Arthashastra — Adhyakshaprachara, Sutra 21
Devanagari script
यः पितृपैतामहमर्थमन्यायेन भक्षयति स मूलहरः ॥ कZ_०२.९.२१ ॥
Transliteration
yaḥ pitṛpaitāmaham artham anyāyena bhakṣayati sa mūlaharaḥ
Translation
凡以不法方式侵吞祖传/继承财产（积累资本）者，称为“掏空根本者”(mūlahara)。
Word by Word
यःwho (he who)
यः:
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
Formसर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (यः…सः)
पितृपैतामहम्ancestral (of father and grandfather), inherited
पितृपैतामहम्:
TypeAdjective (compound)
Rootपितृ + पितामह
Formसमास; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-रूपेण कर्मपद-विशेषणम्; द्वितीया-एकवचन (अर्थम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)
अर्थम्property, wealth
अर्थम्:
TypeNoun
Rootअर्थ
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्म (भक्षयति इत्यस्य)
अन्यायेनunjustly, by unlawful means
अन्यायेन:
TypeNoun
Rootअन्याय
Formपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचन; करण/हेतु (by unjust means)
भक्षयतिconsumes, squanders, dissipates
भक्षयति:
TypeVerb
Rootभक्ष्
Formलट्; परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; सकर्मक; ‘consume/squander’ अर्थे
सःhe (that person)
सः:
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formसर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; प्रतिनिर्देशक (यः…सः)
मूलहरःone who takes away/destroys the principal (capital); squanderer of the inherited corpus
मूलहरः:
TypeNoun (agent noun)
Rootमूल + हृ
Formसमास; ‘मूलस्य हरः’ इति; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-प्रातिपदिक (हर)
Entities Mentioned
M
mūlaharaFAQs
It points to accumulated reserves/endowments and foundational assets; stealing them undermines long-term fiscal capacity.
Because it destroys the base stock (principal) rather than merely skimming periodic flows.