Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 25 Sutra 6 - Arthashastra | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 6

Devanagari script

निक्षेपोपनिधिप्रयोगापहृतानामनिष्टोपगतानां च द्रव्याणां ज्ञानार्थमस्वामिकं कुप्यं हिरण्यं चोपलभ्य निष्केप्तारमन्यत्र व्यपदेशेन ग्राहयेदतिव्ययकर्तारमनायतिव्ययं च ॥ कZ_०२.२५.०६ ॥

Transliteration

nikṣepopanidhiprayogāpahṛtānām aniṣṭopagatānāṃ ca dravyāṇāṃ jñānārtham asvāmikaṃ kupyaṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca upalabhya niṣkeptāram anyatra vyapadeśena grāhayed ativyayakartāram anāyativyayaṃ ca

Translation

निक्षेप-उपनिधि-प्रयोग-अपहृतानाम्, अनिष्टोपगतानां च द्रव्याणां ज्ञानार्थम्, अस्वामिकं कुप्यं हिरण्यं चोपलभ्य, निष्केप्तारं (दावेदारं) अन्यत्र व्यपदेशेन ग्राहयेत्; अतिव्ययकर्तारम् अनायतिव्ययं च ग्राहयेत्।

Word by Word

निक्षेपdeposit; property placed in custody

उपनिधिconcealed deposit; hidden property entrusted

प्रयोगuse; employment; (here) transaction/entrusted use

अपहृतानाम्of (things) taken away; stolen/removed

अनिष्टundesired; adverse

उपगतानाम्of (things) that have come to (an undesired state); that have met with misfortune

चand

द्रव्याणाम्of properties/assets

ज्ञानार्थम्for the purpose of ascertaining/knowing

अस्वामिकम्ownerless; without a claimant/known owner

कुप्यम्movable goods/wares (non-gold valuables)

हिरण्यम्gold; monetary precious metal

चand

उपलभ्यhaving obtained/found

निक्षेप्तारम्the depositor; the person who placed (it) in deposit

अन्यत्रelsewhere; otherwise

व्यपदेशेनby a pretext/under another designation

ग्राहयेत्should cause (him) to be made to take/receive; should have (him) apprehended/compelled to accept

अतिव्ययकर्तारम्the one who has made excessive expenditure; the misappropriator

अनायतिव्ययम्irrecoverable expenditure; non-returning loss

चand

Entities Mentioned

depositor/claimant (niṣkeptṛ)

ownerless goods (asvāmika kupya)

gold (hiraṇya)

suspects of illicit wealth

FAQs

What investigative technique is described here?

A pretext-based apprehension and identification method: use found ‘ownerless’ valuables to draw out claimants/suspects and detain them, and flag suspects by spending patterns inconsistent with income.

What is the underlying governance logic?

Treat unexplained wealth and abnormal consumption as actionable indicators for inquiry, protecting state order and property rights.