Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 35 Sutra 8 - Arthashastra | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 8

Devanagari script

समाहर्तृप्रदिष्टाश्च गृहपतिकव्यञ्जना येषु ग्रामेषु प्रणिहितास्तेषां ग्रामाणां क्षेत्रगृहकुलाग्रं विद्युः मानसंजाताभ्यां क्षेत्राणि भोगपरिहाराभ्यां गृहाणि वर्णकर्मभ्यां कुलानि च ॥ कZ_०२.३५.०८ ॥

Transliteration

samāhartṛpradiṣṭāś ca gṛhapatika-vyañjanā yeṣu grāmeṣu praṇihitās teṣāṃ grāmāṇāṃ kṣetra-gṛha-kulāgraṃ vidyuḥ; māna-saṃjātābhyāṃ kṣetrāṇi, bhoga-parihārābhyāṃ gṛhāṇi, varṇa-karmabhyāṃ kulāni ca

Translation

समाहर्तृप्रदिष्टा गृहपतिकव्यञ्जनाः ये ग्रामेषु प्रणिहिताः, ते तेषां ग्रामाणां क्षेत्रगृहकुलाग्रं विद्युः—मानसंजाताभ्यां क्षेत्राणि, भोगपरिहाराभ्यां गृहाणि, वर्णकर्मभ्यां कुलानि च।

Word by Word

समाहर्तृ-प्रदिष्टाः(those) instructed/appointed by the Samāhartṛ

चand

गृहपति-क-व्यञ्जनाःbearing the credentials/marks of the village householders (headmen)

येwho/which (persons)

षुin (locative plural ending)

ग्रामेषुin the villages

प्रणिहिताःposted/assigned

तेषाम्of them

ग्रामाणाम्of the villages

क्षेत्र-गृह-कुल-अग्रम्the complete particulars/aggregate of fields, houses, and families

विद्युःthey should know/ascertain

मान-संजाताभ्याम्by (data) derived from measurement/assessment

क्षेत्राणिfields

भोग-परिहाराभ्याम्by (records of) occupancy/enjoyment and exemptions/remissions

गृहाणिhouses

वर्ण-कर्मभ्याम्by (their) social category and occupation

कुलानिfamilies/households

चand

Entities Mentioned

samāhartṛ (Collector-General)

planted agents (praṇihita)

villages

householders and traders (cover identities)

FAQs

Why measure fields by both māna (area) and saṃjāta (yield)?

Area alone can be manipulated; yield cross-validates productivity and helps detect underreporting, crop concealment, or fraudulent classification.

Why track houses by bhoga and parihāra?

Occupancy/use reveals real economic status, while exemptions/remissions are common leakage points; pairing them enables audit of privilege claims.