Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 4 Sutra 17 - Arthashastra | Punjabi | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 17

Devanagari script

यं वा रसस्य कर्तारं क्रेतारं विक्रेतारं भैषज्याहारव्यवहारिणं वा रसदं मन्येत तं सत्त्री ब्रूयात् असौ मे शत्रुः तस्योपघातः क्रियतामयं चार्थः प्रतिगृह्यतामिति ॥ कZ_०४.४.१७ ॥

Transliteration

yaṃ vā rasasya kartāraṃ kretāraṃ vikretāraṃ bhaiṣajyāhāravyavahāriṇaṃ vā rasadaṃ manyeta taṃ sattrī brūyāt: asau me śatruḥ; tasyopaghātaḥ kriyatām; ayaṃ cārthaḥ pratigṛhyatām iti

Translation

ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ ‘ਰਸ’ (ਜ਼ਹਿਰ) ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਸਮਝੇ—ਚਾਹੇ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਵਾਲਾ, ਖਰੀਦਣ ਵਾਲਾ, ਵੇਚਣ ਵਾਲਾ, ਜਾਂ ਦਵਾਈ ਅਤੇ ਖੁਰਾਕ ਦੇ ਵਪਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੱਗਾ ਹੋਇਆ—ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਸੱਤ੍ਰੀ ਕਹੇ: ‘ਉਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਦੁਸ਼ਮਣ ਹੈ; ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਪਹੁੰਚਾਇਆ ਜਾਵੇ; ਅਤੇ ਇਹ ਰਕਮ ਕਬੂਲ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇ।’

Word by Word

यम्whom

वाor

रसस्यof poison / of the poison-substance

कर्तारम्the maker (preparer)

क्रेतारम्the buyer

विक्रेतारम्the seller

भैषज्याहारव्यवहारिणम्one who deals in medicines and food (a trader/handler)

वाor

रसदम्a giver/supplier of poison

मन्येतshould suspect/think

तम्him

सत्त्रीa female agent (spy)

ब्रूयात्should say/tell

असौthat man / he there

मेmy

शत्रुःenemy

तस्यof him / his

उपघातःharm, attack, injury

क्रियताम्let it be done / should be carried out

अयम्this

चand

अर्थःmoney, payment, purpose

प्रतिगृह्यताम्let it be accepted/received

इतिthus

Entities Mentioned

sattrī (agent)

rasada (poison supplier)

medicine/food traders

FAQs

Why are medicine and food traders mentioned alongside poison suppliers?

Because poisoning can be disguised through legitimate channels; the state therefore monitors dual-use trades and tests suspects via controlled solicitation.