Verse 11.164

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

द्रव्याणामल्पसाराणां स्तेयं कृत्वाऽन्यवेश्मतः ।
चरेत् सान्तपनं कृच्छ्रं तन्निर्यात्यात्मशुद्धये ॥ १६४ ॥

dravyāṇāmalpasārāṇāṃ steyaṃ kṛtvā'nyaveśmataḥ |
caret sāntapanaṃ kṛcchraṃ tanniryātyātmaśuddhaye || 164 ||

If one steals things of small value in the house of another, he should restore them; and for his own purification, he should perform the ‘Sāntapana Kṛcchra.’—(164)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Things of small value’ do not last long; and things of small value are such earthenware articles as a dish, a cup, and so forth, as also such wooden things as the ‘droṇa,’ the ‘āḍhaka’ and other weights; and such iron things as the spade, the shovel, and so forth.

‘In the house of another.’—The stealing of things lying in the house is a serious offence; not so that of things lying in the field or in the courtyard.

‘Restored’—given back. This pertains to all cases of theft, as it has not been qualified in any way.

In a case where it is not possible to restore what has been stolen, the expiation shall be the double of what is prescribed here.—(164)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (3.265), as referring to the stealing of such things of small value as tin, lead and the like,—which thus becomes excluded from the expiation prescribed for ‘theft’ in general;—and in Madanapārijāta (p. 874), as referring to the stealing of lead, tin and other things worth less than 25 Paṇas.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (42.7).—‘For stealing articles of small value, the Sāntapana penance should he performed.’