Verse 9.256 [Who are ‘Thorns’ (kaṇṭaka)?]

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

द्विविधांस्तस्करान् विद्यात् परद्रव्यापहारकान् ।
प्रकाशांश्चाप्रकाशांश्च चारचक्षुर्महीपतिः ॥ २५६ ॥

dvividhāṃstaskarān vidyāt paradravyāpahārakān |
prakāśāṃścāprakāśāṃśca cāracakṣurmahīpatiḥ || 256 ||

The spy-eyed king shall discover the two kinds of thieves who take away the property of other men, those that are ‘open’ and those ‘concealed’—(256)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Throughout the realm, hidden spies should find out all that pertains to the king’s business; and hence they are spoken of as his ‘eyes’, and the king called ‘spy-eyed’.

Though the action of the ‘open’ thief does not stand on the same footing as that of the ‘concealed’ one—such as those who prowl about at night in forests etc.’—yet both have been mentioned together for the purpose of indicating the equality of the punishment to be meted out to them.—(256)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 289).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 9.256-260)

Bṛhaspati (22, 2-5).—‘Thieves are of two kinds:—open and secret. These are subdivided thousand-fold, according to their skill, ability and modus operandi. Fraudulent traders, quacks, gamblers, corrupt judges, those who accept bribes, cheats, persons posing as interpreters of omens or performers of propitiatory rites, mean artists, forgers, hired servants refusing to do their work, roguish umpires, perjured witnesses, and jugglers,—these are called open thieves. Housebreakers, highwaymen, robbers of bipeds and quadrupeds, stealers of clothes and such things, and stealers of grain,—these are secret thieves.’

Nārada (Theft, 1-5).—‘Two kinds of robbers who steal the goods of others, have to be distinguished:—the one kind open and the other kind secret. Open rogues are those who forge measures and weights or receive bribes, robbers, gamblers, public prostitutes, those who roam about in disguise, those who make a living by teaching auspicious ceremonies,—these and such like persons are considered open rogues. Rogues acting in secret are those who roam in the woods, or he concealed, as well as those who make a profession of stealing. They attack and rob people who do not beware of them. Those who infest a country, a village, or a house, or disturb a sacrificial act, cut purses, and other persons of this sort also are considered to be secret rogues.’