Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 8 Sutra 12 - Arthashastra | Portuguese | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 12

Devanagari script

दृश्यते ह्यचोरोऽपि चोरमार्गे यदृच्छया संनिपाते चोरवेषशस्त्रभाण्डसामान्येन गृह्यमाणश्चोरभाण्डस्योपवासेन वा यथाणिमाण्डव्यः कर्मक्लेशभयादचोरः चोरोऽस्मि इति ब्रुवाणः ॥ कZ_०४.८.१२ ॥

Transliteration

dṛśyate hy acoro’pi coramārge yadṛcchayā saṃnipāte coraveṣaśastrabhāṇḍasāmānyena gṛhyamāṇaḥ corabhāṇḍasyopavāsena vā yathā āṇimāṇḍavyaḥ karmakleśabhayād acoraḥ coro’smi iti bruvāṇaḥ

Translation

Pois vê-se que até mesmo uma pessoa inocente pode, por acaso, ser encontrada numa rota de ladrões ou numa reunião fortuita, e ser detida porque suas roupas, armas ou mercadorias se assemelham às dos ladrões; ou, sob a pressão da privação/jejum, como Āṇimāṇḍavya, um inocente—por medo do sofrimento do trabalho forçado—pode dizer: «Sou ladrão».

Word by Word

दृश्यतेis seen / is found

हिindeed / for

अचोरःa non-thief / innocent person

अपिeven / also

चोरमार्गेon a thieves’ path/route

यदृच्छयाby chance / accidentally

संनिपातेat an encounter / in a meeting situation

चोरवेषthief-disguise

शस्त्रweapon

भाण्डgoods / articles

सामान्येनby commonality / by similarity (of indicia)

गृह्यमाणःbeing seized / being apprehended

चोरभाण्डस्यof stolen goods / of a thief’s goods

उपवासेनby fasting (as a means)

वाor

यथाas / just as

आणिमाण्डव्यःĀṇimāṇḍavya (a sage)

कर्मक्लेशभयात्from fear of the hardship of (punitive) action/ordeal

अचोरःan innocent (non-thief) person

चोरःa thief

अस्मिI am

इतिthus (quoting)

ब्रुवाणःsaying / declaring

Entities Mentioned

innocent suspect

thieves

Āṇimāṇḍavya

law enforcement

FAQs

Why does Kautilya mention similarity of dress/weapons/goods?

To warn administrators that ‘appearance-based’ arrest can sweep up innocents; resemblance is a weak indicator unless corroborated.

What is the policy lesson from the Āṇimāṇḍavya reference?

Under duress and fear of punitive labour, innocents may confess; confession must be tested against independent grounds.