Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 6 Sutra 2 - Arthashastra | Chinese | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 2

Devanagari script

शुल्कं दण्डः पौतवं नागरिको लक्षणाध्यक्षो मुद्राध्यक्षः सुरा सूना सूत्रं तैलं घृतं क्षारः सौवर्णिकः पण्यसंस्था वेश्या द्यूतं वास्तुकं कारुशिल्पिगणो देवताध्यक्षो द्वारबहिरिकादेयं च दुर्गम् ॥ कZ_०२.६.०२ ॥

Transliteration

śulkaṃ daṇḍaḥ pautavaṃ nāgariko lakṣaṇādhyakṣo mudrādhyakṣaḥ surā sūnā sūtraṃ tailaṃ ghṛtaṃ kṣāraḥ sauvarṇikaḥ paṇyasaṃsthā veśyā dyūtaṃ vāstukaṃ kāruśilpigaṇo devatādhyakṣo dvārabahirikādeyaṃ ca durgam

Translation

堡城（都市）的收入基础包括：关税；罚金/刑罚；渡口与航运税费；城市征收；度量衡/标记监督之收入（费用及执法所得）；铸币署收入（铸币税/铸币收益）；酒类收入；屠宰场收入；纱线/纺织收入；油类收入；酥油（ghee）收入；碱/碱盐收入；金匠/珠宝业收入；受管制市场机构收入；持照妓女收入；赌博收入；建筑/营造收入；工匠与手工业行会收入；寺庙/圣地管理收入；以及城门与城外关卡的征收。

Word by Word

शुल्कम्customs duty; toll

दण्डःfine; penalty; punishment

पौतवम्weights-and-measures/assay department (pautava)

नागरिकःcity superintendent; municipal officer

लक्षणाध्यक्षःsuperintendent/inspector of marks (standards, identifying marks)

मुद्राध्यक्षःsuperintendent of the mint; coinage officer

सुराliquor; spirit

सूनाslaughterhouse; butchery

सूत्रम्thread; yarn

तैलम्oil

घृतम्ghee; clarified butter

क्षारःalkali; caustic salt

सौवर्णिकःgoldsmith; worker in gold

पण्यसंस्थाmarket organization; trading establishment

वेश्याcourtesan; prostitute

द्यूतम्gambling; game of dice

वास्तुकम्building works; architecture/construction

कारुशिल्पिगणःguild/body of artisans and craftsmen

देवताध्यक्षःsuperintendent of temples/deity establishments

द्वारबहिरिकादेयम्gate/outpost levy collected outside the city gate

चand

दुर्गम्fort; fortress

Entities Mentioned

Customs office

Courts/penal administration

Ferry/ports

Municipal administration (nāgarika)

Standards/weights office

Mint

Liquor administration

Slaughterhouse

Market institution

Guilds

Temple administration

Gate/checkpoint administration

FAQs

What is the administrative intent of listing these items under ‘durga’?

To enumerate the predictable, controllable revenue streams of the fortified city—largely regulatory, licensing, and checkpoint-based collections—so they can be budgeted, assigned to offices, and audited.

Which revenues here reflect state control over vice/regulated consumption?

Liquor (surā), slaughterhouse (sūnā), courtesans (veśyā), and gambling (dyūta) indicate licensing/monopoly-style control with fiscal extraction.