Sutra 18

Devanagari script

कारुशिल्पिनां कर्मगुणापकर्षमाजीवं विक्रयक्रयोपघातं वा सम्भूय समुत्थापयतां सहस्रं दण्डः ॥ कZ_०४.२.१८ ॥

Transliteration

kāruśilpināṃ karmaguṇāpakarṣam ājīvaṃ vikrayakrayopaghātaṃ vā sambhūya samutthāpayatāṃ sahasraṃ daṇḍaḥ

Translation

若工匠/手工业者合谋降低工艺质量，或合谋扰乱买卖以操纵生计者，罚一千（波那）。

Word by Word

• कारु-शिल्पिनाम्: of artisans and craftsmen
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारु; शिल्पिन्
• Form: षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (gen. pl.); compound in genitive plural

• कर्म-गुण-अपकर्षम्: deterioration of the quality of work
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्; गुण; अपकर्ष
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (acc. sg.); object of समुत्थापयताम्

• आजीवम्: livelihood (means of living)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आजीव
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (acc. sg.); object (co-ordinate)

• विक्रय-क्रय-उपघातम्: harm/obstruction to selling and buying (trade)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रय; क्रय; उपघात
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (acc. sg.); object (co-ordinate)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive)

• सम्भूय: having assembled; jointly
• Type: Gerund
• Root: सम्-भू
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); ‘having assembled/combined’

• समुत्थापयताम्: (who) cause/bring about
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-स्था (causative: समुत्थापय-)
• Form: लट् (present), causative; परस्मैपदम्; षष्ठी-बहुवचनस्य स्थाने तृतीया?—वस्तुतः: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि प्रयोगः, 3rd person plural (ते) understood: ‘(they) cause/bring about’; here used with genitive of offenders implied; syntactically: ‘of those who… bring about’

• सहस्रम्: one thousand (as amount)
• Type: Noun/Number
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (acc. sg.); measure of fine with दण्डः

• दण्डः: fine; punishment
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (nom. sg.); predicate: ‘the penalty is…’

Entities Mentioned

• artisans
• guild-like collective (implied)
• state regulator

More Details

FAQs

How does 4.2.18 treat collective behavior differently from individual fraud?

Concerted action that harms market functioning is treated as a high-severity offence with a large fixed fine.

What modern regulatory category does this resemble?

Anti-cartel/anti-competitive conduct enforcement, especially coordinated quality reduction or market disruption.