Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 4 Sutra 20 - Arthashastra | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 20

Devanagari script

यं वा नानालोहक्षाराणामङ्गारभस्मासंदंशमुष्टिकाधिकरणीबिम्बटङ्कमूषाणामभीक्ष्णक्रेतारं मषीभस्मधूमदिग्धहस्तवस्त्रलिङ्गं कर्मारोपकरणसंसर्गं कूटरूपकारकं मन्येत तं सत्त्री शिष्यत्वेन संव्यवहारेण चानुप्रविश्य प्रज्ञापयेत् ॥ कZ_०४.४.२० ॥

Transliteration

yaṃ vā nānālohakṣārāṇām aṅgārabhasmāsaṃdaṃśamuṣṭikādhikaraṇībimbaṭaṅkamūṣāṇām abhīkṣṇakretāraṃ maṣībhasmadhūmadigdhahastavastraliṅgaṃ karmāropakaraṇasaṃsargaṃ kūṭarūpakārakaṃ manyeta taṃ sattrī śiṣyatvena saṃvyavahāreṇa cānupraviśya prajñāpayet

Translation

यम् वा नानालोहक्षाराणाम्, अङ्गारभस्म, संदंशमुष्टिकादीनाम्, अधिकरणीबिम्बटङ्कमूषाणाम् अभीक्ष्णक्रेतारम्, मषीभस्मधूमदिग्धहस्तवस्त्रलिङ्गम्, कर्मारोपकरणसंसर्गं, कूटरूपकारकं मन्येत—तं सत्त्री शिष्यत्वेन संव्यवहारेण चानुप्रविश्य प्रज्ञापयेत्।

Word by Word

यम्whom

वाor

नानाvarious, different kinds of

लोह-क्षाराणाम्of metals and alkalis

अङ्गार-भस्म-असंदंश-मुष्टिका-अधिकरणी-बिम्ब-टङ्क-मूषाणाम्of charcoal, ash, tongs, (hand-)pincers, anvil/support, die/blank, chisel/punch, and crucibles

अभीक्ष्ण-क्रेतारम्a frequent purchaser

मषी-भस्म-धूम-दिग्ध-हस्त-वस्त्र-लिङ्गम्one whose hands and clothes bear signs of ink/soot/ash/smoke stains

कर्मार-उपकरण-संसर्गम्one associated with a smith’s implements

कूट-रूप-कारकम्a maker of counterfeit forms (a forger)

मन्येतshould suspect/consider

तम्him

सत्त्रीa spy

शिष्यत्वेनas (his) pupil/apprentice

संव्यवहारेणby (normal) dealings/transactions

चand

अनुप्रविश्यhaving entered/infiltrated

प्रज्ञापयेत्should inform/notify

Entities Mentioned

kūṭarūpakāraka (counterfeiter)

sattrī (agent)

metal/alkali suppliers

smithing tools (dies, crucibles, tongs)

FAQs

What is the investigative logic used to identify a counterfeiter in this sutra?

Behavioral and supply-chain profiling (frequent purchase of specific inputs/tools, soot-marked clothing, equipment associations) followed by deep infiltration as an apprentice to confirm and document the crime.