Sutra 24

Devanagari script

सर्व एव विवादाः सामन्तप्रत्ययाः ॥ कZ_०३.९.२४ ॥

Transliteration

sarva eva vivādāḥ sāmantapratyayāḥ

Translation

确实，一切争讼皆依邻里之证言/核验而定。

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: सर्व-शब्दः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (विशेषणरूपेण)

• एव: indeed/only/just
• Type: Particle
• Root: एव
• Form: निपातः; अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थकः

• विवादाः: disputes (legal cases)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + वद्
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘विवाद’ (कलह/विवाद)

• सामन्तप्रत्ययाः: are based on/turn on the (grounds/evidence) relating to a sāman­ta (vassal/neighboring chief)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन्त + प्रत्यय
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘सामन्तस्य प्रत्ययाः’ इति विग्रहः; समासान्तपदं ‘प्रत्यय’

Entities Mentioned

• sāmanta (neighbors)

More Details

FAQs

How does sāmantapratyaya shape Kauṭilya’s dispute-resolution model?

It makes local verifiability the default evidentiary foundation, enabling scalable governance where central authorities cannot directly observe most facts.