Sutra 13

Devanagari script

कार्तान्तिकनैमित्तिकमौहूर्तिकपौराणिकसूतमागधाः पुरोहितपुरुषाः सर्वाध्यक्षाश्च साहस्राः ॥ कZ_०५.३.१३ ॥

Transliteration

kārtāntikanaimittikamauhūrtikapaurāṇikasūtamāgadhāḥ purohitapuruṣāḥ sarvādhyakṣāś ca sāhasrāḥ

Translation

கார்த்தாந்திகர், நைமித்திகர் (சகுனம் விளக்குவோர்), மௌஹூர்த்திகர் (ஜோதிடர்), புராண நிபுணர், சூதர், மாகதர், புரோஹிதரின் பணியாளர்கள், மேலும் அனைத்து கண்காணிப்பாளர்கள்—இவர்கள் அனைவரும் ஆயிரம் (பணம்) நிலை ஊதியத்தில் உள்ளவர்கள்.

Word by Word

कार्तान्तिक-नैमित्तिक-मौहूर्तिक-पौराणिक-सूत-मागधाःKārtāntikas, Naimittikas, Mauhūrtikas, Paurāṇikas, Sūtas, and Māgadhas (various court specialists such as astrologers/omen-readers, time-choosers, traditional historians/bards, heralds/panegyrists)

पुरोहित-पुरुषाःpersons belonging to/serving as the purohita (court-priest personnel)

सर्वाध्यक्षाःall superintendents (heads of departments)

चand

साहस्राः(being) a thousand (in number)

Entities Mentioned

kārtāntika

naimittika

mauhūrtika

paurāṇika

sūta

māgadha

purohita

adhyakṣa

FAQs

What administrative idea is expressed by listing many specialists under one pay-grade?

Kauṭilya standardizes compensation by role-class, creating predictable pay-bands for budgeting and control, while signaling rank within the state apparatus.

Why are superintendents grouped with ritual/knowledge specialists?

Both are treated as high-trust roles tied to legitimacy and governance—superintendents manage revenue and enforcement, while court specialists manage public perception, timing, and ideological authority.