Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 9 Sutra 14 - Arthashastra | Thai | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 14

Devanagari script

पृच्छ्यं न पृच्छति अपृच्छ्यं पृच्छति पृष्ट्वा वा विसृजति शिक्षयति स्मारयति पूर्वं ददाति वा इति मध्यममस्मै साहसदण्डं कुर्यात् ॥ कZ_०४.९.१४ ॥

Transliteration

pṛcchyaṃ na pṛcchati apṛcchyaṃ pṛcchati pṛṣṭvā vā visṛjati śikṣayati smārayati pūrvaṃ dadāti vā iti madhyamamasmai sāhasadaṇḍaṃ kuryāt

Translation

หากผู้พิพากษาไม่ถามในสิ่งที่ควรถาม ถามในสิ่งที่ไม่ควรถาม ปล่อยคู่ความไปหลังจากซักถาม สอนหรือชี้นำคู่ความ เตือนว่าควรพูดอย่างไร หรือให้ความได้เปรียบล่วงหน้า ผู้นั้นต้องถูกปรับโทษสาหสะแบบระดับกลาง.

Word by Word

पृच्छ्यम्(what) should be asked

नnot

पृच्छतिasks

अपृच्छ्यम्(what) should not be asked

पृच्छतिasks

पृष्ट्वाhaving asked

वाor

विसृजतिdismisses / lets go

शिक्षयतिinstructs / trains

स्मारयतिreminds

पूर्वम्first / beforehand

ददातिgives

वाor

इतिthus

मध्यमम्the middle (grade)

अस्मैto him / for him

साहसदण्डम्the fine/penalty for ‘sāhasa’ (violent/forcible offence)

कुर्यात्should impose / should make

Entities Mentioned

dharmastha (judge)

party to dispute

FAQs

What kinds of acts are treated as procedural corruption here?

Selective questioning, irrelevant probing, dismissing after extracting info, coaching/prompts, and granting one side a head start.