Arthashastra · Chapter 47
Book 2, Chapter 26: The Superintendent of Slaughter-house
Translated by R. Shamasastry (1915, public domain), 1915. Public domain.
The Sanskrit text and the translation are aligned at chapter level, not sentence by sentence. Sutra numbers follow the critical edition (book.chapter.sutra).
- 2.26.1
सूना-अध्यक्षः प्रदिष्ट-अभयानां अभय-वन-वासिनां च मृग-पशु-पक्षि-मत्स्यानां बन्ध-वध-हिंसायां उत्तमं दण्डं कारयेत् । कुटुम्बिनां अभय-वन-परिग्रहेषु मध्यमं
- 2.26.2
अप्रवृत्त-वधानां मत्स्य-पक्षिणां बन्ध-वध-हिंसायां पाद-ऊन-सप्त-विंशति-पणं अत्ययं कुर्यात् । मृग-पशूनां द्वि-गुणं
- 2.26.3
प्रवृत्त-हिंसानां अपरिगृहीतानां षड्-भागं गृह्णीयात् । मत्स्य-पक्षिणां दश-भागं वाअधिकम् । मृग-पशूनां शुल्कं वाअधिकं
- 2.26.4
पक्षि-मृगाणां जीवत्षड्-भागं अभय-वनेषु प्रमुञ्चेत्
- 2.26.5
सामुद्र-हस्त्य्-अश्व-पुरुष-वृष-गर्दभ-आकृतयो मत्स्याः सारसा नऽदेयास्तटाक-कुल्या-उद्भवा वा क्रौञ्च-उत्क्रोशक-दात्यूह-हंस-चक्रवाक-जीवन्-जीवक-भृङ्ग-राज-चकोर-मत्त-कोकिल-मयूर-शुक-मदन-शारिका विहार-पक्षिणो मङ्गल्याश्चान्येअपि प्राणिनः पक्षि-मृगा हिंसा-बाधेभ्यो रक्ष्याः
- 2.26.6
रक्षा-अतिक्रमे पूर्वः साहस-दण्डः
- 2.26.7
मृग-पशूनां अनस्थि-मांसं सद्यो-हतं विक्रीणीरन्
- 2.26.8
अस्थिमतः प्रतिपातं दद्युः
- 2.26.9
तुला-हीने हीन-अष्ट-गुणं
- 2.26.10
वत्सो वृषो धेनुश्चएषां अवध्याः
- 2.26.11
घ्नतः पञ्चाशत्को दण्डः । क्लिष्ट-घातं घातयतश्च
- 2.26.12
परिशूनं अशिरः-पाद-अस्थि विगन्धं स्वयं-मृतं च न विक्रीणीरन्
- 2.26.13
अन्यथा द्वादश-पणो दण्डः
- 2.26.14
दुष्टाः पशु-मृग-व्याला मत्स्यश्चाभय-चारिणः अन्यत्र गुप्ति-स्थानेभ्यो वध-बन्धं अवाप्नुयुः
WHEN a person entraps, kills, or molests deer, bison, birds, and fish which are declared to be under State protection or which live in forests under State-protection (abhaydranya), he shall be punished with the highest amercement.
Householders trespassing in forest preserves shall be punished with the middlemost amercement.
When a person entraps, kills, or molests either fish or birds that do not prey upon other animals, he shall be fined 2634 panas; and when he does the same to deer and other beasts, he shall be fined twice as much.
Of beasts of prey that have been captured, the Superintendent shall take one-sixth; of fish and birds (of similar nature), he shall take one-tenth or more than one-tenth; and of deer and other beasts (mrigapasu), one-tenth or more than one-tenth as toll.
One-sixth of live animals such as birds and beasts shall be let off in forests under State-protection.
Elephants, horses or animals having the form of a man, bull or
an ass living in oceans as well as fish in tanks, lakes, channels and rivers; and such game-birds as krauncha (a kind of heron), utkrosaka (osprey), dátyúha (a sort of cuckoo), hamsa (flamingo), chakravdka (a brahmany duck), jivanjivaka (a kind of pheasant), bhringarája (Lanius Malabaricus), chakora (partridge), mattakokila (cuckoo), peacock, parrot, and maina (madanasárika) as well as other auspicious animals, whether birds or beasts, shall be protected from all kinds of molestations.
Those who violate the above rule shall be punished with the first amercement.
(Butchers) shall sell fresh and boneless flesh of beasts (mrigapasu) just killed.
If they sell bony flesh, they shall give an equivalent compensation (pratipákam).
If there is any diminution in weight owing to the use of a false balance, they shall give eight times the diminution.
Cattle such as a calf, a bull, or a milch cow shall not be slaughtered.
He who slaughters or tortures them to death shall be fined 50 panas.
The flesh of animals which have been killed outside the slaughter-house (parisúnam), headless, legless and boneless flesh, rotten flesh, and the flesh of animals which have suddenly died shall not be sold. Otherwise a fine of 12 panas shall be imposed.
Cattle, wild beasts, elephants (vyala), and fish living in forests under State protection shall, if they become of vicious
nature, be entrapped and killed outside the forest preserve.