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Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 11.87

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Ullāsas
14
Verses
2517
Minutes
1258
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advanced

Ullāsa 11 · Verse 87

चौर्यविशेषे दण्डविशेषःPunishments for kinds of theft

Verse 87

मणिमुक्ताहिरण्यादिधातूनां स्तेयकारिणः । करस्य वाह्वोश्छेदो वा कार्यो मूल्यं विचारयन् ॥ ८७ ॥

maṇimuktāhiraṇyādidhātūnāṁ stēyakāriṇaḥ | karasya vāhvōśchēdō vā kāryō mūlyaṁ vicārayan || 87 ||

Translation

For one who steals metals, jewels, pearls, gold and the like, the cutting off of the hand or the arms is to be done, weighing their value.

Word by word

maṇi
jewels
muktā
pearls
hiraṇya
gold
ādi
and the like
dhātūnāṁ
of metals
stēya
theft
kāriṇaḥ
(kāriṇaḥ) of one who commits
karasya
of the hand
vāhvōḥ
(bāhvoḥ) of the arms
chēdaḥ
(chedaḥ) cutting off
vā
or
kāryaḥ
(kāryaḥ) is to be done
mūlyaṁ
the value
vicārayan
weighing

Meaning

The ṭīkā: the hand for goods of small value, the arm for great value. These are the penalties of the Tantra's own ideal kingdom, given as the text states them; they describe its teaching, not any present law.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

Now he tells the punishment of those who steal jewels, pearls and other valuables, with "maṇi" and the rest. For a man who steals metals, jewels, pearls, gold and the like, the king should, weighing the value of the jewels and the rest, have the hand or the arm cut off: for theft of jewels and the like of small value, the cutting off of the hand; for theft of jewels and the like of great value, the cutting off of the arm is to be done: that is the sense.