Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 8 Sutra 26 - Arthashastra | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 26

Devanagari script

पूर्वकृतापदानं प्रतिज्ञायापहरन्तमेकदेशदृष्टद्रव्यं कर्मणा रूपेण वा गृहीतं राजकोशमवस्तृणन्तं कर्मवध्यं वा राजवचनात्समस्तं व्यस्तमभ्यस्तं वा कर्म कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०४.८.२६ ॥

Transliteration

pūrvakṛtāpadānaṃ pratijñāyāpaharantam ekadeśadṛṣṭadravyaṃ karmaṇā rūpeṇa vā gṛhītaṃ rājakośam avastṛṇantaṃ karmavadhyaṃ vā rājavacanāt samastaṃ vyastaṃ abhyastaṃ vā karma kārayet

Translation

पूर्वकृतापदानं प्रतिज्ञायापहरन्तम्, एकदेशदृष्टद्रव्यम्, कर्मणा रूपेण वा गृहीतम्, राजकोशमवस्तृणन्तम्, कर्मवध्यं वा—राजवचनात् समस्तं व्यस्तमभ्यस्तं वा कर्म कारयेत्।

Word by Word

पूर्वकृतpreviously committed (earlier-done)

अपदानम्a prior offence / previous misdeed (record)

प्रतिज्ञायhaving promised / having undertaken

अपहरन्तम्one who is carrying off / stealing

एकदेशa part / partial

दृष्टseen / observed

द्रव्यम्property / valuables

एकदेशदृष्टद्रव्यम्property identified only in part / partially traced property

कर्मणाby an act / by deed

रूपेणby form/appearance/marks

वाor

गृहीतम्seized / taken into custody

राजकोशम्the royal treasury

अवस्तृणन्तम्one who is stripping/denuding (plundering)

कर्मवध्यम्punishable / liable to penalty

वाor

राजवचनात्by the king’s command

समस्तम्as a whole / collectively

व्यस्तम्separately / in parts

अभ्यस्तम्repeated / habitual

वाor

कर्मpunishment / penal action (or act)

कारयेत्should cause (it) to be done / should impose

Entities Mentioned

rājā

treasury (rājakośa)

offender/embezzler

FAQs

What triggers harsher/compound punishment here?

Recidivism after settlement, partial recovery suggesting concealment, continued treasury-plunder, and cases formally qualifying for corporal penalties.

What is the control on discretion?

Escalation (full/separate/repeated) is tied to ‘rājavacana’—explicit sovereign authorization, not mere officer whim.