Arthashastra 4.11.2 — Kantakashodhana, Adhyaya 11, Sutra 2

Devanagari script

सप्तरात्रस्यान्तर्मृते शुद्धवधः पक्षस्यान्तरुत्तमः मासस्यान्तः पञ्चशतः समुत्थानव्ययश्च ॥ कZ_०४.११.०२ ॥

Transliteration

saptarātrasyāntarmṛte śuddhavadhaḥ pakṣasyāntaruttamaḥ māsasyāntaḥ pañcaśataḥ samutthānavyayaś ca

Translation

सप्तरात्रस्यान्तर्मृते शुद्धवधः पक्षस्यान्तरुत्तमः मासस्यान्तः पञ्चशतः समुत्थानव्ययश्च।

Word by Word

• सप्तरात्रस्य: of a period of seven nights (i.e., within seven days)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तरात्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; (सप्त + रात्र) समास; ‘सप्तरात्र’ = सात रातों/सात दिनों की अवधि

• अन्तः: within
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः
• Form: अव्यय; ‘अन्तः’ = भीतर/के भीतर (काल-सीमा सूचक)

• मृते: upon (someone) having died / in the event of death
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: मृ
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); ‘मृत’—पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; लोकेटिव एकवचन; ‘मृते’ = (उसके) मर जाने पर/मृत अवस्था में

• शुद्धवधः: a ‘clear/clean’ execution (capital punishment in a clearly established case)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; (शुद्ध + वध) = ‘शुद्ध’ विशेषण + ‘वध’

• पक्षस्य: of a fortnight
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; ‘पक्ष’ = पखवाड़ा/पक्ष (fortnight)

• अन्तः: within
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः
• Form: अव्यय; ‘अन्तः’ = भीतर/के भीतर

• उत्तमः: the higher/better (option/limit)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘उत्तम’ = श्रेष्ठ/उत्तम (यहाँ: उच्चतर/अधिकतम सीमा/श्रेष्ठ विकल्प)

• मासस्य: of a month
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; ‘मास’ = महीना

• अन्तः: within
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः
• Form: अव्यय; ‘अन्तः’ = भीतर/के भीतर

• पञ्चशतः: five hundred
• Type: Numeral (adjectival)
• Root: पञ्चशत
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; (पञ्च + शत) = 500; संख्यावाचक

• समुत्थानव्ययः: expenditure connected with origination/undertaking (operational/enterprise-related expense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; (समुत्थान + व्यय) = ‘समुत्थानस्य व्ययः’/‘समुत्थान-सम्बद्ध व्यय’; समुत्थान = उद्भव/उत्पत्ति/उत्थान (rise/origin)

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

Entities Mentioned

• victim
• offender
• state/judiciary

More Details

FAQs

What administrative principle is used here to classify liability for death after an assault?

A time-based causation test: the closer the death is to the injury, the stronger the presumption of direct responsibility and the harsher the penalty.

What policy goal is served by adding samutthāna-vyaya?

It enforces restitution in addition to punishment, shifting the economic burden of harm from victims to offenders.