Arthashastra 3.13.15: Dharmasthiya, Adhyaya 13, Sutra 15

Devanagari script

मूल्येन चार्यत्वं गच्छेत् ॥

Recitation with translationArthashastra 3.13.15

Transliteration

mūlyena cāryatvaṃ gacchet

Translation

مقررہ قیمت ادا کرنے سے داس کو آریہ-درجہ (یعنی آزاد/غیر غلام حیثیت) حاصل ہو سکتا ہے۔

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Word by Word

• मूल्येन: by/with the price; by payment/valuation
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचन (करणे)
• In statecraft: मूल्य = विक्रय/क्रय-राशिः, मूल्य-निर्धारणे प्रयुक्तः द्रव्य-परिमाणः (price/valuation)

• चार्यत्वम्: the state/position of being a cārya (teacher/ācārya-like status)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चार्यत्व
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन
• In statecraft: चार्यत्व = चार्य-भावः; आचार्यत्व/चार्य-स्थिति (a status/condition of being a ‘cārya’)

• गच्छेत्: should go/should attain/should become
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Sandhi Notes

• Sandhi resolution: मूल्येन + चार्यत्वम् + गच्छेत्
• words are already in separated (pada) form
• Final anusvāra in चार्यत्वम् is the nominative singular ending -म्

Entities Mentioned

• dāsa (bonded person)
• svāmin (master/owner)
• state/judicial authority (implicit)

Topic and Governance

Prakarana (topic)

Rules on dāsa (bonded labor/slavery): manumission (niṣkraya), penalties, and status/kinship

Governance domain

Civil law; labor regulation; manumission and status conversion

Vocabulary Breakdown

Technical Terms

FAQs

What administrative principle is expressed in 3.13.15?

The state recognizes a lawful pathway for converting servile status into free status through a defined monetary redemption mechanism.

Why is ‘āryatva’ important in governance terms?

It marks a legally enforceable status change, affecting rights, liabilities, and protections under civil and penal rules.