Sutra 28

Devanagari script

अनुज्ञातक्रयादुपरि चैषां स्वदेशीयानां पण्यानां पञ्चकं शतमाजीवं स्थापयेत्परदेशीयानां दशकम् ॥ कZ_०४.२.२८ ॥

Transliteration

anujñātakrayād upari caiṣāṃ svadeśīyānāṃ paṇyānāṃ pañcakaṃ śatam ājīvaṃ sthāpayet paradeśīyānāṃ daśakam

Translation

अनुज्ञात-क्रयात् उपरि च एषां स्वदेशीयानां पण्यानां पञ्चकं शतम् आजीवं स्थापयेत्; परदेशीयानां दशकम्।

Word by Word

अनुज्ञातक्रयात्from/after authorized purchase (i.e., on goods whose sale is permitted)

उपरिover and above; additionally

चand

एषाम्of these

स्वदेशीयानाम्of local (native)

पण्यानाम्of goods/commodities

पञ्चकम्five (hundreds)

शतम्a hundred

आजीवम्the livelihood levy / license-fee

स्थापयेत्should fix/establish

परदेशीयानाम्of foreign (non-local)

दशकम्ten (hundreds)

Entities Mentioned

local merchants

foreign merchants/imports

paṇyādhyakṣa (implied)

FAQs

Why different margins for local vs foreign goods?

Foreign goods typically involve higher risk, transport costs, and uncertainty; a higher capped margin accommodates this while still preventing profiteering.

What is ‘ājīva’ in this context?

A regulated livelihood allowance—i.e., the maximum permissible profit margin.