entities Mentioned

dharmastha (judge)

witnesses (sākṣin)

litigant/party

FAQs

What is the administrative harm targeted by this sutra?

Institutionalized harassment through venue manipulation, delay, and coached testimony—forms of corruption that defeat justice without overt bribery.