Arthashastra 5.3.13 — Yogavritta, Adhyaya 3, Sutra 13

Devanagari script

कार्तान्तिकनैमित्तिकमौहूर्तिकपौराणिकसूतमागधाः पुरोहितपुरुषाः सर्वाध्यक्षाश्च साहस्राः ॥ कZ_०५.३.१३ ॥

Transliteration

kārtāntikanaimittikamauhūrtikapaurāṇikasūtamāgadhāḥ purohitapuruṣāḥ sarvādhyakṣāś ca sāhasrāḥ

Translation

కార్తాంతికులు, నైమిత్తికులు (శకునవ్యాఖ్యాతలు), మౌహూర్తికులు (జ్యోతిష్కులు), పౌరాణికులు, సూతులు, మాగధులు, పురోహితుని సిబ్బంది, మరియు అన్ని అధిక్షులు—ఇవన్నీ వెయ్యి (పణ) స్థాయిలో ఉంటారు.

Word by Word

• कार्तान्तिक-नैमित्तिक-मौहूर्तिक-पौराणिक-सूत-मागधाः: Kārtāntikas, Naimittikas, Mauhūrtikas, Paurāṇikas, Sūtas, and Māgadhas (various court specialists such as astrologers/omen-readers, time-choosers, traditional historians/bards, heralds/panegyrists)
• Type: Noun (collective list)
• Root: कार्तान्तिक; नैमित्तिक; मौहूर्तिक; पौराणिक; सूत; मागध
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः (समाहाररूपेण ‘पुरुषाः’ इत्यनेन सह विशेषणवत्)

• पुरोहित-पुरुषाः: persons belonging to/serving as the purohita (court-priest personnel)
• Type: Noun (collective)
• Root: पुरोहित; पुरुष
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः; ‘पुरोहित’ इति विशेषण/उपपदेन ‘पुरुष’ इति विशेष्यः

• सर्वाध्यक्षाः: all superintendents (heads of departments)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि+ईक्ष् (अध्यक्ष)
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः; ‘सर्व’ इति विशेषणम्

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• साहस्राः: (being) a thousand (in number)
• Type: Adjective (numeral-derived)
• Root: साहस्र
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः; ‘सहस्र’ (1000) तद्धित-निर्मित विशेषणम्; पूर्वोक्तेषु पुरुषेषु विशेषणम्

Entities Mentioned

• kārtāntika
• naimittika
• mauhūrtika
• paurāṇika
• sūta
• māgadha
• purohita
• adhyakṣa

More Details

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.