Kantakashodhana Adhyaya 9 Sutra 9 - Arthashastra | Vietnamese | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 9

Devanagari script

बाह्येषु तु प्रच्छन्नमहनि क्षेत्रखलवेश्मापणेभ्यः कुप्यभाण्डमुपस्करं वा माषमूल्यादूर्ध्वमापादमूल्यादित्यपहरतस्त्रिपणो दण्डः गोमयप्रदेहेन वा प्रलिप्यावघोषणमाद्विपादमूल्यादिति षट्पणः गोमयभस्मना वा प्रलिप्यावघोषणमात्रिपादमूल्यादिति नवपणः गोमयभस्मना वा प्रलिप्यावघोषणं शरावमेखलया वा आपणमूल्यादिति द्वादशपणः मुण्डनं प्रव्राजनं वा आद्विपणमूल्यादिति चतुर्विंशतिपणः मुण्डस्येष्टकाशकलेन प्रव्राजनं वा आचतुष्पणमूल्यादिति षट्त्रिंशत्पणह् आपञ्चपणमूल्यादित्यष्टचत्वारिंशत्पणः आदशपणमूल्यादिति पूर्वः साहसदण्डह् आविंशतिपणमूल्यादित्द्विशतह् आत्रिंशत्पणमूल्यादिति पञ्चशतह् आचत्वारिंशत्पणमूल्यादिति साहस्रह् आपञ्चाशत्पणमूल्यादिति वधः ॥ कZ_०४.९.०९ ॥

Transliteration

bāhyeṣu tu pracchannam ahani kṣetrakhalaveśmāpaṇebhyaḥ kupyabhāṇḍam upaskaraṃ vā māṣamūlyād ūrdhvam āpādamūlyāt iti apaharatas tripaṇo daṇḍaḥ | gomayapradehena vā pralipya avaghoṣaṇam ādvipādamūlyāt iti ṣaṭpaṇaḥ | gomayabhasmanā vā pralipya avaghoṣaṇam ātripādamūlyāt iti navapaṇaḥ | gomayabhasmanā vā pralipya avaghoṣaṇaṃ śarāvamekhalayā vā āpaṇamūlyāt iti dvādaśapaṇaḥ | muṇḍanaṃ pravrājanaṃ vā ādvipaṇamūlyāt iti caturviṃśatipaṇaḥ | muṇḍasya iṣṭakāśakalena pravrājanaṃ vā ācatuṣpaṇamūlyāt iti ṣaṭtriṃśatpaṇaḥ | āpañcapaṇamūlyāt iti aṣṭacatvāriṃśatpaṇaḥ | ādaśapaṇamūlyāt iti pūrvaḥ sāhasadaṇḍaḥ | āviṃśatipaṇamūlyāt iti dviśataḥ | ātriṃśatipaṇamūlyāt iti pañcaśataḥ | ācatvāriṃśatipaṇamūlyāt iti sāhasraḥ | āpañcāśatpaṇamūlyāt iti vadhaḥ

Translation

But in external (private) cases—when theft is committed covertly by day from fields, threshing-floors, houses, or shops—if consumables, vessels, or equipment are stolen: for value above a māṣa up to a pāda, the fine is 3 paṇas. From two pādas: 6 paṇas, with public proclamation after smearing (the offender) with cow-dung. From three pādas: 9 paṇas, with proclamation after smearing with cow-dung and ash. At one paṇa: 12 paṇas, with proclamation after smearing with cow-dung/ash or with a potsherd-girdle (a shaming device). From two paṇas: 24 paṇas, with head-shaving and/or banishment. From four paṇas: 36 paṇas, with head-shaving and banishment marked by a chip of brick (additional stigma). From five paṇas: 48 paṇas. From ten paṇas: the first sāhasa penalty. From twenty paṇas: 200 (paṇas). From thirty paṇas: 500. From forty paṇas: 1,000. From fifty paṇas: death.

Word by Word

बाह्येषुin external places (outside areas)

तुbut / however

प्रच्छन्नम्concealed / secretly (done)

अहनिin the daytime

क्षेत्रfields

खलthreshing-floors

वेश्मhouses

आपणेभ्यःfrom markets/shops

कुप्यभाण्डम्movable goods/utensils

उपस्करम्equipment/implements

वाor

माषमूल्यात्from the value of one māṣa

ऊर्ध्वम्upwards / above

आपादमूल्यात्up to (i.e., starting from) the value of one pāda

इतिthus (so stated)

अपहरतःof the one who takes away/steals

त्रिपणःa fine of three paṇas

दण्डःthe penalty/fine

गोमयप्रदेहेनby smearing with cow-dung plaster

वाor

प्रलिप्यhaving smeared (it)

अवघोषणम्public proclamation/announcement

आद्विपादमूल्यात्from the value of two pādas (and upward)

इतिthus

षट्पणःa fine of six paṇas

गोमयभस्मनाwith cow-dung ash

वाor

प्रलिप्यhaving smeared

अवघोषणम्proclamation

आत्रिपादमूल्यात्from the value of three pādas (and upward)

इतिthus

नवपणःa fine of nine paṇas

गोमयभस्मनाwith cow-dung ash

वाor

प्रलिप्यhaving smeared

अवघोषणम्proclamation

शरावमेखलयाwith a girdle made of potsherds

वाor

आपणमूल्यात्from the market-value (threshold)

इतिthus

द्वादशपणःa fine of twelve paṇas

मुण्डनम्shaving (of the head)

प्रव्राजनम्banishment/expulsion

वाor

आद्विपणमूल्यात्from the value of two paṇas (and upward)

इतिthus

चतुर्विंशतिपणःa fine of twenty-four paṇas

मुण्डस्यof the shaved person / of the offender (with shaved head)

इष्टकाशकलेनwith a brick fragment (as a mark/implement)

प्रव्राजनम्banishment

वाor

आचतुष्पणमूल्यात्from the value of four paṇas (and upward)

इतिthus

षट्त्रिंशत्पणःa fine of thirty-six paṇas

आपञ्चपणमूल्यात्from the value of five paṇas (and upward)

इतिthus

अष्टचत्वारिंशत्पणःa fine of forty-eight paṇas

आदशपणमूल्यात्from the value of ten paṇas (and upward)

इतिthus

पूर्वःthe first/lowest (grade)

साहसदण्डःthe ‘sāhasa’ grade of penalty (for forcible/violent wrongdoing)

आविंशतिपणमूल्यात्from the value of twenty paṇas (and upward)

इतिthus

द्विशतःa fine of two hundred (paṇas)

आत्रिंशत्पणमूल्यात्from the value of thirty paṇas (and upward)

इतिthus

पञ्चशतःa fine of five hundred (paṇas)

आचत्वारिंशत्पणमूल्यात्from the value of forty paṇas (and upward)

इतिthus

साहस्रःa fine of one thousand (paṇas)

आपञ्चाशत्पणमूल्यात्from the value of fifty paṇas (and upward)

इतिthus

वधःexecution (death penalty)

Entities Mentioned

kṣetra

khala

veśma

āpaṇa

avaghoṣaṇa

pravrājana

muṇḍana

FAQs

How do penalties for private theft differ from theft of royal property?

They begin with lower monetary fines and incorporate escalating public shaming and banishment; capital punishment is reserved for very high values, whereas royal-property theft escalates faster due to direct fiscal harm.

What is the administrative function of public shaming (avaghoṣaṇa) here?

It deters repeat offending, signals enforcement capacity to the community, and reduces monitoring costs by making offenders socially identifiable.