The Law Code of Bṛhaspati 1.19

1.19.1

krayavikrayānuśaye vidhir eṣa pradarśitaḥ /
grāmakṣetragṛhādīnāṃ sīmāvādaṃ nibodhata //

This rule regarding rescission of purchase and sale has been declared. Hear the laws concerning boundaries of villages, fields, houses, and so forth.

1.19.2

sīmāvṛkṣāṃś ca kurvīran nyagrodhāśvatthakiṃśukān /
śālmalīśālatā[ḍāṃ? lāṃ]ś ca kṣīriṇaś caiva pādapān //

1.19.3

gulmān veṇūṃś ca vividhāñ śamīvallīsthalāni ca /
śarān kubjakagulmāṃś ca tathā sīmā na naśyati //

1.19.4

taḍāgāny udapānāni t prasravaṇāni ca /
sīmāsandhiṣu kāryāṇi devatāyatanāni ca //

1.19.5

rājā kṣetraṃ dattvā cāturvaidyavaṇigvārikasarvagrāmīṇa /
tanmahattarasvāmipuruṣādhiṣṭhitaṃ paricchindyāt //

1.19.6

yadi śūdro netā syāt taṃ klaibyenālaṃkāreṇa alaṃkṛtya śavabhasmanā /
mukhaṃ vilipyāgreyasya paśoḥ śoṇitenorasi pañcāṅgulāni kṛtvā grīvāyām /
antrāṇi pratimucya svyena pāṇinā sīmāloṣṭaṃ mūrdhni dhārayet //

1.19.7

niveśakāle kartavyaḥ sīmābandhaviniścayaḥ /
prakāśopāṃśucihnaiś ca lakṣitaḥ saṃśayāpahaḥ //

The determination of boundaries should be settled at the time of foundation, and it should be marked by visible and invisible signs, so as to dispel doubt.

1.19.8

anaśvarāṇi dravyāṇi prakṛtyaivāvirodhataḥ /
vāpīkūpataḍāgāni caityārāmasurālayāḥ //

Wells, tanks, pools, large trees, gardens, temples, mounds, channels, the course of a river, reeds, shrubs, or piles of stones:

1.19.9

sthalanimnanadīsrotaḥ śaragulmanagādayaḥ /
prakāśacihnāny etāni sīmāyāṃ kārayet sadā //

Wells, tanks, pools, large trees, gardens, temples, mounds, channels, the course of a river, reeds, shrubs, or piles of stones:

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.10

yadi saṃśaya eva syāl liṅgānām api darśane /
sākṣipratyaya eva syād vivāde sīmaniścayaḥ //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.11

sākṣyabhāve ca catvāro grāmasīmāntavāsinaḥ /
sīmāvinirṇayaṃ kuryuḥ prayatā rājasaṃnidhau //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.12

sāmantānām abhāve tu maulānāṃ sīmasākṣiṇām /
imān apy anuyuñjīta puruṣān vanagocarān //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.13

vyādhāñ śākunikān gopān kaivartān mūlakhānakān /
vyālagrāhān uñchavṛttīn anyāṃś ca vanagocarān //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.14

te pṛṣṭās tu yathā brūyuḥ sīmāsandhiṣu lakṣaṇam /
tat tathā sthāpayet rājā dharmeṇa grāmayor dvayoḥ //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.15

śirobhis te gṛhītvorvīṃ sragviṇo raktavāsasaḥ /
sukṛtaiḥ śāpitāḥ svaiḥ svaiḥ brūyus te tu samaṃjasam //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.16

nibadhnīyāt tathā sīmāṃ savīṃs tāṃś caiva nāmataḥ /
prakāśacihnāny etāni sīmāyāṃ kārayet sadā //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.17

nihitāni tathānyāni yāni bhūmir na bhakṣayet /
upacchatrāni cānyāni sīmāliṅgāni kārayet //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.18

sīmājñāne tṛnaṃ vīkṣya loke nityaviparyayam /
śmaśāno 'sthīni gobālās tathā bhasmakapālikāḥ //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.19

karīṣam iṣṭakāṅgāraśarkarā bālukāṃs tathā /
tāni sandhiṣu sīmāyā aprakāśāni kārayet //

By such visible signs as these a boundary line should always be caused to be marked; also, by other (marks) deposited underground which the earth is not likely to destroy.

1.19.20

karīṣāsthituṣāṅgāraśarkarāśmakapālikāḥ /
sikateṣṭakagobālakārpāsāsthīni bhasma ca //

Dry cowdung, bones, chaff, charcoal, stones, potsherds, sand, bricks, cows’ tails, cotton seeds, and ashes:

1.19.21

prakṣipya kumbheṣv etāni sīmānteṣu nidhāpayet /
tataḥ paugaṇḍabālānāṃ prayatnena pradarśayet //

After having placed these substances in vessels, one should deposit them underground at the extremities of the boundary. After that, one should take care to point them out to youths and infants.

1.19.22

vārdhake ca śiśūnāṃ te darśayeyus tathaiva ca /
evaṃ paraṃparājñāne sīmābhrāntir na jāyate //

These (youths and infants) should again show them to their own children, after having grown old; by knowledge thus passing from one generation to the other, doubts regarding boundaries may be obviated.

1.19.23

kurute dānaharaṇaṃ bhāgyābhāgyavaśān nṛṇām /
ekatra kūlapātaṃ tu bhūmer anyatra saṃsthitiḥ //

The encroachment (of a river) on one side produces an increase of land elsewhere in banks of rivers; that (increase) must not be taken from him (who gets it).

1.19.24

nadītīraṃ prakurute tasyaitāṃ na vicālayet /
kṣetraṃ sasasyam ullaṅghya bhūmiś cchinnā yadā bhavet //

1.19.25

nadīsrotaḥpravāheṇa kṣetrasvāmī labheta tām /
yā rājñā krodhalobhena balān nyāyena vā hṛtā //

1.19.26

gṛhakṣetravivādeṣu sāmantebhyo vinirṇayaḥ /
nagaragrāmagaṇino ye ca vṛddhatamā narāḥ //

1.19.27

kīnāśaśilpibhṛtakā gopavyādhoñchajīvinaḥ /
mūlakhānakakaivartakulyā bhedakabādhakāḥ //

1.19.28

āgamaṃ ca pramāṇaṃ ca bhogaṃ kāmaṃ ca nāma ca /
bhūbhāgalakṣaṇaṃ caiva ye vidus te 'tra sākṣiṇaḥ //

1.19.29

pradattānyasya tuṣṭena na sā siddhim avāpnuyāt /
[yā rājñā krodhalobhena chalān nyāyena vā hṛtā] //

1.19.30

pramāṇarahitāṃ bhūmiṃ bhuñjato yasya yā hṛtā /
guṇādhikasya dattā vā tasya tāṃ naiva cālayet //

1.19.31

śāpathaiḥ śāpitāḥ svaiḥ svaiḥ brūyuḥ sīmni viniścayam /
darśayeyur nidhānāni tat pramāṇam iti sthitiḥ //

1.19.32

satyena śāpayed vipraṃ kṣatriyaṃ vāhanāyudhaiḥ //

1.19.33

jñātṛcihnair vinā sādhur eko 'py ubhayasaṃmataḥ /
raktamālyāmbaradharo mṛdam ādāya mūrdhani //

1.19.34

satyavrataḥ sopavāsaḥ sīmāntaṃ darśayen naraḥ //

1.19.35

[sāmantāś cen mṛṣā brūyuḥ setau vivadatāṃ nṛṇām] /
[sarve ca te pṛthagdaṇḍyā rājñā madhyam asāhasam] //

1.19.36

[yathoktena nayantas te pūyante satyasākṣiṇaḥ] /
[viparītaṃ nayantas tu dāpyāḥ syur dviśataṃ damam] //

1.19.37

sarvasmin sthāvare vāde vidhir eṣa prakīrtitaḥ //

1.19.38

tadutpannāś ca sāmantā ye 'nyadeśe vyavasthitāḥ /
maulās te tu samuddiṣṭāḥ praṣṭavyāḥ kāryanirṇaye //

1.19.39

aduṣṭās te tu yad brūyuḥ saṃdigdhau samavṛttayaḥ /
tat pramāṇaṃ tu kartavyam evaṃ dharmo na hīyate //

1.19.40

anyagrāmāt samāhṛtya dattānyasya yadā mahī /
anyathā tu bhavel lābho narāṇāṃ rājadaivikaḥ //

1.19.41

mahānadyāthavā rājñā kathaṃ tatra vicāraṇā /
nadyotsṛṣṭā rājadattā yasya tasyaiva sā mahī /
anyathā tu bhavel lābho narāṇāṃ rājadaivikaḥ //

1.19.42

kṣayodayau jīvanaṃ ca daivarājavaśān nṛṇām /
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu tatkṛtaṃ na vicālayet //

1.19.43

grāmayor ubhayor yatra maryādā kalpitā nadī /
kurute dānaharaṇaṃ bhāgyābhāgyavaśān nṛṇām /
kṣayodayena cālpā ca cālayan daṇḍam arhati //

1.19.44

daśagrāmaśatagrāmasahasragrāmalakṣaṇām /
viṣamāṃ nṛpatiḥ kuryāc cihnaiḥ sīmāṃ viniścitām //

1.19.45

niveśakālād ārabhya gṛhavaryāpaṇādikam /
yena yāvad yathā bhuktaṃ tasya tan na vicālayet //

1.19.46

vātāyanapraṇālīs tu tathā niryūhavedikāḥ /
catuḥśālasyandanikāḥ prāṅniviṣṭā na cālayet //

1.19.47

mekhalābhramaniṣkāsagavākṣān noparodhayet /
praṇālīṃ gṛhavāstuṃ ca pīḍayan daṇḍabhāg bhavet //

1.19.48

niveśasamayād ūrdhvaṃ naite yojyāḥ kathaṃcana /
dṛṣṭipātaṃ praṇālīṃ ca na kuryāt paraveśmani //

1.19.49

varcasthānaṃ vahnim ayaṃ gartocchiṣṭāmbusecanam /
atyārāt parakuḍyasya na kartavyaṃ kadācana //

1.19.50

viṇmūtrodakavaprāṃś ca vahniśvabhraniveśanam /
aratnidvayam utsṛjya parakuḍyāṃ niveśayet //

1.19.51

yānty āyānti janā yena paśavaś cānivāritāḥ /
tad ucyate saṃsaraṇaṃ na roddhavyaṃ tu kenacit //

1.19.52

yas tatra saṃkaraṃ śvabhraṃ vṛkṣāropaṇam eva ca /
kāmāt purīṣaṃ kuryāc ca tasya daṇḍas tu māṣakaḥ //

1.19.53

gṛhītvā vāhayet kāle vāpagopanasaṃgrahān /
akurvan svāmine dāpyo madhyaṃ kṛṣṭaśadaṃ tu saḥ //

1.19.54

kṣetraṃ gṛhītvā yaḥ kaścin na kuryān na ca kārayet /
svāmine sa śadaṃ dāpyo rājñe daṇḍaṃ ca tatsamam //

1.19.55

cirāvasanne daśamaṃ kṛṣyamāṇe tathāṣṭamam /
susaṃskṛte tu ṣaṣṭhaṃ syāt parikalpya yathāvidhi //