Sutra 24

Devanagari script

ग्रामदेववृषा वानिर्दशाहा वा धेनुरुक्षाणो गोवृषाश्चादण्ड्याः ॥ कZ_०३.१०.२४ ॥

Transliteration

grāmadevavṛṣā vā nirdiśāhā vā dhenur ukṣāṇo govṛṣāś cādaṇḍyāḥ

Translation

ਪਿੰਡ ਦੇ ਦੇਵਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਪਿਤ ਪਿੰਡ ਦੇ ਸਾਂਡ, ਜਾਂ ‘ਨਿਰਦਿਸਾਹ’ (ਅਣ-ਨਿਰਧਾਰਤ/ਮਾਲਕ-ਰਹਿਤ) ਘੋਸ਼ਿਤ ਪਸ਼ੂ, ਅਤੇ ਗਾਂਵਾਂ, ਉਕਸ਼ਾਣ (ਬਲਦ) ਅਤੇ ਵ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਭ (ਸਾਂਡ)—ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਜੁਰਮਾਨਾ ਨਹੀਂ।

Word by Word

• ग्रामदेववृषाः: village ‘sacred/temple’ bulls
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषन् (वृष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन; समासः—ग्रामस्य देववृषाः (ग्रामदेववृषाः)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-समुच्चय (or)

• निर्दशाहाः: toothless (old) bulls
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन् (दश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन; समासः—निर्दशाः (न + दश) = ‘दन्तरहिताः’

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-समुच्चय (or)

• धेनुः: a milch cow
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• उक्षाणः: a bull (breeding bull)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्षन् (उक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• गोवृषाः: cattle-bulls
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषन् (वृष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन; समासः—गोवृषाः = गवां वृषाः / गोः वृषाः (cattle-bulls)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• अदण्ड्याः: not punishable / exempt from penalty
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्ड्य (दण्ड)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन; समासः—अदण्ड्याः = न दण्ड्याः (दण्डार्हा न)

Entities Mentioned

• grāmadeva (village deity)
• consecrated village bull
• nirdiśāha animals (unassigned/stray category)
• dhenū (cow)
• ukṣāṇa (ox)
• govṛṣa (bull)

More Details

FAQs

Why would the text exempt certain animals from fines?

To avoid penalizing animals with diffuse or sacred/community ownership where enforcement would be impractical or socially destabilizing.