Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 5 Sutra 14 - Arthashastra | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Sutra 14

Devanagari script

यं चात्रापसर्पोपदेशेन शम्याप्रतोदादीनामपहर्तारं जानीयात्तमेषां प्रत्यादिशेत् एष राज्ञः प्रभावः इति ॥ कZ_०४.५.१४ ॥

Transliteration

yaṃ cātrāpasarpa-upadeśena śamyāpratodādīnām apahartāraṃ jānīyāt tam eṣāṃ pratyādiśet—eṣa rājñaḥ prabhāvaḥ iti

Translation

यश्चात्रापसर्पोपदेशेन शम्याप्रतोदादीनाम् अपहर्तारं जानीयात्, तं तेषां प्रत्यादिशेत— ‘एष राज्ञः प्रभावः’ इति।

Word by Word

यम्whom

चand

अत्रhere; in this matter/context

अपसर्प-उपदेशेनby (means of) an instruction to withdraw/abscond

शम्या-प्रतोद-आदीनाम्of (implements) such as the shamyā and the goad, etc.

अपहर्तारम्the thief/one who has carried off (them)

जानीयात्should identify/ascertain

तम्him

एषाम्of these (persons/things)

प्रत्यादिशेत्should return/hand him over (back) to these (authorities/owners)

एषःthis

राज्ञःof the king

प्रभावःpower/authority

इतिthus

Entities Mentioned

secret informer

king

rural tool-thief

Why emphasize theft of ploughs and goads?

They are productivity-critical assets; protecting them safeguards agricultural output and thus state revenue and stability.

Why publicly point out a thief identified by informants?

It converts covert intelligence into visible deterrence, reinforcing the perception that the state can see hidden wrongdoing.