Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 49

Devanagari script

तेन सौवर्णराजतानि भाण्डानि क्षीयन्ते न चैषां किंचिदवरुग्णं भवति ॥ कZ_०२.१४.४९ ॥

Transliteration

tena sauvarṇarājatāni bhāṇḍāni kṣīyante na caiṣāṃ kiṃcid avarugṇaṃ bhavati

Translation

அந்த உராய்வினால் தங்கம்-வெள்ளிப் பாத்திரங்கள் பொருளளவில் குறைகின்றன; ஆனால் அவற்றில் வெளிப்படையான சேதமோ உடைதலோ எதுவும் தெரியாது.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that; thereby
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; तृतीया-एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (करणे)

• सौवर्ण-राजतानि: gold and silver (made of gold and silver)
• Type: Adjective (compound)
• Root: सौवर्ण (सु-वर्ण) / राजत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (भाण्डानि इति विशेषणम्)

• भाण्डानि: vessels; utensils; articles
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाण्ड
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन

• क्षीयन्ते: are diminished; wear away; get reduced
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षि (क्षीयते)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; भ्वादि/क्षयार्थक धातु; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (they waste away/are diminished)

• न: not
• Type: Particle (Negation)
• Root: न
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• च: and
• Type: Particle (Conjunction)
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• एषाम्: of these; of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-बहुवचन; (पुं/नपुंसक)

• किञ्चित्: anything; something (even a little)
• Type: Pronoun (indefinite)
• Root: किम्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः ‘something/anything’

• अवरुग्णम्: broken; damaged; cracked
• Type: Adjective / Past participle
• Root: अव-रुज् (रुज्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (किञ्चित् इति विशेषणम्)

• भवति: becomes; is; occurs
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Entities Mentioned

• gold vessels
• silver vessels

More Details

FAQs

What is the administrative implication of ‘loss without visible damage’?

Inspection must rely on measurement (weight/standard size) and records, not merely on visual condition.