Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 41

Devanagari script

मणयो रूप्यं सुवर्णं वा घनसुषिराणां पिङ्कः ॥ कZ_०२.१४.४१ ॥

Transliteration

maṇayo rūpyaṃ suvarṇaṃ vā ghanasuṣirāṇāṃ piṅkaḥ

Translation

ਮਣੀ, ਚਾਂਦੀ ਜਾਂ ਸੋਨਾ—ਘਣਾ ਹੋਵੇ ਜਾਂ ਖੋਖਲਾ—‘ਪਿੰਗਕ’ ਨਾਮਕ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਉਂਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• मणयः: gems, precious stones
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्

• रूप्यम्: silver
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्ययम्; विकल्पार्थक-निपातः

• घनसुषिराणाम्: of (things) that are solid or hollow
• Type: Noun
• Root: घनसुषिर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-बहुवचनम्; घन + सुषिर (घनानि वा सुषिराणि वा—इत्यर्थे पदार्थ-विशेषणसमासः)

• पिङ्कः: ‘piṅka’ (a specific technical item/defect/mixture term in this context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्क
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

Entities Mentioned

• gems
• silver
• gold
• solid/hollow construction
• piṅka category

More Details

FAQs

Why classify precious items by ‘solid’ vs ‘hollow’?

Hollow construction enables concealment/substitution and weight fraud; classification cues inspectors to apply stricter tests and valuation rules.