Verse 8.405

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

भाण्डपूर्णानि यानानि तार्यं दाप्यानि सारतः ।
रिक्तभाण्डानि यत् किं चित् पुमांसश्चपरिच्छदाः ॥ ४०५ ॥

bhāṇḍapūrṇāni yānāni tāryaṃ dāpyāni sārataḥ |
riktabhāṇḍāni yat kiṃ cit pumāṃsaścaparicchadāḥ || 405 ||

Carts laden with commodities should be made to pay the ferry-toll according to their value; those not laden with commodities may pay a triple, as also men without luggage.—(405)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Commodities’— goods, such as clothes, grains and so forth; when carts are laden with these, they should be made to pay the ferry-toll, in accordance with their ‘value.’ If they are laden with doth and other things of great value, they should pay heavily; while if they are carrying only grains and other cheap things, they should pay less.

Similarly the toll to be paid may be regulated in accordance with the lesser or greater difficulty involved in crossing a particular river.

Carts not laden with commodities may pay ‘some little trifle’—i.e., a paṇa.

The term ‘commodity,’ ‘bhāṇḍa,’ here stands for riches.

Those men who are without any luggage shall pay, not half of the quarter-paṇa (as laid in 404), but any little trifle, more or less; and no bard and fast rule can be laid down on this point. Such is the sense of the scriptures.—(405)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (2.263), where Bālambhaṭṭī has the following notes:—Carts laden with merchandise should be made to pay according to the value of the merchandise they carry; those that are empty as also ‘aparicchadāḥ,’ poor persons, may be made to pay some little amount.

It is quoted in Aparārka (p. 834), which has the following notes:—Carts laden with merchandise should each pay according to the value of the merchandise carried; when they are empty, they may pay a small amount; so also persons without accoutrements.

It is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 270), which adds the following explanations:—Carts laden with merchandise should be made to pay in accordance with the large or small value of the merchandise carried; empty carts and poor persons may pay some amount smaller than the eighth part of a paṇa. It adds that the rule applies to river- crossings. For voyages by river the rates are different (see next verse).

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 8.404-406)

See Comparative notes for Verse 8.404.