Arthashastra 3.13.30: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 30

Devanagari script

सकृदात्माधाता निष्पतितः सीदेत्द्विरन्येनाहितकः सकृदुभौ परविषयाभिमुखौ ॥

Transliteration

sakṛdātmādhātā niṣpatitaḥ sīdet dvir anyenāhitakaḥ sakṛd ubhau paraviṣayābhimukhau

Translation

สำหรับกลุ่มผู้ประกอบอาชีพที่มีทักษะและงานบริการ—ช่างฝีมือ ช่างศิลป์ ผู้แสดง แพทย์ ผู้หาเลี้ยงชีพด้วยวาจา (นักพูด/ทนาย) ผู้ดูแลรับใช้ และอื่น ๆ—ค่าจ้างให้เป็นไปตามที่คนประเภทเดียวกันจะทำ/เรียก หรือเท่าที่ผู้ชำนาญการประเมินว่าเหมาะสม; จึงพึงได้รับค่าจ้างเช่นนั้น.

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Word by Word

• सकृत्: once; a single time
• Type: Avyaya
• Root: सकृत्
• Form: अव्यय; ‘once/one time’

• आत्माधाता: the one who himself makes the deposit/sets the stake
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृ (धा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; आत्मन्-आधाता = ‘of oneself’ + ‘placer/arranger’ (agent noun)

• निष्पतितः: having come forth; having entered (the action)
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: पत्
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); प्रथमा-एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; नि: + पत् → ‘having gone out/started forth’

• सीदेत्: should be made to lose / should be at a disadvantage
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद्
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्? (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष-एकवचन; ‘should sit down/should be at a disadvantage/should fail’

• द्विः: twice
• Type: Avyaya
• Root: द्विः
• Form: अव्यय; ‘twice’

• अन्येन: by another (person)
• Type: Noun/Pronoun (Adjective)
• Root: अन्य
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक; ‘by another (person)’

• आहितकः: the one who has deposited/placed (the stake)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धा (आ + धा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘one who has placed/deposited’ (agent noun from āhita ‘placed’)

• सकृत्: once
• Type: Avyaya
• Root: सकृत्
• Form: अव्यय; ‘once’

• उभौ: both (of them)
• Type: Noun/Pronoun
• Root: उभ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचन; ‘both’

• परविषयाभिमुखौ: both facing toward the other side/another’s sphere
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + मुख
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचन; पर-विषय-अभिमुख = ‘facing toward another’s sphere/side’

Entities Mentioned

• ātma-ādhātā (self-pledger)
• āhitaka (person pledged by another)
• paraviṣaya (other territory)

More Details

FAQs

What governance problem is being addressed by mentioning ‘paraviṣaya’ (another territory)?

Flight across jurisdictions undermines enforcement; Kautilya anticipates cross-border evasion and prescribes immediate restraint/controls when a pledged person attempts to leave the ruler’s territory.

What is the administrative intent behind regulating repeated pledging?

To prevent exploitation/trafficking-like repeated transfers and to preserve clarity of obligation and liability in pledged-service arrangements.