Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 24

Devanagari script

पूर्वयोः पञ्चपलिकः प्रयामो मांसलोहलवणमणिवर्जम् ॥ कZ_०२.१९.२४ ॥

Transliteration

pūrvayoḥ pañcapalikaḥ prayāmo māṃsalohalavaṇamaṇivarjam

Translation

Para as duas (medidas) anteriores, a capacidade prescrita é de cinco palas—excluindo (o seu uso para) carne, metal, sal e gemas.

Word by Word

• पूर्वयोः: of the two former (ones)
• Type: Noun (Adjective used substantively)
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: षष्ठी-द्विवचनम् (genitive dual); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः सन्दर्भानुसारम्; ‘of the two former/previous (items/measures)’

• पञ्चपलिकः: (is) of five palas
• Type: Noun (measure-term; adjectival)
• Root: पञ्च + पल
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गः; ‘having five palas (in weight/quantity)’

• प्रयामः: the prescribed measure/allowance
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + यम् (यमुँ)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गः; ‘measure/extent/allowance’ (contextual)

• मांस: meat
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्/नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (stem-form used in compound-like listing); item in a list

• लोह: iron/metal
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्/नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (list-item)

• लवण: salt
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्/नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (list-item)

• मणि: gem
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गः (list-item)

• वर्जम्: excluding/excepting
• Type: Noun (verbal noun/gerundive-like usage)
• Root: वृज्/वर्ज् (वर्जने) → वर्ज
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; ‘excluding/excepting’ used adverbially with a list

Entities Mentioned

• māṃsa (meat)
• loha (metal)
• lavaṇa (salt)
• maṇi (gems)
• pala

More Details

FAQs

Why exclude metal, salt, and gems from a general-purpose measure?

These are high-value or strategically sensitive commodities where tighter, specialized weighing and accounting reduce theft, adulteration, and revenue leakage.