Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 6 Sutra 2 - Arthashastra | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 2

Devanagari script

शुल्कं दण्डः पौतवं नागरिको लक्षणाध्यक्षो मुद्राध्यक्षः सुरा सूना सूत्रं तैलं घृतं क्षारः सौवर्णिकः पण्यसंस्था वेश्या द्यूतं वास्तुकं कारुशिल्पिगणो देवताध्यक्षो द्वारबहिरिकादेयं च दुर्गम् ॥ कZ_०२.६.०२ ॥

Transliteration

śulkaṃ daṇḍaḥ pautavaṃ nāgariko lakṣaṇādhyakṣo mudrādhyakṣaḥ surā sūnā sūtraṃ tailaṃ ghṛtaṃ kṣāraḥ sauvarṇikaḥ paṇyasaṃsthā veśyā dyūtaṃ vāstukaṃ kāruśilpigaṇo devatādhyakṣo dvārabahirikādeyaṃ ca durgam

Translation

दुर्गस्य आयस्थानम्—शुल्कं दण्डः पौतवं नागरिकः लक्षणाध्यक्षः मुद्राध्यक्षः सुरा सूना सूत्रं तैलं घृतं क्षारः सौवर्णिकः पण्यसंस्था वेश्या द्यूतं वास्तुकं कारुशिल्पिगणः देवताध्यक्षः द्वारबहिरिकादेयं च।

Word by Word

शुल्कम्customs duty; toll

दण्डःfine; penalty; punishment

पौतवम्weights-and-measures/assay department (pautava)

नागरिकःcity superintendent; municipal officer

लक्षणाध्यक्षःsuperintendent/inspector of marks (standards, identifying marks)

मुद्राध्यक्षःsuperintendent of the mint; coinage officer

सुराliquor; spirit

सूनाslaughterhouse; butchery

सूत्रम्thread; yarn

तैलम्oil

घृतम्ghee; clarified butter

क्षारःalkali; caustic salt

सौवर्णिकःgoldsmith; worker in gold

पण्यसंस्थाmarket organization; trading establishment

वेश्याcourtesan; prostitute

द्यूतम्gambling; game of dice

वास्तुकम्building works; architecture/construction

कारुशिल्पिगणःguild/body of artisans and craftsmen

देवताध्यक्षःsuperintendent of temples/deity establishments

द्वारबहिरिकादेयम्gate/outpost levy collected outside the city gate

चand

दुर्गम्fort; fortress

Entities Mentioned

Customs office

Courts/penal administration

Ferry/ports

Municipal administration (nāgarika)

Standards/weights office

Mint

Liquor administration

Slaughterhouse

Market institution

Guilds

Temple administration

Gate/checkpoint administration

FAQs

What is the administrative intent of listing these items under ‘durga’?

To enumerate the predictable, controllable revenue streams of the fortified city—largely regulatory, licensing, and checkpoint-based collections—so they can be budgeted, assigned to offices, and audited.

Which revenues here reflect state control over vice/regulated consumption?

Liquor (surā), slaughterhouse (sūnā), courtesans (veśyā), and gambling (dyūta) indicate licensing/monopoly-style control with fiscal extraction.