Arthashastra 3.13.31: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 31

Devanagari script

वित्तापहारिणो वा दासस्यार्यभावमपहरतोऽर्धदण्डः ॥ कZ_०३.१३.०७ ॥

Transliteration

vittāpahāriṇo vā dāsasyāryabhāvam apaharato'rdhadaṇḍaḥ

Translation

साक्षिप्रत्ययमेव प्रमाणं स्यात्।

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Word by Word

• वित्त: wealth, property
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (धन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• अपहारिणः: (those) who take away/steal
• Type: Noun (agent)
• Root: अप-हृ (हृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि-णिनि/इनि-प्रत्ययान्त (अपहारिन्)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• दासस्य: of a slave
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• आर्यभावम्: the status/condition of an Ārya (free person)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्यभाव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपहरतः: of (one) who takes away/deprives
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: अप-हृ (हृ)
• Form: लट्-लकारार्थे शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; परस्मैपदी; षष्ठी, एकवचन (यस्य—‘of one who is taking away’)

• अर्धदण्डः: half the penalty/fine
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्धदण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

Entities Mentioned

• dāsa (slave)
• ārya-bhāva (free status)

More Details

FAQs

What does ‘depriving a dāsa of ārya-bhāva’ imply administratively?

It targets unlawful manipulation of legal status—e.g., falsely denying a person’s protected standing or unlawfully converting/holding someone as non-free—treated as a punishable harm akin to theft.