Dandvivek

Author(s): Vardhaman, Kamal Krishna
Publisher: Oriental Institute

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INTRODUCTION
gold. Whenever in the Code an isolated number is mentioned in relation to punishment, it should be construed with panas; the phrase " शतं दण्डाः " should thus mean "तपणं दण्डाः ". A pana is the one-sixteenth part of a kārṣāpaṇa, and a kākini is the one-fourth part of a paṇa. A dhānika coin is composed
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of four kārṣāpanas.
A karṣa is a certain weight, equal to 16 māsas. A dharana is a certain weight, equal to 10 palas. A pala is equal to 4 karsas. A guñja is a small shrub, used as a measure of weight. Yava is barley corn used as a measure of weight and is onehalf of a guñja, or 6 or 12 mustard seeds. Sarsapa is grain of mustard seed, used as a measure of weight of very various value. Tolaka is a weight of gold or silver and is equal to 16 māṣas. Kṛṣṇala is black-berry used as a weight. A silver mășa is composed of two kṛṣṇalas. Sixteen silver māsas make a Dharana, and ten Dharanas make a satamana. A gold maṣa consists of five Raktikas, while a silver maşa consists of two Raktikas and is one-twentieth part of a silver Purāņa. A silver mășa is usually called as a maṣaka and is thus differentiated from a gold mășa.
Specific Offences and their Punishments.
Vardhamana has quoted a text of Narada to show that six big categories of offences are the subjects of punishment. The translation of the text is as follows: Homicide, theft, violating the chastity of a woman other than one's wife, two kinds of severities, and miscellaneous heading are the six subjects of punishment. To the above text, Vardhamana adds the following note:
All kinds of civil disputes originate from greed or ignorance, and so either the plaintiff or the defendant must be guilty of false assertion of right or concealment of facts, and hence it is true that punishment is inflicted on the guilty party, in civil cases also. But the matter discussed in the Dandaviveka is not at all connected with the punishment of offences, following incidentally from civil disputes, but
मनुष्यमारणं स्तेयं परदाराभिमर्षणम् ।
द्वे पारुष्ये प्रकीर्णञ्च दण्डस्थानानि षड् विदुः ॥